Problem Of Graduate Unemployment Research Articles

Entrepreneurship education in tertiary institutions in Nigeria: A strategic option for national development

The introduction of entrepreneurship education in tertiary institutions in Nigeria is seen as a measure to address the problem of graduate unemployment and strategically position the economy for sustainable development. Nevertheless, the training programme in developing countries like Nigeria has concentrated more on teaching knowledge and skills basically in principle. Products of these training are expected to be engaged in either self-employment or being employed. Unfortunately, Nigeria as a nation is characterized by high levels of youth restiveness, unemployment, poverty and crime. Attempting to solve this issue, the paper discusses the need for entrepreneurship education in Nigeria tertiary institutions. It also examines the challenges and strategies to adopt to achieve a functional entrepreneurship education in tertiary institution in Nigeria. The paper recommends among others that tertiary institutions administrators should ensure the provision of adequate workshop laboratory facilities that can help students acquire practical skills for employment and self-employment.

Uncertainty After Graduation: A Deep Dive into The Present Scenario of Graduate Unemployment Problem in Bangladesh.

Youth are considered to be the most valuable asset for any nation. They are going to lead the future. But without their active participation in the economy, a nation will remain in the domain of despair. In Bangladesh one of the main hindrance towards development is, its increasing unemployment among graduates. Joblessness is becoming very acute among graduates which will eventually take a devastating shape for the entire economy in future. Through this study an attempt had been made to analyze the current graduate employability and also to find out various reasons behind unemployment. This is an analytical study. Data were collected from secondary sources including previous researches on this issue, newspaper articles, journals, survey reports, and etc. Through a scrutinizing analysis, this study came up with this conclusion that elevating student’s competencies alone cannot solve this problem. The students along with their parents, the institution, and the government need to work together to handle this situation. Only then, graduates will be able to bring prosperity and growth for their individual life as well as for their country.

GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL PLANNING IN NIGERIA.

The paper investigates the problem of graduate unemployment and its underlying effects on the Nigerian economy vis-à-vis the role of educational planners. It emphasizes that graduate unemployment represents colossal waste in human capital development. The paper outlined some causes of graduate unemployment to include incongruity between the number of graduates and the existing job opportunities, obsolete curriculum, vocational and technical education not inbred in the university, and a poor foundation for entrepreneurship. The paper outlined some consequences of unemployment and presents entrepreneurship education as a panacea to unemployment. The paper noted some strategies required by educational planners to cater for those in the labour market. Some employable skills required at the labour market were also revealed. The paper recommends a commitment to intellectual and attitudinal empowerment through educational planning to engender tenacious self-reliance and egalitarian society in the long run. It also recommends developing a more practical-based programme and prioritizing curriculum reform amongst others to enhance job creation that will promote graduate employability at the Labour market.

Does Entrepreneurial Career Choice Lessen the Graduate Unemployment Problem? The Case of Malaysian Graduates

Entrepreneurship has been long regarded as able to lessen the problem of graduate unemployment. This ability of entrepreneurship has been frequently quoted by numerous studies as a motivation of study to engage into the studies of graduate entrepreneurial career choice. Nevertheless, the relationship between the entrepreneurial career choice and graduate unemployment is yet to be explored. This paper aims to estimate the impact of entrepreneurial career choice on the Malaysian graduate unemployment. The targeted population of the present paper was the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) graduates. A sample of 1,723 graduates was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation tables and econometrics analysis are employed. Graduate entrepreneurial career choice is found to be unrelated to the chance of being unemployed and unable to reduce the probability of being unemployed among the low employability graduates. Thus, graduate entrepreneurial career choice does not lessen the graduate unemployment problem. However, there is some evidence that entrepreneurial career choice could reduce the unemployment duration and hinder the occurrence of long-term unemployed among the low employability graduates. The Malaysian government policy to combat the graduate unemployment problem could not rely mainly on the entrepreneurial career choice. The graduate entrepreneurial career choice, however, could be relied on reducing the occurrence of long-term unemployment. Future studies are suggested to use the sample of all graduates to validate the findings.

