THE STRATEGIC AND PLANNING VALUE
OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH IN
TRACKING GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT
Making the best use of Africa's graduates
and the role of international partnerships
British Council and the Association of the Commonwealth Universities
16-18 January 2011, Accra, Ghana
Dr Michael Gregory,
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning & Quality), University of the South Pacific
Email gregory_m@usp.ac.fj
www.drmichaelgregory.com
Resource Materials on Graduate
Employability
• Can be found at:
www.mgregorygraduateemployment.weebly.com
Is Graduate Unemployment a Problem in
Africa?
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BOTSWANA STUDIES
• 2007 – 31% unemployed 5 months after graduating
• 2008 – 30% unemployed 5 months after graduating
• 2009 – 24% unemployed 5 months after graduating
• Differentiated eg Humanities graduates 46% unemployed ; Health,
2%; Education 10% and Engineering & Technology 8% unemployed
• National unemployment rate in 2009: 17.5%
• Studies show that graduate unemployment reduces over 2 years
following graduation
• Only 1% in self-employment
Two major studies in 2003 (Samarrai et al - Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda
and Zimbabwe) (Mugabushaka, et al – 10 tracer studies in Ghana,
Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda)
(www.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/EXTAFRRE...
 1%-5% of graduates were unemployed and looking for work
 80-90% of graduates working in jobs related to their area of studies
 Self-employment among graduates was rare – around 4%
 Little difference due to gender
 Business admin, engineering and education were 3-4% unemployed whereas
humanities and natural sciences were around 8%
The Importance of Employability at the
University of Botswana
• Increasing pressure from governments, employers,
parents and students for relevancy
 Knowledge, skill and attributes
• Favourable entry into the graduate job market
• Demand for human capital requirements
 Knowledge economy
 Lifelong learning
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Globalisation of higher education
Increased competition and choice
Erosion of monopoly position
Post colonial transition
• From civil service and teacher education
• Increased and diversified private sector
• From supply driven to demand led
University of Botswana Fast Facts
Why Did we Introduce Employability
Studies?
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First one conducted in 1997; a number of single
discipline studies
Institutional survey carried out in 2006 did not have any
impact on planning
Annual surveys instituted in 2007, 2008, 2009 and
beyond
Trend analysis of 3 years reported in 2010
Intention to undertake in 2010 a longitudinal survey of
graduates from 2007 (much better test of employability
as single year first destination studies reflect labour
market conditions much more than employability)
Focused on graduates with Bachelor degrees (although
data also collected on postgraduates)
The Contextual Setting
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Movement nationally from a workforce management model to a
human resource development model
Away from a supply driven model (economy based on
diamonds and public service) to demand driven HE (with
private sector development and greater diversity in extractive
industries and services)
A more direct connection in the role of the University with the
economy, building human capital in increased regional and
global markets
Massification of HE, diversification of the sector, reduction in
public funding per capita. In Botswana, more accountability for
programmes of study that promise employability
Improved quality of HE with employability being a perceived
outcome of quality
Endogenous growth theory indicates HE has a significant
impact on economic growth (See Siphambe, 2008 for a
discussion of this in Botswana; Wolfe & Gittlemean, 1993 for a
Taiwanese study; Bloom, Hartley & Rosovsky, 2004 for a US
study; Oketch, 2006 studied 47 countries in Africa and showed
linkage between high investment in physical and human capital
and labour productivity in medium term and in per capita
growth in the next round)
Employment or Employability?
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Related but not synonymous
Employment is a function of the state of the labour force and
closely tied to macro-economic context (Tabulawa, University
of Botswana Task Force on Graduate Employability, 2009)
Employability definition by Yorke, 2006):
“…a set of achievements – skills, understandings and personal
attributes – that makes graduates more likely to gain employment
and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits
themselves, the workplace, the community and the economy”
“…to help sustain ongoing careers” (Bhanugopan & Fish, 2009)
The ‘Problem’ of Employability
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Good student learning and employability go side by side
How do we promote the concept of employability and how can it be
enhanced without eroding the subject-specific dimension of learning?
Whilst Science, Technology and Business are clearly related to the world
of work, where does that leave the Humanities and Arts – note current
policy in the UK to reduce funding for non –STEM subjects; is the quest for
employability eroding the traditional values of a university education?
