Exploring lecturers’ perspectives on improving job market readiness among North west TVET college students

Abstract

This research paper discusses the views of lecturers regarding enhancing employment market preparedness amongst students in a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) college in South Africa's North West province. The study was inspired by ongoing issues on graduate unemployability and the seeming lack of links between TVET curricula and labour market demands. Based in a constructivist paradigm and following a qualitative approach and exploratory research design, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 17 lecturers and professors working in different fields, to gain an in-depth understanding of the nature of their experiences and gather suggestions. The findings show that there are four significant issues that influence the capacity of lecturers to equipping students for the job market, namely curriculum misalignment and low relevance, lack of resources and infrastructure, poor integration with industry, and barriers at the student level, e.g., low motivation and poor soft skills. The lecturers offered several solutions, such as curriculum change, consolidation of practical and work integrated learning, industry-college partnerships, and life-long learning amongst lecturers. The study also found a lack of management support, poor opportunities for professional development, and poor oversight to be the institutional obstacles to effective teaching and learning. The findings also revealed that graduates usually have rich theoretical knowledge, but lack practical and employability skills, including communication, problem-solving, and professionalism, rendering them less competitive in the labour market. Human capital theory, constructivist learning theory, experiential learning theory, institutional theory, and transformative learning theory were used to interpret the findings, showing that a sound vocational education must be conducted on a systems level, bringing together the curriculum, industry, management, and the development of human capital.