Bridging education gap in higher institutions of learning using Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives

In Uganda, there is a problem of graduate unemployment which has caused teachers, employers, policymakers, and the entire community to appreciate a critical role in bridging the existing gaps in education. This study examined how Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives can be used in bridging the education gap in higher institutions of learning. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design, with 180 participants, purposively selected was involved. The study was conducted in two public universities and one private university in South Western Uganda. Data was mainly collected using interviews and focus group discussions. Ethically, permission was sought from relevant authorities, the purpose of the study was clearly explained, participation was purely voluntary and confidentiality was ensured. Respondents described the cognitive domain as activities of the mind, affective domain as the ways in which people deal with situations emotionally and the psychomotor domain as the skills attained. The study suggests using cognitive, affective and psychomotor methods of teaching. The study recommends need to directly teach higher order thinking skills, shift from pedagogy to andragogy, instructors of higher institutions of learning should wisely select sources of content, determine how to present that content effectively, and assess students’ progress in relation to that content and activities that promote psychomotor learning especially apprenticeship, internship and school practice should be encouraged.

Transformational Leadership and Wealth Creation in Educational Organizations: The Case of Higher Education in Cameroon

Education is a trillion-dollar industry, booming, with a growing population thirsty for knowledge. There has been tremendous influx of graduates in this industry, seeking for self-reliance since obtaining a decent job upon graduation remains a nightmare particularly in developing countries. Consequently, the surroundings of all state and private universities in Cameroon are overcrowded with educational subsidiary firms created by graduates. Most of these firms intend to metamorphose into giant self-reliant enterprises while mitigating the problem of graduate unemployment. This hardly happens as most end at ground levels, while others close down in less than 5 years of existence. The question that arises is; what hinders these small and medium-sized education businesses from thriving? This study surveyed 210 small and medium-sized educational firms, selected through the clustering technique. The SWOT analysis technique was used to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to these firms. Results revealed little or no leadership education, specifically in wealth creation as a major weakness, that threatens these firms from thriving. The multiple regression further confirms the absence of transformational leadership education as a statistical predictor to setbacks in these firms. Key recommendations call for mainstreaming pragmatic transformational and strategic leadership education in higher education courses, using the case of the Faculty of education of the University of Yaoundé I. learners should be opened to the world of business through meaningful partnership with the world of work, and quality entrepreneurship courses as well.

Employability reforms in Tunisian higher education: a path-dependence perspective

ABSTRACT The article investigates the impact of inherited cultural memes on employability policies in Tunisia, where the 2006 Bologna-inspired reforms were touted as a remedy for the critical problem of graduate unemployment. Mainstreaming vocational tracks, introducing transversal courses and involving employers in the design of curricula and training of students were promised to enhance graduates’ ‘job-readiness’. Yet a decade on, graduate unemployment has only exacerbated and fuelled a revolution that toppled the Ben Ali autocratic regime in 2011. Using the lens of path dependence theory, the article probes the way cultural vestiges may impinge on the outcome of the reform policy. The findings reported are mainly based on a doctoral dissertation conducted by the author and also on other relevant empirical studies. It concludes that ‘policy legacies’ and inherited ‘perceptual filters’ continued to shape stakeholders’ perceptions of the traditional mission of universities, while ‘nested rules’ diluted the impact of the new measures and impeded the institutionalisation of the new path of reforms.

Entrepreneurship education and undergraduate students' self-employment intentions: do paid employment intentions matter?

