Evaluating the Employability and Entrepreneurial Skills and the Impact on Employment of Public TVET Graduates

Abstract

This study examined perceived employability & entrepreneurial skills of TVET graduates and the impact of these skills on gainful employment (self/paid) of the graduates. Data was collected from 317 (133 unemployed and 184 employed) TVET graduates that were selected from two randomly selected departments of the three randomly (Bahir-Dar, Gondar and Debretabor) selected TVET colleges. For both data collection and analysis the study utilized Concurrent embedded mixed research method (that encompasses the pragmatic philosophical world view). A questionnaire having Close ended and open-ended items as well as document analysis were the instruments used together data. For the analysis of the quantitative data, one sample t-test, independent sample t-test and multiple regression analysis were employed and the qualitative data was analyzed by embedding on the quantitative data. The results revealed that the mean perceived graduates’ employability skills were significantly lower than the expected value. Similarly, the mean perceived entrepreneurial skills of TVET graduates were significantly lower than the expected mean. Moreover, graduates job related satisfaction was found to be significantly low. Regression Analysis also revealed a lower contribution of the combined skills on job related satisfaction. Finally, the Beta value under standard coefficient designated that total employability skills was the largest value that makes the strongest and significant unique contribution to explain the lower Job satisfaction which was followed by entrepreneurial skills as the second unique significant predictor.