Polytechnic Graduates Research Articles

Competence Based Education and Training: A Tool for Enhancing Employability of Polytechnic Graduates in Zimbabwe

This paper intends to establish the role of competence-based education and training model as a tool for enhancing graduate employability of polytechnic graduates in Zimbabwe. Industry has observed the skills deficit among young people seeking employment. It is against this background that this study seeks to interrogate the CBET curricular being offered in Polytechnics and how it can enhance graduate employability among the students. The study employed the qualitative systematic review of literature from various sources such as google scholar, Scopus, science direct. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study indicated that competence-based education plays a significant role in enhancing graduate employability. Furthermore, findings of this study will contribute much to the existing literature on CBET and graduate employability, providing directions for policymakers, educators, and governments. It could be concluded that the CBET education system should integrate generic skills and technical skills in preparing students for the world of work.

Evaluating Rwanda Polytechnic Graduates’ Self-assessment on the Application of Soft Skills in the Workplace.

The global appreciation for graduates possessing strong soft skills is evident, especially in the evolving nature of the engineering workplace. However, studies across the world highlighted a disconnect between employers’ expectations and the soft skills of entry-level engineers, impacting their employability. This research evaluated the Rwanda Polytechnic graduates’ self-assessment regarding the application of soft skills in the workplace. A survey on 107 graduates, after piloting soft skills and career development training, utilized a semi-structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, graphs, and thematic analysis. The results indicated that graduates attested a high application of professional ethics and time management skills (M=4.38, SD=0.66) and communication skills (M=4.29, SD=0.70). On the other hand, professional writing, management, leadership skills, and interpersonal abilities scored a moderate level of application (3.41<M<4.20). Qualitative responses underscored the importance of soft skills in determining the level of graduates’ performance in the workplace. However, it was also emphasized that there is a need to reinforce computer literacy, collaboration skills, and time management skills. The findings of the present study underscored a meaningful connection between soft skills needed in the current and future engineering workplace and soft skills applied by the graduates. It is recommended that training institutions collaborate with industries to identify the precise soft skills needed to plan for effective training. Future researches in the form of experimental and correlational studies are recommended for getting a clear impact of specific soft skills on the graduates’ performance in the workplace.

Pooled Longitudinal Dataset on the Assessment of an Apprenticeship-Based Entrepreneurship Intervention in Nigeria

Abstract This dataset presents longitudinal data collected through four surveys (in six-monthly intervals) of fresh university and polytechnic graduates in Nigeria. The data were collected from 21,940 unique young men and women who underwent National Youth Service Corps (nysc) programme across ten states in Nigeria. The nysc programme is a compulsory one-year national service that all Nigerians under the age of 30 years must undergo after graduation. A key component of the one-year service is the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (saed) programme of the nysc. The dataset is useful for many purposes. It contains enough information to fully profile the entrepreneurship and apprenticeship characteristics of the fresh graduates. Moreover, it can be used to quantify the potential pool of future entrepreneurs among highly educated Nigerian youth. The dataset was originally used to assess the impact of saed, being an apprenticeship-based entrepreneurship intervention, on entrepreneurial outcomes among young persons. However, its use may also extend to an assessment of the impact of compulsory entrepreneurship training in the Nigerian university system that produced most of the respondents.

A G-code approach to product development: The industry, CAD/CAM and the Nigerian polytechnics nexus

Computer-aided design and manufacturing, often known as CAD/CAM, is an option to attain high productivity in the manufacturing industry. To support the industrial sector's expansion, the country needs Polytechnic graduates with solid backgrounds in CAD/CAM. The nation's Polytechnic manufacturing/mechanical/industrial engineering programme must be strong and provide beginners with advanced CAD/CAM courses to address this requirement. The industry's successful CAD/CAM instructions linking the Nigerian polytechnics were discussed, emphasising how it could aid technical advancement. Therefore, the capability of the TPS-3910 CNC milling training machine procedure for applying a G-code programming approach to profile an octagonal form and a rectangular slot on a rectangular Teflon was examined. The G-code, reliable programming in preliminary words was generated and utilised as the input data on the proper coordinates. The profile on the workpiece was created using the TPS-3910 CNC milling machine after configuring it. The profile shape demonstrated the precision and dimensional accuracy connected to TPS-3910 CNC training machining. Therefore, a well-established CAD/CAM-based institution would significantly drive the industrial sector by providing state-of-the-art designs and innovations, employment and mitigating Nigeria's economic crisis.

Graduate employment: Does the type of higher education institution matter?