PurposeUndergraduate students have two opposing employment intentions, viz. self-employment intentions and paid-employment intentions (SEIs and PEIs). While a plethora of studies have explored the links between entrepreneurship education (EE) and SEIs, it has been noted that previous studies have ignored the effects of PEIs on the relationship between EE and SEIs. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to empirically explore the effects of PEIs on the relationship between EE and SEIs.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a descriptive research design and a self-reported questionnaire was administered to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 95 accounting students from two polytechnics in Nigeria. To test the hypotheses formulated, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed using SmartPLS.FindingsThe results of Model 1 showed that EE had a significantly positive link with SEIs. On the other hand, the analysis of Model 2 revealed an inverse relationship between PEIs and SEIs. Furthermore, it was observed that the impact of EE on SEIs did not only reduce significantly when PEIs was added to Model 1 but also the relationship between EE and SEIs that was erstwhile statistically significant became nonsignificant.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for EE curriculum developers, governments and career guidance counsellors.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to provide empirical evidence of the effects of PEIs on the relationship between EE and SEIs. The findings provide important insights into the fundamental issue, which underlies the problem of graduate unemployment.

Chemistry Education and Diversification of Nigerian Economy: A Remedy to National Youth Unemployment

The issue of graduate unemployment in Nigeria has become a national concern as the unemployed youths become restless. This situation has not only posed a great challenge to the economy but also retarded the economic growth of the country. The reality is that the government and the organized private sectors cannot absorb the graduates of these institutions The graduate unemployment problem has generated several other socio-economic problems in the country manifesting in the following: militancy in the Niger Delta, political thuggery among youths, increased rate of armed robbery, kidnapping and Boko Haram. Nigeria is a mono-economy nation; the economy depends mainly on crude oil. The fluctuating oil price seriously affects the Nigerian economy. The government which has been the highest employer of labor cannot offer jobs to unemployed youths. A possible solution to this problem is for the Nigerian government to diversify its national economy. Diversification presents the most competitive and strategic option for Nigeria in light of her developmental challenges and given her background. The importance of creativity and innovation through teaching chemistry entrepreneurship skills has been recognized as a panacea for unemployment among youth. Nigeria's innovative capacity and the development of a creative and knowledge-intensive economy and society can be achieved through reinforcing the role and training of graduates in the knowledge of entrepreneur skills and focusing course curricula on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It is hereby recommended that emphasis should be laid on chemistry entrepreneurial skills and functional educational technology such as design, production, and modernization of indigenous resources among students through practices and innovations for achieving self-reliant generate.

Enhancing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education: the role of entrepreneurial lecturers

Purpose Despite the inclusion of entrepreneurship education (EE) in the curricula of tertiary education institutions in Nigeria, graduate unemployment is still an issue of serious concern. This calls into question the effectiveness of EE in influencing students’ entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) and behaviours. Perhaps, the issue is with the EE lecturers. The questions, which should be answered include: are the lecturers who teach EE entrepreneurially inclined? Can lecturers who are not entrepreneurially inclined teach students to become entrepreneurs? The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to empirically explore the role of entrepreneurial lecturers in the relationship between EE and students’ EIs. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quantitative approach. Thus, a self-reported questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected sample of 256 Higher National Diploma II students of the Federal Polytechnic, Idah, Nigeria, who were exposed to EE. To analyse the data collected, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed using SmartPLS 2.0.M3 software. Findings Data analysis showed a significantly positive relationship between EE and students’ EIs on the one hand and between EE and perceived entrepreneurial lecturers (PELs) on the other hand. It was also found that PELs had a significantly positive link with students’ EIs. Further analysis indicated that PELs had a mediating effect on the relationship between EE and students’ EIs. Research limitations/implications This study was a single institutional study. Thus, the generalisability of its findings to other institutions is limited. Extending the research to other institutions and countries might be required to validate the findings presented. Practical implications This research work has some insightful implications for the teaching of EE. By implication, it provides an answer to the question: who should teach EE? To achieve greater impact of EE on students’ EIs and behaviours, entrepreneurial lecturers are required. It implies that EE lecturers should be entrepreneurially inclined. They should demonstrate sufficient entrepreneurial attitudes, intentions and behaviours. Social implications It has been argued that graduate unemployment constitutes a social problem to the society. In this regard, the suggestions made in this paper, if applied, would help resolve the problem of graduate unemployment in Nigeria and other countries. Originality/value This study is the first to provide empirical evidence of the role of entrepreneurial lecturers in the relationship between EE and students’ EIs. It has demonstrated that entrepreneurial lecturers could transfer the influence of EE to students’ EIs. Also, it has confirmed that EE lecturers are critical in the EE-students’ EIs relationship. Overall, this study makes a significant contribution to the discussion on how to enhance the effectiveness of EE in influencing students’ EIs and behaviours.

