Tracking Down the Employability of the Teacher Education Graduates

Abstract

The purpose of this Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) was to gather vital feedback about the quality and relevance of education obtained and employability of the 2019 graduates of Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) of the Isabela State University, City of Ilagan Campus. The 85 respondents were traced from September 2021 to March 2022. One indicator of the success of ISU City of Ilagan Campus in equipping BSE Batch 2019 with quality education is reflected in the 80 percent turnout of passers in the Licensure Examination for Teachers. However, tight competition for a job and unavailability of job vacancy were claimed as reasons for the delay of the rest of the respondents’ employment or had caused them unemployment – a feedback which may indicate concerns on quality and relevance.The respondents considered Educational Qualification as the factor most contributory to their first employment. A significant number of respondents were teaching in government but have yet to obtain security of tenure. The data on job description and monthly salary reveals that there were few who were gainfully employed and most of them are underemployed and are misfits in their present jobs at the time of the survey. The respondents considered communication skills, human or interpersonal skills, leadership or managerial skills, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills very useful in their present job. Majority of the respondents assessed their college degree and educational trainings as very relevant but a significant number of the BSE Batch 2019 find it fairly relevant and not relevant. This may confirm the job mismatch analyzed from the data gathered which may impel the Program to review quality and the relevance and non-relevance of the curriculum to job requirements. Nonetheless, the overall assessment given by the respondents on the BSE Program was excellent. The utilization of result of GTS is in place.