AbstractThe paper analyses whether the type of institution from which students graduate has an impact on their unemployment propensity. It uses official data on the Portuguese higher education system, for 2018, at the program/institution level, which provides information on graduate unemployment, as well as demographic and socioeconomic background information. A fractional probit model on graduates’ propensity for unemployment is estimated. Results suggest that polytechnic graduates face higher unemployment propensity than university graduates, maintaining inequalities present in students’ previous trajectories. Policies targeting socioeconomic segregation need to address not only access to higher education but also the transition to the labor market.

An empirical evaluation on the comparison between students’ preference and choice of polytechnic education over university in Nigeria

Every national growth rests on education. To promote overall national development, no area or degree of education should be overlooked. Education experts define polytechnic education as an educational system that focuses a significant emphasis on practical training and technological know-how. In Nigeria, the prejudice and discrepancies between polytechnic and university education have taken on a national significance. This study compared student preferences for university education over polytechnic education in Nigeria. Both admitted and prospective students from several polytechnics and universities in Delta State are included in the study's participants. The sample was chosen using a stratified sampling strategy. The Mann Whitney U test and the chi-square test of independence were used in the data analysis. This study showed that the public significantly prefers university education to polytechnic education (W = 215.0 p = 0.041). The study also discovered that choosing a university degree over a polytechnic education depends on a number of different factors (χ2 = 36.03, p = 0.000). Finally, the study shows that most students and prospective students prefer university admission (89%) mainly because B.Sc is more valuable in terms of salary and promotions in any industry or organization (93%). In conclusion, the question on what the University graduates have that the Polytechnic graduate does not have is the value employers place on BSc over HND.

IMPLEMENTATION THE LAW OF REPETITION IN ACCOUNTING

To prove that polytechnic graduates have qualified expertise in the field of accounting, then every student is required to follow the certification as a requirement of graduation. One of the competency units in the field of accounting that is regulated in the Indonesian National Competency Standards is to operate computer accounting applications. The purpose of this study was to find out the comparison of computer-based accounting certification passing grade level between before and after implementation of law of repetition. Participants who joined law of repetition activities amounted to 52 people. The results showed that the number of students who passed computer-based accounting certification after Participants who joined law of repetition activities amounted to 52 people was 24 people. These results increased 100% when compared before the implementation law of repetition. The independent sample t test showed a significance of 0%. The significance is smaller than p value of 5%, hence this means computer-based accounting certification pass rate after law of repetition has a significant difference when compared to computer-based accounting student certification graduation rate before law of repetition. The results of this study prove that law of repetition has an important role in helping prepare students in facing computer-based accounting certification test.

Peningkatan Kualitas Pendidikan Melalui Penerapan Sistem E-Tracer Study Berdasarkan Kriteria Penilaian Instrumen Akreditasi Program Studi BAN-PT Dan DITJEN BELMAWA KEMENRISTEKDIKTI

Tracer study implementation primarily aids institutions in their transformation into state universities capable of producing graduates who are adaptable to industrial needs. Universities can use the results of an accurate and structured tracer research as a benchmark for building excellent teaching curricula and education systems. ATI In terms of the preparation of the tracer study questionnaire instrument and technological data collecting, Padang Polytechnic optimizes the implementation of the tracer study. The BAN-PT accreditation assessment criteria and elements, as well as the key questions of the Directorate General of Belmawa, Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education's tracer research, were used to create the questionnaire instrument. The collection of data is done in tandem with the building of a website. Identity, type of work, amount of time waiting for graduates to acquire a job, and information about their initial wage were all included in the surveys. According to the results of the alumni search from 2018 to 2020, ATI Padang Polytechnic graduates were absorbed at a rate of 73 percent. The next stage in improving the quality of education for future graduates is to strengthen foreign language proficiency, such as English and Mandarin, as well as soft skills.

Quality of life, quality of business, and destinations of recent graduates: fields of study matter

One of the main challenges facing non-metropolitan regions is the attraction and retention of highly-educated young people. A loss of the brightest can lead to reduced business creation, innovation, growth and community well-being in such regions. We use rich longitudinal microdata from New Zealand to analyse the determinants and geography of the choice of destination of recent university and polytechnic graduates 2 years and 4 years after graduation. Rather than considering a range of location-specific consumption and production amenities, we assume spatial equilibrium and calculate, following Chen and Rosenthal (J Urban Econ 64:519–537, 2008), ‘quality of life’ and ‘quality of business’ indicators for urban areas that encompass all amenities that are utility and/or productivity enhancing (or reducing, in the case of disamenities). Specifically, we test whether students locate in places that are regarded as good to live or good to do business; and how this differs by field of study. Our estimates are conditional on students’ prior school (home) location and the location of their higher education institution. We find that graduates are attracted to locate in urban places that have high quality production amenities. High quality consumption amenities have heterogeneous effects on the location choice of students. Creative arts and commerce graduates are relatively more likely to locate in places that are attractive to business, consistent with a symbiosis between bohemians and business. Decision makers can leverage their existing local strengths, in terms of production and/or consumption amenities, to act as drawcards for, or to retain, recent graduates in specific fields.