The value of graduate destination survey data in understanding graduate unemployment: A focus on the universities of technology

This article contributes graduate destination survey (GDS) evidence to the debate about graduate unemployment in South Africa. There has been lively contestation on the topic for several years, including several contributions from the commercial press arguing that graduate unemployment is very high. In contrast, academic evidence (based on national labour force data for the period 1995–2011) has been presented suggesting that the unemployment of graduates in South Africa is minimal, on average only 4.9% in 2011. New evidence has emerged from two recent GDSs – one comprehensive survey of all 2010 graduates across all qualification levels at all four universities in the Western Cape, and a second focusing only on the 2012 Bachelor of Technology (BTech) graduates at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng. These two studies, using the same methodology and online questionnaire, provide a more accurate picture of the graduate unemployment problem in two important economic regions of the country. The results show that although rates of unemployment are low at the elite University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch University (SU) (graduate unemployment is between 3 and 6%), rates are much higher at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) – a former historically disadvantaged technikon – with 15.8% unemployment among CPUT students. African unemployment at CPUT reached 20.2% among all first-time entrants (as compared with 4% for whites), suggesting the continuation of a racially stratified labour market for highly skilled labour long after apartheid’s demise. Similarly, unemployment rates among the BTech VUT graduates of 2012 reached 18%. This is an extremely high rate for fourth-year graduates of a polytechnic-type institution whose primary mandate is to place qualified graduates in jobs in the mainstream economy.

The value of graduate destination survey data in understanding graduate unemployment: A focus on the universities of technology

This article contributes graduate destination survey (GDS) evidence to the debate about graduate unemployment in South Africa. There has been lively contestation on the topic for several years, including several contributions from the commercial press arguing that graduate unemployment is very high. In contrast, academic evidence (based on national labour force data for the period 1995–2011) has been presented suggesting that the unemployment of graduates in South Africa is minimal, on average only 4.9% in 2011. New evidence has emerged from two recent GDSs – one comprehensive survey of all 2010 graduates across all qualification levels at all four universities in the Western Cape, and a second focusing only on the 2012 Bachelor of Technology (BTech) graduates at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng. These two studies, using the same methodology and online questionnaire, provide a more accurate picture of the graduate unemployment problem in two important economic regions of the country. The results show that although rates of unemployment are low at the elite University of Cape Town (UCT) and Stellenbosch University (SU) (graduate unemployment is between 3 and 6%), rates are much higher at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) – a former historically disadvantaged technikon – with 15.8% unemployment among CPUT students. African unemployment at CPUT reached 20.2% among all first-time entrants (as compared with 4% for whites), suggesting the continuation of a racially stratified labour market for highly skilled labour long after apartheid’s demise. Similarly, unemployment rates among the BTech VUT graduates of 2012 reached 18%. This is an extremely high rate for fourth-year graduates of a polytechnic-type institution whose primary mandate is to place qualified graduates in jobs in the mainstream economy.

