Transcript Optimizing the employability skills of STEM graduates

Optimizing the employability skills of
STEM graduates: Challenges and
opportunities for Environmental Health
Technician
students
at
Joshua
Mqabuko
Nkomo
Polytechnic
in
Matabeleland South province
Patrick Senderayi
Buyisani Dube
Duduzile Nkomo
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INTRODUCTION
• Skills and knowledge development is an imperative for economic
growth and social advancement
• Training interventions are effective tools for integrating
unemployed and inactive target groups into the labour market
• Studies (Sweden, Germany & Denmark) – labour market training
and re-training schemes for the unemployed
 failed to live up to expectations
 made little difference to the employment opportunities of
participants
 were expensive and ineffective
• The critical motive for people to usually persevere in studies is the
hope of gaining a future job after training
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Introduction (cont)
• Skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT need to be planted and cultivated to
ensure ‘fitness for purpose’ of people that are engaged.
• Studies indicate that graduates absorbed in industry exhibit challenges in
numerical reasoning and computation competencies (Tariq, 2009).
• The curriculum content delivered to trainees must be sensitive and
respond to ever changing conditions in the commercial environment
• Need for courses that are offered to take cognizance of practical
competences that businesses prioritise and require from job seekers.
• Industry needs to move beyond just curving policy pronouncements to
actively supporting educators and students with up-to-date and relevant
information on skills training
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Statement of the problem
• Unskilled or poorly skilled people find it hard
to break into the labor market, and if engaged
struggle to perform to expected standard. In
view of this the study sought to examine the
efficacy of the training program for the
Environmental
Health
Technicians
in
enhancing their employability.
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Research questions
1) What is the nature of the training content that
students are exposed to at the college?
2) To what extent are backgrounds of trainees
considered in preparing them for employment?
3) How do available resources and equipment
assist in preparing students for the world of
work?
4) What is the scale and scope of the training
program to improve the chances of trainees
obtaining employment?
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Goals of the study
• Provide a unique body of knowledge relating to
an examination of the orientation of the training
curriculum provided to students in technical
education institutions.
• Flag the scale and scope of knowledge provided
to students in preparation for the job market.
• Contribute knowledge about ways to enhance
employability of graduates, thus closing the gap
that is perceived to be currently in existence.
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METHOD
Research design
• Qualitative approach - case study
• Strategy allowed for the collection of data that could be presented
through themes and descriptive statistics
• Purposive-convenience sample of 30 students and 5 lecturers
Participants
• Student sample included 10 graduate students, 10 on attachment
and 10 students on course at college.
Instruments
 questionnaire with both close and open-ended items
 semi- structured interviews.
 desk study.
• Validity of findings achieved through method triangulation.
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Method (cont)
• The questionnaire for students was administered
personally to on-campus students.
• Questionnaires for students on attachment were
delivered and collected by technical education
lecturers who were going out for supervision
• Employed graduates and those awaiting
employment were served with a questionnaire
during accidental interactions.
• Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed
for analysis using MsWord.
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Ethical issues
• Approval was obtained from administration.
• Informed consent was obtained from the
participants prior to participation in the research.
• No names were used by participants either to
refer to themselves or those absent.
• Participants were also notified of their right to
withdraw at any time during the study.
• They were assured that no harm would come
their way as a result of participating
• No incentives would be offered.
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
• The following issues permeated the findings of
the study;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
criteria for student selection,
nature of the training programme,
availability of resources and equipment,
staff skills and competencies and
the active labour market demands.
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Results & discussion (cont)
Challenges
• 80% were above 24 years, while only 20% were below that age.
 the program effectively trains candidates who are supposed to have
been already absorbed into the working group of the population.
 Industry and the business world prefer dealing with trainees with a
long stay in employment,
 This scenario may militate against the expected active participation
of the private sector in the training of students.
• 20% of the lecturers had either HND or Degree, 40% with ND, while
the remaining 40% possessed NC qualifications.
 Profile presents challenges in the quest to deliver quality education
and training, as instructor efficacy impacts on the nature of
outcomes of graduates.
 Instructors should present effective figures upon which students can
model.
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Results & discussion (cont)
• Lecturers confirmed their passive role in the recruitment and selection
of candidates to be enrolled for the programme.
I don’t have any role in the selection because the Ministry of
Health enrolls. I do not really know (about the gender issue)
since we do not enroll
• The internship experiences that students were exposed to should be
relevant to the learning content and future work demands.
• Attaching students in environments that are not typical of intended
employment stifle the development of skills of the field.
• Lecturers also indicated the reality of students who get deployed to
areas that create supervision complications.
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Results & discussion (cont)
• Evidence pointed to inadequacy in the available resources
and equipment for use by students during training.
Resources are not all that adequate, some basic
chemicals/ consumables are in short supply
creating content delivery constraints
• This admission spoke to the need for the institution to up
efforts to adequately provide requisite resources for quality
student training.
• The creation of vibrant Private-Public-Partnerships (PPPs)
might prove to be worthy in optimizing opportunities for
churned graduates to attain employment.
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Results & discussion (cont)
Opportunities
• A deliberate paradigm shift by the government to develop skills that
enable individuals to contribute maximally to the economic space,
while also inclined towards job creation (ZIm-Asset).
• The noted collaboration between the private and public sector
provides light to the need for employers to support training
institutions in curriculum design and implementation.
 Industry can offer more internship spaces
• Respondents indicated that the long period of training (4yrs) with
hands on experience, creates opportunity for skills mastery by
students and the consequent confidence of employers in graduates.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
• The institution must increase the degree of
market orientation of the programmes on offer.
 This can be done by attracting interest of the
private sector in student training such that it
inputs in the content and training modes served
to students.
• Students should be provided with skills of literacy
and numeracy to ensure their readiness to deal
with practical work experiences that especially
require computation abilities.
• Soft skills must be cultivated to allow for effective
group communication at work.
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Recommendations (cont)
• Modern relevant resources and equipment must
be sourced for students to make them suitable
for both the local and global market.
• Training programmes must focus on developing
specific skills in individuals, taking cognizance also
of the backgrounds of learners.
• Colleges and lecturers must play an active part in
the selection of students for training instead of
being passive receivers of candidates from the
Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
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Reaboka
Taboka
Riyavhonga
Tinotenda
Siyabonga
Thank you
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