The employability of FET Agricultural Graduates in the North West Province

Abstract

There is consensus among analysts that South Africa’s unemployment is structural in the sense that the unemployed generally possess lower skills than what is required in the marketplace. In the context of increasing demand for skilled workers due to technical progress and the need to become more competitive globally, graduate unemployment would be expected to fall (Altizer, 2004). The study will investigate the employability of FET agricultural graduates in North West Province, finding that labour force and employment growth has been concentrated in further educational categories also closing gaps within the training institution. However, against expectations unemployment has risen amongst young and better educated people. The study suggests that the education sector urgently requires continued emphasis and monitoring to ensure that learners are adequately prepared for entry into the labour force that better efforts, to encourage learners to choose directions of study with superior employment prospects; and that investment in young people’s soft skills is required.