Entrepreneurship education and undergraduate students’ self- and paid-employment intentions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conceptually explore the relationship between Entrepreneurship Education (EE) and undergraduate students’ self- and paid-employment intentions. Specifically, the paper aims to examine the effect of paid-employment intention on the relationship between EE and self-employment intention.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviewed extensively related literature on EE, entrepreneurial intentions and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The detailed literature review undertaken formed the basis for the development of the conceptual framework.FindingsIt is found that undergraduate students have two opposing employment intentions within them, namely, self- and paid-employment intentions. The two employment intentions interact and have a tendency to dominate each other, and consequently lead to different employment behaviours. The dominant employment intention determines whether a graduate will exhibit self- or paid-employment behaviour. This confirms that graduates are faced with two career paths or choices, namely, self- and paid-employment.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not an empirical paper. Thus, the conceptual framework needs to be further empirically tested. More specifically, the proposition that undergraduate students’ paid-employment intentions moderate the impact of EE on their self-employment intentions needs to be empirically validated.Practical implicationsThis paper provides some insightful and practical implications for the government and the policymakers in the education sector, particularly in tackling the menace of graduate unemployment and its associated problems. It provides an insight into the problem of graduate unemployment. The government and the policymakers should initiate enlightenment programmes that will reorient undergraduate students away from having the mentality of securing paid-jobs after graduation. Equally, undergraduate students should be enlightened about the difficulties in securing paid-jobs and the benefits of being a self-employed graduate.Originality/valueIt is the first to explore the moderating effect of undergraduate students’ paid-employment intentions on the relationship between EE and their self-employment intentions. Therefore, it makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature on EE and entrepreneurial intentions. It further strengthens the TPB by applying it to explain how undergraduate students’ paid-employment intentions could neutralise the impact of EE on their self-employment intentions.

The Employability Status of Makerere University Graduates

The study applied the pathways approach, Survey Monkey and Snowballing techniques to ascertain the employability status of the 2012 graduates of Makerere University. The majority of the graduates were employed in the public sector on full time basis. The young graduates, however, favorably competed for entry job opportunities with the mature graduates. A reasonable number of the 2012 Makerere University graduates were engaged in self-employment as an avenue for addressing the problem of graduate unemployment in Uganda. Key words: Graduate unemployment, Makerere University, Tracer studies, Pathways DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-6-11

MIGRATION MOODS OF THE RUSSIAN YOUTH: A REGIONAL DIMENSION

In the modern post-industrial world, human capital is the most valuable social resource and far more important than natural or accumulated wealth. Amidst economic crisis resulted in another upsurge in the outflow of predominantly young individuals, the problem of retention of human capital in modern Russia that emerged in the early 1990s is getting more acute. Russian deindustrialization as a result of economic reforms, resource-based economy coupled with the desire of the young people to get higher education diploma caused the problem of graduate unemployment. The current economy cannot handle such a huge number of university graduates. Low demand for highly qualified specialists forces many young specialists to seek out opportunities to use their skills abroad. Rising youth emigration rates may lead to the loss of the most valuable part of human capital. As statistical evidence cannot reflect the actual situation, strict procedures to estimate the migration flow should be introduced. Today migration policies are more targeted at migrant workers rather than emigration of Russians. After a quarter-century since the 1990s reforms, social modernization is still a big concern to Russia. In the context of socio-economic development of Russia, the potential of the Russian students is essential to the future modernization of the country. As regions play an important role in ‘anchoring’ young professionals in-situ, studying the regional dimension is a new challenge for researchers. The author gives an estimate of emigration potential and the likelihood of returning home after studying abroad. A comparative analysis of the settings of young migrants across three groups of regions (Russian periphery, Russia-EU border zone and Chinese border zone) is provided.

Are the Malaysian students “unskilled” and “unaware”?

Aim: This paper aims to estimate the existence of âAIJunskilled and unawareâ A I phenomena using a sample of Malaysian students. Since the financial crisis of 1998, the graduate unemployment problem has been persistent, and the lack of generic skills, i.e. unskilled, has been pointed out as one of the causes. However, the âAIJunskilledâ A I alone could not lead to the persistence of graduate unemployment. The co-existence of âAIJunskilledâ A I and âAIJunawareâ A I could be the cause.Methodology: Data is obtained from the students of the Bachelor of Banking program of Universiti Utara Malaysia as well as from their interviewers. The questionnaire was used to gather responses such that students filled them before the interview and the interviewers filled them after the interview. Correlation and regression analysis were performed to attain results.Findings: Results reveal that the students significantly over-perceived their level of generic skills, as compared to employer’s evaluations. This indicates that the students are of their unskilled. Results also reveal that this is significantly related to the students. The students are more likely to be unaware. Thus, the phenomena of unskilled and unaware exist among Malaysian students.Novelty/Implications: This study has provided insights into the increased unemployment in Malaysian graduates by highlighting that Malaysian graduates are as well as unprepared for the job market.