UB took the proposition that our graduates should be fit for “life, work and
citizenship” derived from the USEM account of employability (See Yorke &
Knight, 2006)
How did UB Respond?
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Semesterisation (2003)
Credit-based curriculum
General Education courses
Attributes identified in Learning and Teaching Policy
(2009)
Incorporation of work experience
Extra-curricular activities (volunteering, advisory clinics
staffed by staff and students, eg law, counselling etc)
Employability Studies of students
Employer engagement
Alumni database to improve graduate tracking
Some discipline-based tracking studies
Employer involved Advisory Boards
Leading to a UNIVERSITY EMPLOYABILITY
STRATEGY (2009)
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Will draw on more analytical information from surveys and
engagement with students, staff, employers and government
To bring coherence and improvement to employability
More research needed on employer perceptions
The Overall Picture of the Graduate First Destination
Surveys 2007-2009
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There has been an increase of 6.9% in graduate employment since the GDS 2007.
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Of the respondents who were available for employment in 2009, 42.2% were in full-time employment within five
months of completing their qualifications; 21.9% were working part-time; and 24.3% were unemployed. This
means that, within the five month period, nearly a quarter of UB graduates were unemployed. This compares
unfavourably with a national unemployment rate of 17.5% (2005/06 Labour Force: CSO). This is however an
improvement on 2007 and 2008 unemployment rates which were just over 30% in both years.
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For the 2008 and 2009 GDS, graduates from the Faculty of Humanities are the most likely to be unemployed
relative to other Faculties.
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At a time when the social and economic policy of the Government is indicating the need for more qualified
graduates in Science and Technology areas, the survey findings revealed that there has been an improvement
in the employment levels of Faculty of Engineering and Technology as compared to the 2007 GDS (Table 5).
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Data on Science graduates indicates low levels of full-time employment but increasing levels of part-time
employment.
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Employment levels of graduates from programmes in Health Sciences, and Engineering and Technology are
approaching those attained in OECD countries.
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67% of employed graduates from Bachelor programmes are working in Education or Public Administration (77%
in 2008). This seemingly indicates that there has been little shift in training for the traditional sectors of
employment in the schooling system and the civil service, and insufficient movement towards supporting the
human capital needs of the private sector.
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Competitors such as the Botswana Accountancy College are winning an increasing share of UB graduates.
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Only 1.2% of graduates from 2009 (1% in 2008) were engaged in self-employment. Little is known about the
reasons for this, but it is proposed there are a likely number of elements:
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Lack of capital for start up
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Lack of entrepreneurship training on undergraduate programmes
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Historic and cultural aspirations to work in permanent and ‘secure’ public sector employment
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Aspiration to work for ‘big name companies’
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Poor esteem in self-employment
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Insecurity of self-employment
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Self-employment seen as a ‘last resort’ option; subsistence option
Employer Satisfaction Survey of UB
Graduates
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Conducted in 2007
• 5,694 employees in 32 organisations. 61 supervisors
surveyed– 11% were UB graduates
Key findings:
• 97% of graduates prepared sufficiently more than
adequately or extremely well; 7% less than adequate but
poor rating on leadership and managerial skills (young
graduates in Botswana often move very rapidly into
supervisory positions due to demographics)
• Graduate attributes rated by respondents in a range of
30%-50% (clearly better identification of graduate attributes
needed and enhanced in curriculum)
• Graduate attitude (initiative, cooperation, loyalty,
attendance and punctuality) – 5% rated poor
• Overall academic preparation rated very high at 98% good,
average and excellent
Employability Strategy
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Raise levels of employability on first destination AND in longer
term (lifelong learning)
Key outcomes:
• Enhanced learning relevant to work
• Increased engagement with employers
• Increase percentage of students into full-time employment
• Increase in the percentage of self-employment (only 1.5% in
2008/9
o Developing enterprise and entrepreneurship
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Not a one size fits all solution
Identify strategies in the student learning life-cycle
J:\Stage in the Student Learning Life 2.docx
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Work-related learning
Personal development planning (electronic portfolios)
Stronger employer engagement
Enhance careers and employability services
Faculty strategies and targets – KPIs
Staff professional development/adjuncts from business
End
Thank you
Dr Michael Gregory
gregory_m@usp.ac.fj
www.drmichaelgregory.com