Title: Vocational education training and graduate employability in South Africa: an interlinkage in need of exploration

Authors: Jennifer Chishamiso Nzonzo

Addresses: School of Business and Economics, Monash South Africa, 144 Peter Road, Ruimsig, South Africa

Abstract: This paper provides a conceptual analysis of how vocational education training (VET) impacts on graduate employability in South Africa. The evolution of attitudes towards developing labour market structures has grown tremendously since 1994. Furthermore, the main focus in the workplace has shifted away from the primary sectors of agriculture and mining towards knowledge-based sectors. This paradigm shift has led to the adoption of demand driven policies by the government that have sought to stimulate employment through training and development. From the analysis two main distinct themes of VET and graduate employability are identified. The first theme highlights how the labour market shapes the different constructs of VET. The second theme identifies the essential graduate attributes that are deemed to be essential for enhancing graduate employability. Specific and concrete recommendations are proposed on how effectively implemented VET enhances graduate employability.

Keywords: vocational education training; VET; development; employability; skills; sustainability; South Africa; graduate; labour market; further education training; FET; student.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2017.085721

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2017 Vol.9 No.1, pp.4 - 19

Received: 09 Jun 2016
Accepted: 09 Aug 2016
Published online: 10 Aug 2017 *

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