Assessing Entrepreneurship Education for Skill Acquisition and Job Generation by Business Education Students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

The major purpose of this study is to examine the assessment of entrepreneurship education for skill acquisition and job generation by business education students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. This study adopted a survey design because the study sought to determine the opinion of the respondent on Assessment of Entrepreneurship Education for Skill Acquisition and Job Generation by Business Education Students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The population of this study consists of all three and four hundred level business education students in the Department of Vocational and Technology Education in Bayelsa State. The sample size for the study was one hundred and twenty-five (125) students representing 45% of the population. The proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used in drawing the sample for the entire population and which is considered to be representative of the whole population. Based on the findings, the following recommendations are proffered: The youths should be properly encouraged to become entrepreneurs through implementation of relevant policies, in order to forestall the problem of graduate unemployment in the region; The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) should intensify effort to re-orient unemployed graduate on the benefits of not solely relying on Government for paid jobs.

Diversifying Employment Opportunities of Urban Planning Graduates in the Period of Uncertainty

Several countries, including Malaysia, have set a long term target of establishing a more educated workforce. This thrust on the massification of higher education has resulted in a new problem-graduate unemployment. The growing problem of graduate unemployment in Malaysia is widely debated in the media and blogs. The Higher Education Ministry, in its Graduate Tracer Study Report 2011, reported that 24 per cent of them have not found a job after six months of graduating. The employment scenario of the urban planning graduates has changed over the years from catering the needs of the public sector, to catering the needs of the private sector and to fulfilling the need of the One Stop Centre or the OSC. The advent of the liberalization of urban planning services challenges urban planning schools in Malaysia to produce planners not only to cater for local needs but also with the capability of exporting their skills and services internationally. Given the diverse scope of urban planning it is a paradox that graduates of urban planning should converge on the conventional urban planning organizations for employment. The paper will highlight some preliminary findings on the employment prospect of urban planning graduates in the immediate future and the possibility of diversifying employment opportunities of urban planning graduates.

Factors influencing polytechnic students’ decision to graduate as entrepreneurs

The existence of supply–demand gaps in graduate output not only contributes to the problem of graduate unemployment but also undermines the efficiency of public investment in tertiary education, and therefore the issue needs to be addressed. Because of this, it is critical to focus on graduates and understand which factors affect their intentions to start-up a business in the future. This paper examines the factors that influence polytechnic students’ decision to graduate as entrepreneurs. The study used primary data which was collected from 250 students randomly selected from the Kumasi polytechnic. It employed descriptive statistics and the probit model to analyse the factors influencing the decisions by polytechnic students to graduate as entrepreneurs. The results of this study show that personality factors (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness), support from family members and friends, occupation of parents, entrepreneurship education, gender and access to finance have significant positive effect on polytechnic students’ decision to graduate as entrepreneurs while students care about public remarks on their decisions has a significant negative effect.

Education and the Paradox of Graduate Unemployment: The Dilemma of Development in Nigeria

The paper is an assessment of education, graduate unemployment and the dilemma of development in Nigeria. Formal education is universallyacknowledged as a legitimized vehicle for self and societal advancement. The educational curricula, especially that of a university, imparts knowledge, relevant skills and competencies on the individual. It is through these knowledge and skills that education in its manifest function makes provision for social placement. However the paper maintains that distressingly, there exists lack of synergy between the number of graduates turned out annually and existing job opportunities. As a result of this mismatch, university graduates wander hopelessly for years in search of jobs. The problem of graduate unemployment is attributable to corruption in governance, population explosion, expansion of university enrolment and lack of entrepreneurship education in the university curricula. The high rate of graduate unemployment is indicative of deteriorating economy and it jeopardizes Nigeria’s chances of achieving its development aspirations. The paper therefore recommends among others that there should be radical curriculum and pedagogical reforms, upgrading existing facilities to match international standard, the emergence of visionary leaders that can build an economy that has the capacity to generate employment for the nation’s teeming unemployed graduates.