The perceptions of selected employers on the employability of Unizulu graduates: a case study of Umhlathuze Local Municipality
Graduate unemployment is a growing problem in South Africa, and one reason is that there is a gap between higher education and the world of work. To close this gap, it is important to get the voice of the employers to understand what their needs are. Yearly, the university is doing its best to prepare its graduates for the working world. The employers’ views will inform the policy makers of the university on how to improve the university and best prepare its graduates for employment. The study explored the perceptions of local employers on the employability of University of Zululand (UniZulu) graduates. The study is a work of qualitative research which intends to make meaning of and recognise patterns among words so as to come up with a meaningful picture without compromising its importance and dimensionality (De Vos et al., 2011), (Leung, 2015). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (which are the most commonly used interviews for data collection in the field of social science (Evans, 2018), with employers of different selected local companies in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality. 14 participants were interviewed from five companies, including uMhlathuze local municipality, Tronox South Africa, the Premier Hotel (Richards Bay), and two schools: uNgoye High School and Mantshangula Primary School. Data were transcribed, categorised and presented as themes with verbatim quotes from participants. Pseudonyms were used to protect participants’ identity and to ensure confidentiality. Findings of the study reveal that UniZulu graduates are employable, but there are some challenges that might hinder other employers from employing more graduates. Findings suggest that there is a disconnection between the university and the world of work. Employers also aired their views about more students choosing the same programmes of study while there is a shortage of graduates in other specialisations like maths, science and technology. Amongst others, the attitude of graduates; practical exposure and the university’s image were identified as hindrances to UniZulu graduates’ employability. Recommendations from the findings were to build or strengthen partnership between the university and industry to bridge the gap. A suggestion for designing a curriculum that meets employers’ needs was made. Findings indicate that graduates must make themselves visible to employers by volunteering for work, in-service training and other activities to enhance their employability.
employement, Unizulu graduates, Umhlathuze Local Municipality, Graduate unemployment
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