LANGUAGE COMPETENCE OF POLYTECHNICAL NON-ENGINEERING GRADUATES NEEDED IN THE INDUSTRY WORLD

Changes in patterns, requirements, and competition for industrial workers have caused language lectures, both Indonesian and English courses, to be encouraged to prepare graduates from polytechnic non-engineering majors to have language competencies that are in line with industry needs. For this reason, a research was conducted on "Language Competence of Graduates of the Polytechnic Non-Engineering Department Needed by the Business World and the Industrial World" which can be used as a reference for syllabus formulation and study material for language lectures. This study aims to describe the language competencies needed by the business world and the industrial world. To achieve this goal, the descriptive method is used with the data sources of this research consisting of resource persons, namely non-engineering alumni as well as the business and industrial world as well as curriculum documents of the Bandung State Polytechnic Department of Non-engineering, documents regarding KKNI, industrial competency references and language competencies. From this research, it is known that the language competencies needed by the industrial world are 1) writing competence for office administration activities: correspondence, making reports, designing activities/proposals, making agendas and meeting minutes, developing own ideas or other people's ideas; 2) speaking competence for presentations, telephone calls, communicating with relations, negotiating, and promoting; 3) the competence to read accurately, quickly and fluently to manage information, SOPs & work instructions, company rules / regulations, process data accurately, and 4) listening competence to communicate and negotiate. These competencies are in accordance with the qualifications of the KKNI level 5 and 6 which must be possessed by polytechnic D3 and D4 graduates.

Ukrainians in Brazil: life path sketches of Pavlo Borushenko, a Lviv Polytechnic graduate engineer

Ukrainians in Brazil: life path sketches of Pavlo Borushenko, a Lviv Polytechnic graduate engineer

Institutional reform and change management: The conversion of polytechnics to technical universities

This research paper sought to review the way and manner the conversion of polytechnics in Ghana to technical universities were done to ascertain whether the process conformed to standard best practice. The inequality in terms of placement of polytechnic graduates in the public sector as compared to the traditional university graduates, lack of direct academic progression for polytechnic graduates with Higher National Diploma, low enrollment and the departure of experienced staff from the polytechnics to the traditional universities due to poor conditions of service leaving the polytechnics with less staff compelled the government to initiate the reform. Institutional reform has been a long-standing practice in the educational sector; however, the implementation of new policies remains a challenge to many public institutions in Ghana. The one-size-fits-all approach to managing change must give way to a multi-faceted approach that takes into consideration the diversity of the various stakeholders affected by the change. The adoption of an appropriate change model and proper engagement of stakeholders as well as handling the transition as a project rather than treating it like the usual work of the ministry of education would have eased the tension and agitations which characterized the conversion process. Despite the conversion period spanning almost four years, the stakeholders are yet to reap the full benefits of the reform.

Foreword

The fourth issue of the scientific journal prepared by the RTU Research Centre for Engineering History (RCEH) comprises seven studies on Riga Polytechnicum (RP) / Riga Polytechnic Institute (RPI) students, graduates, lecturers and issues related to engineering sciences. The authors of the scientific publications are Latvian scientists, historians of science, museologists, and pedagogues. The articles are mainly based on the presentations made at the RTU 60th International Scientific Conference on 10 October 2019. The research topics are the activities of RP / RPI students, graduates and lecturers, the history of engineering sciences and associations

Employer Satisfaction with Polytechnic Graduate: Comparison Between Industry Cluster


