DETERMINANTS OF GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA
Keywords:
DETERMINANTS, GRADUATE, EMPLOYABILITY, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIAAbstract
A significant gap exists between the skills graduates acquire and the demands of the modern workplace, making graduate employability a critical issue. Consequently, employers are actively seeking highly skilled individuals capable of navigating complex work environments. This study investigates the determinants of graduate employability in Plateau state, Nigeria. The population of the study comprises 1,160 graduates working in three selected organizations in Plateaus state. A stratified random sampling technique was used to arrive at sample size of 295. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis were used as research methods. The findings of the study show that technical skills, soft skills, curriculum and marketing skills have significant effect on graduate employability, while Social Mobility factors do not exert any significant influence on graduate employability in the state. Therefore, it is recommended that students should take part -time jobs or voluntarily work during vacations; there should be guidance and counseling units in schools to guide students towards suitable career choices; universities should make SIWES mandatory for all to all students and ensure that the placements are relevant to their fields of study; higher educational institutions should collaborate with other industry stakeholders, as this will enable them acquire valuable information to update their curricula.
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