TEACHERS’ ROLE TO ENHANCE EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS OF VOCATIONAL GRADUATES

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore vocational teachers’ understanding about the strategies and methods that need to be applied to strengthen students’ employability skills and the strategies and methods they are applying presently in vocational schools. In addition, this study also looked for the factors that hinder to strengthen the employability skills of vocational graduates and the factors that prevents updating curricula at school. This qualitative study used the primary data collected through focus group discussion. The perspective of 56 vocational teachers was detailed with the help of the following research questions: (i) what strategies should be applied to enhance the employability skills?, (ii) what strategies you normally apply intending to enhance employability skills of the vocational students?, and (iii) what factors prevent you to update curricula and to apply strategies that enhance employability skills of students? The finding revealed the vocational teachers of Nepal believe learner centered strategies, work integrated learning, placing students in incubation center, community outreach program and teaching methods such as small group activities and presentation, role play, project and problem-solving activities, simulation, field/industry visit and case study help strengthening employability skills. The vocational teachers of Nepal used to apply the teaching methods and approaches such as visualized lecture, questioning, discussion and demonstration, small group works, project and problem-solving works, homework and practice opportunities. The finding also revealed that time, resource, teachers’ own competencies, over workload, and the system of implementing vocational curricula in Nepal restrict them to use teaching strategies and methods that strengthen employability skills of students. The finding surge Nepal to shift the paradigm from class-room based theoretical learning practices to workplace-based learning practices such as apprenticeship programs, provide some sort of flexibility in curricula and enhance the active engagement of employers at each and every step of vocational learning practice