 The work environment is changing from time to time in line with the introduction of new technology. Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) forces education providers to identify the characteristics of future workers' needs by the industry. To fulfill this demand, polytechnic created a close relationship with industry through conducting many programs such as dialog between industry and polytechnic, CEO@Faculty, the industry in campus and employer satisfaction study with polytechnic graduate. However, previous studies compared employer satisfaction among industry clusters are very limited. The objective of this study was to examine employer satisfaction with Politeknik Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin (PSMZA) graduate and to compare employer satisfaction between industry clusters. A total of 112 employers from three main engineering clusters; mechanical (46%), electrical (30%) and civil (24%) involved in this study. This study used two-step analysis: Kruskal-Wallis test was used to identify differences for three industry clusters; mechanical, electrical and civil engineering and Post Hoc test performs to identify the detail differences between each cluster. The results show that employers in the mechanical engineering cluster are less satisfied with PSMZA graduates compared to employers in civil engineering clusters for computer skills in processing information. This study also found that compared to employers in the electrical engineering cluster, employers in the mechanical cluster are less satisfied with PSMZA graduates related to proficiency in the English language. In terms of entrepreneurship skills, employers in the mechanical cluster found less satisfaction with a graduate from PSMZA compared to employers in the electrical cluster. Findings from this study can be used by the department as a guide in revising their curriculum in the future.

The Effects of Intelligence, Emotional, Spiritual and Adversity Quotient on the Graduates Quality in Surabaya Shipping Polytechnic

<p style="text-align:justify">This research aims to analyze the effects of intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, spiritual quotient, and adversity quotient on the graduates quality of vocational higher education. Data were collected from 217 cadets at Surabaya Shipping Polytechnic who already took an internship as respondents using stratified cluster random technique. This is a correlational and quantitative study using a questionnaire developed from several existing scales and analyzed using Structural Equation Models (SEM) to determine the path of effects and to create the best structural model of intelligence-based graduates quality (IESA-Q). The results indicate that there are direct and indirect effects of intelligence quotient, emotional quotient, spiritual quotient, and adversity quotient on graduates quality, meaning that each quotient has a positive effect on graduate’s quality. The process to create the professional and ethical quality of Surabaya Shipping Polytechnic graduate is dominated by Emotional Quotient (25,2%) and Spiritual Quotient (21,4%), while Intelligence Quotient (IQ) becomes the support as it effects the development process of all quotients, Emotional Quotient (EQ), Spiritual Quotient (SQ), and also Adversity Quotient (AQ). Therefore, based on the findings of this study, the student acceptance requirements are emphasized on IQ and EQ as a basis to develop other quotients in order to generate graduates with good quality. Learning is designed on IQ, EQ, SQ, AQ to control and to evaluate process and product outcomes.</p>

Employer Satisfaction with Polytechnic Graduate: Comparison Between Industry Cluster

Purpose: This paper aims to Employer Satisfaction with Polytechnic Graduate: Comparison Between Industry Cluster.
 Design/methodology/approach: The method used is statistic-descriptive and the design used is cross sectional.
 Findings: 2 hypotheses are while the other is accepted.
 Research limitations/implications: This study used two-step analysis: Kruskal-Wallis test was used to identify differences for three industry cluster; mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. Post Hoc test performs to identify the detail differences between each cluster.
 Practical implications: Results show that from the 2 hypotheses proposed.
 Originality/value: This paper is original.
 Paper type: This paper can be categorized as a case study.

Indonesian Students’ Listening Attitudes

Obviously listening improves speaking skills. Polytechnic graduates are to have business transaction skills. Meanwhile, the time allotment for English class sessions is limited. Therefore, the teachers are to promote students’ autonomous learning through listening. This study investigates how the students major in commerce at an Indonesian polytechnic complete listening tasks and attitudes toward the acquisition of listening skills. Training on how to complete the listening activities through shadowing was carried out with 43 students. A questionnaire was distributed to find out the students’ views on the suggested listening activities and their opinions to improve them. The study found students’ preferences in practicing listening; most employed 1 or 2 or 3 steps. Most include initial listening, reading, and one of the types of shadowing - silent shadowing with reading or synchronized shadowing or prosody shadowing. None of the students was interested in doing silent shadowing. They admitted that their listening most improved their pronunciation and enriched vocabulary. They expected more lecturer engagement in controlling their listening activity. By better understanding the students’ needs and opinions, strategies to encourage autonomous learning can be improved.

