Technical education and training in higher institutions of learning and graduate employment: a case of Kyambogo University

Abstract

Unemployment among university graduates is a serious concern for communities and government in Uganda. I undertook this study to understand the link between technical training offered at Kyambogo University and the employment prospects of its graduates. Specific objectives of the study were to establish the state of the training tools, equipment and infrastructure; to ascertain how technical training was conducted; to examine the impact of technical training offered in Kyambogo University on the employment prospects of graduates in the job market; and to determine the skills which are on high demand in the current job market. The study was qualitative in approach; it was descriptive and triangulated the interview, focus group discussion (FGD) and documentary analysis methods for data collection. Major findings were: the training tools, equipment and physical infrastructure in Kyambogo University are outdated, insufficient and are irrelevant; and fall short of the requirements for delivering productive technical training to meet the unique competency requirements of the current job market. There was no specific policy to guide the periodic replacement and up-to-datedness of training tools, equipment and infrastructure. Training in Kyambogo University was limited to almost only teaching, it is theoretical and exam oriented. Rapid changes in science and technology, negative attitude, lack of individual creativity or enterprise, population explosion, corruption and nepotism have greatly impacted the employment prospects of Kyambogo University graduates. Employers regarded soft skills of graduates more than the hard (technical) skills when recruiting graduates. The 'hard skills' on high demand are accounting, ban􀂄ing and financial management; hotel & tourism, construction engineering, telecom engineering, mechanical engineering, oil & gas engineering, renewable and alternative and renewable energy engineering, agriculture, agribusiness, agro-processing and value addition, information technology, research, consultancy, professional sports and politics. Based on the study findings, I recommend that the library be accorded due recognition as the nucleus of academic activity in the university and be resourced accordingly; that policies be put in place to keep all technical training equipment and infrastructure current and up-to-date; that technical training at Kyambogo be made more practical (vocational) than is the case at present; that the cunicula be developed and training be conducted in cooperation with local industry and the world of work and that Kyambogo University urgently integrates research and publishing as core aspects of its academic activity.