Integrating Career Readiness Competencies into Vocational Curriculum for Enhanced Graduate Employability: A Case Study of Selected Trade Areas in Namibia
Submission to VIJ 2024-01-20
Keywords
- career readiness competencies, quantitative methods, vocational curriculum, employability, soft skills
Copyright (c) 2024 N. Sisinyize, G Tubaundule, N Sihela, M Katijere, B Hilarious
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
This study explored the integration of career readiness competencies into vocational curriculum in Namibia to improve graduates' employability in key trade areas such as welding, joinery, clothing, bricklaying, hospitality, and information technology sectors. The research uses a quantitative descriptive case study method to gather data from vocational students and literature reviews. The study aims to identify the most valued career readiness competencies and assess the extent to which vocational education institutions are addressing them. The findings have implications for vocational education policy and practice, enhancing graduates' employability and economic development. It also contributes to the discussion on soft skills and career readiness in vocational education.
References
- Alam M.J. et al. (2022). Importance of Skills Development for Ensuring Graduates Employability: The Case of Bangladesh. Soc. Sci. 11(8), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080360
- Burns, N. & Grove, S. K. (1993). The practice of nursing: Conduct, critique and utilization. (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders.
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. In H. Cooper, P. M. Camic, D. L. Long, A. T. Panter, D. Rindskopf, & K. J. Sher (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology, Vol. 2.
- Claybourn, C. (October 11, 2023). Gainful Employment Rule: What Students Should Know. Retrieved on 10 October 2023 from https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/gainful-employment-rule-what-students-should-know
- Frost J. (n.d.). Descriptive Statistics in Excel. Retrieved on 10 October 2023 from https://statisticsbyjim.com/basics/descriptive-statistics-excel/
- Gay, L. R., & Airasian, P. (2003). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
- Heine, A. (2023). Career Readiness: What It Is and Why It's Important. Retrieved on 11 October 2023 from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/career-readiness
- Hassan, M. (October 1, 2023). Descriptive Research Design – Types, Methods and Examples. Retrieved on 12 October 2023 from https://researchmethod.net/descriptive-research-design/
- Indeed (July 13, 2023). 6 Reasons Why It's So Hard to Get a Job After College (With Helpful Tips). Retrieved on 10 October 2023 from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-a-job-after-college
- McCombes, S. (2019, September 19). Sampling Methods: Types, Techniques and Examples. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/sampling-methods/ 2: Laerd Dissertation. (n.d.). Total population sampling. https://dissertation.laerd.com/total-population-sampling.php
- McCombes, S. (June 22, 2023). What Is a Case Study? Definition, Examples & Methods. Retrieved on 9 October 2023 from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/
- Musa, F. (2020). Career Readiness Among Vocational Graduates: Implication of Competency. The Journal of Social Sciences Research, 633.
- Namibia 4th Industrial Revolution Task Force. (2022). 4IR as an Enabler of Green and Inclusive Industrialisation. Retrieved from https://hppii.gov.na/4IRTF-Final-Report_2022-10- 19_final.pdf
- Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA). (2021). The Namibia Labour Force Survey 2018 Report.
- Namibia Training Authority (NTA). (2017). The TVET National Graduate Survey 2015 - 2017 Report.
- Ng, P.M.L., Chan, J.K.Y., Wut, T.M., Lo, M.F., & Szeto, I. (2021), What makes better career opportunities for young graduates? Examining acquired employability skills in higher education institutions, Education + Training, 63(6), pp. 852-871. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-08-2020-0231
- Norton, T., & Norton, M. (2018). Employability Skills for TVET Graduates. Retrieved on 12 October 2023 from https://tvetjournal.com/tvet-institutions/tvet-graduates-employability-skills/
- Robinson, R. S. (2014). Purposive Sampling. In M. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (pp. 5240-5242). Springer Netherlands.
- Southern Careers Institute (2023). What is Career Readiness? Retrieved on 10 October 2023 from https://scitexas.edu/blog/what-is-career-readiness/
- TVET Journal (2023). The Benefits of TVET: Why Technical and Vocational Education and Training is a Smart Choice. Retrieved on 10 October 2023 from https://tvetjournal.com/tvet-systems/benefits-of-tvet/
- World Bank, (2023, July 12). Improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to meet skills and labor mismatch. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/07/12/improve-technical-vocational-education-training-tvet-meet-skills-labour-mismatch
- World Economic Forum. (2020). The Future of Jobs Report, Chapter 2. Forecasts for Labour Market Evolution in 2020-2025, World Economic Forum.
- Polit, O.F., & Hungler, B.P, (1993). Essentials of nursing research: Methods appraisals and utilisation. (3 rd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven Publishers.
- Panagiotis Arsenis, Miguel Flores & Dimitra Petropoulou (2022) Enhancing graduate employability skills and student engagement through group video assessment, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 47:2, 245-258, DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2021.1897086