Causal Factors and Effects of Unemployment on Graduates of Tertiary Institutions in Ogun State South West Nigeria: Implications for Counselling

The research was set out to find the causal factors and effects of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institutions in Ogun State South West Nigeria: Implications for counselling. In order to carry out the research, two research questions and one hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The researcher made use of an instrument tagged causal factors and effects of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institutions questionnaire (CFAEOUGOTIQ) to collect information. The instrument contained twenty items. The instrument had content validity and language appropriateness. The instrument had a reliability coefficient of 0.85. The population of the study was made up of graduates of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education that had no job in public and private sectors in Ogun State Nigeria. The researcher used the purposive sampling technique to select 226 university graduates, 120 polytechnic graduates and 75 college of education graduates that participated in the research. Copies of the questionnaire were administered on each of the participants by 3 research assistants. The return rate of copies of the questionnaire administered, showed that 215 questionnaires were retrieved from the university graduates, 107 questionnaires were retrieved from polytechnic graduates and 60 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved from college of education graduates. The scoring and collation of the information from the field was done by the researcher. The researcher used the mean and standard deviation to answer the two research questions while the analysis of variance was used to test the hypothesis. The researchers used 2.50 as benchmark to determine whether respondents agreed or disagreed with each of the items on table one and two. The hypothesis was held significant at 0.05 level of significance. Some of the findings of the research showed that, high rate of graduate turn out, neglect of the agricultural sector by government, collapse of manufacturing industries and reforms in the banking sector resulting in regular retrenchment of workers were causal factor of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institutions. Other include, misappropriation of funds meant for development of projects, lack of employable skills by graduates and inability to pass employment interviews. The research also found out that one of the effects of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institution is low self-esteem of themselves. One of the recommendations is that admission into tertiary institutions should be based on the number of vacancies available in public and private sectors.

Causal Factors and Effects of Unemployment on Graduates of Tertiary Institutions in Ogun State South West Nigeria: Implications for Counselling

Abstract The research was set out to find the causal factors and effects of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institutions in Ogun State South West Nigeria: Implications for counselling. In order to carry out the research, two research questions and one hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The researcher made use of an instrument tagged causal factors and effects of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institutions questionnaire (CFAEOUGOTIQ) to collect information. The instrument contained twenty items. The instrument had content validity and language appropriateness. The instrument had a reliability coefficient of 0.85. The population of the study was made up of graduates of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education that had no job in public and private sectors in Ogun State Nigeria. The researcher used the purposive sampling technique to select 226 university graduates, 120 polytechnic graduates and 75 college of education graduates that participated in the research. Copies of the questionnaire were administered on each of the participants by 3 research assistants. The return rate of copies of the questionnaire administered, showed that 215 questionnaires were retrieved from the university graduates, 107 questionnaires were retrieved from polytechnic graduates and 60 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved from college of education graduates. The scoring and collation of the information from the field was done by the researcher. The researcher used the mean and standard deviation to answer the two research questions while the analysis of variance was used to test the hypothesis. The researchers used 2.50 as benchmark to determine whether respondents agreed or disagreed with each of the items on table one and two. The hypothesis was held significant at 0.05 level of significance. Some of the findings of the research showed that, high rate of graduate turn out, neglect of the agricultural sector by government, collapse of manufacturing industries and reforms in the banking sector resulting in regular retrenchment of workers were causal factor of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institutions. Other include, misappropriation of funds meant for development of projects, lack of employable skills by graduates and inability to pass employment interviews. The research also found out that one of the effects of unemployment on graduates of tertiary institution is low self-esteem of themselves. One of the recommendations is that admission into tertiary institutions should be based on the number of vacancies available in public and private sectors.

Penerapan Personal Protective Equipment Pada Workshop Politeknik Ilmu Pelayaran Makassar

Implementation according to the rules of occupational safety and health is needed in all jobs that are useful to avoid things that are not desirable, such as work accidents. The workforce consists of educated and trained people. One of the educated people referred to is the D-IV and DP-III graduates of the Makassar Shipping Polytechnic, because one of the fillers in the world of work is the Polytechnic graduate. The learning process while in the laboratory must be a serious concern in order to get qualified prospective workers, especially understanding about the application of occupational safety and health (K3) especially the use of personal protective equipment so that there are no direct or indirect obstacles in the work, such as work accidents occur, damage to machinery, cessation of production processes, environmental damage and expenses related to work accidents. The purpose of this research is to find out the availability and analyze the application of personal protective equipment to occupational safety and health in the workshop. This research includes the type of survey research with quantitative methods. This design seeks to determine the PPE facilities available at the Workshop, symbols / cues about occupational safety and health, the conditions of the practice room and what percentage of PPE use by cadets during practice. The data collection method is done by using a questionnaire and documentation used to determine PPE facilities available in the Workshop, symbols / cues about occupational safety and health, the conditions of the practice room and what percentage of the use of PPE cadets during practice. The conclusion is that the personal protective equipment (PPE) facilities in the workshop have been provided by the workshop and can be used by cadets or pasis and safely in accordance with government regulations, and the knowledge, understanding and application of cadets towards PPE have reached an average of 95%