Higher education and employment: exploring experiences of graduates in Lusaka district.
The purpose of this study was to establish and document the experiences of youth graduates regarding employment and employability in Lusaka district. The study was guided by the Human Capital Theory. The study employed a convergent parallel design of 260 respondents sampled using simple random and snowball sampling. The target population of this study encompassed graduates, human resource managers and selected employers in Lusaka district. A questionnaire and an interview guide were the main protocols used to collect qualitative and quantitative data sets from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis. The study found out that jobs are hard to find, and that job seeking is very stressful and frustrating. The study further found that graduates have had to learn additional new skills useful in seeking employment. These include networking, participating in job fairs, visiting company websites and taking up voluntary work positions. The study also ascertained that higher education still contributes to improving efficiency of the workforce by providing individuals with necessary market –skills- relevant to the economy. Moreover, higher education produces well-informed graduates who become responsive to job opportunities and are exposed to more work opportunities. The study found that there is less job-fitting with qualifications or skills - job market fit. The job market needs workers who are better qualified and market-fit. Nevertheless, the current education system is not fully meeting this demand. The study has revealed several primary barriers to securing employment that include lack of relevant experience, few jobs, and also an acute skills gap for those who are already employed. The study recommends that educational institutions should promote more practical oriented courses; the corporate sector must keep up efforts of supporting young people by empowering them through provision of opportunities for skills development through internship and job shadowing that might help to establish more realistic employment expectations and access to employment. Key words: Higher Education, Employment, Low Job Opportunity Situations, experiences, Graduates
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