Tracer Study of 2019 Graduates of Holeta Polytechnic College in the Catchment Area
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
International Journal of Education, Culture and Society 2021; 6(4): 99-111 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijecs doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20210604.12 ISSN: 2575-3460 (Print); ISSN: 2575-3363 (Online) Tracer Study of 2019 Graduates of Holeta Polytechnic College in the Catchment Area Tamiru Fufa *, Markos Zelalem, Gemechu Feyisa, Teferi Daba, Efa Gobena Agro-Processing Department, Holeta Polytechnic College, Holeta, Ethiopia Email address: *Corresponding author To cite this article: Tamiru Fufa, Markos Zelalem, Gemechu Feyisa, Teferi Daba, Efa Gobena. Tracer Study of 2019 Graduates of Holeta Polytechnic College in the Catchment Area. International Journal of Secondary Education. Vol. 6, No. 4, 2021, pp. 99-111. doi: 10.11648/j.ijecs.20210604.12 Received : May 25, 2021; Accepted : July 8, 2021; Published : July 15, 2021 Abstract: A purpose-driven and effective TVET is basic to generate competent and essential high-level skills, values, and knowledge vital for the socio-economic development of a country. The study traced the HPC students who graduated in 2011 in terms of their job placement profile and the usefulness, relevance, and adequacy of the skills and competencies as well as work-related values to their job placement. A survey method using questionnaire was utilized to 229 respondents. Results revealed that most of the respondents didn’t landed on jobs which were related to their training program for about 1-6 months. The total number 2019 graduates employed in these organization were 45 out of which 42 graduates 50% (21) were employed on the related position where as 50% (21) were employed to the position which is irrelevant to their field of study. The remaining 6.7% did not respond. These employed graduates are from 7 different colleges and one TVET center. The occupation they have been specialized in are 9. Out of 51 graduates found in Holeta and Walmara district only 14 unemployed graduates filled the survey questionnaires 14.3% (2) continued their degree program while other are still searching for the job. The study revealed that lack of experience, existing bureaucracy, saturation of the occupation of the graduate’s main obstacles to get jobs. Finally, as one aspect in the sustainability it will be crucial to identify ways to further publish and disseminate the tracer study results, in order to make them a regular, visible steering tool for both TVET institutes at the local level as well as at the national level. Keywords: Tracer Study, Holeta, Graduates universities and institutions managing higher education in 1. Introduction their respective countries make informed and evidence based Holeta Polytechnic College is planning to establish a decisions about improvements and quality education and Center of Excellence in Agro-Processing (CEAP) through the services in higher education [2, 4]. East Africa (EA) East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) should Integration Project (EASTRIP) funded by the World Bank not be an exception. In addition, importance of graduate (WB). The overall objective of the proposed CEAP at Holeta tracer studies is to incorporate effective improvements into Polytechnic College is to deliver quality outcome-based institutional programs of HEIs by collecting and analyzing training and to supply competent, motivated and innovative information on graduate’s study experiences, professional middle and low-level workforce equipped with the necessary and personal careers. Such studies can be used to collect data technological skills that would ensure the implementation of on the employment situation of the most recent graduates in an agriculture-led industrial economy of Ethiopia. Towards order to obtain indicators for their professional performance the end of the 20th Century, European Universities embraced [5]. They can therefore, be used to contribute to causal the use of tracer studies for a plethora of reasons; especially explanations of the relevance and appropriateness of the to accredit their study programs; to explain the link between study conditions, services and programmes provided by HEIs study programs and the job market; to show uniqueness and and the quality of the graduate product [6-8]. positioning of individual universities; and also to enable Tracer study is an important tool to obtain valuable International Journal of Education, Culture and Society 2021; 6(4): 99-111 100 information regarding the graduates’ livelihood after they of HPC graduates and employment destinations. completed their training and join the labor market [3]. This information will be used for minimizing any possible deficits 1.1. Research Objectives in the program and improve it for the future in terms of 1.1.1. General Objective content, quality and delivery of the training and creating The primary objective is to measure the relevance of employment opportunities. In contrast to such elite systems, technical and vocational training programs and the number of higher education (HE) systems across the world have become trainees who have been employed or unemployed in their increasingly massified in recent years [14]. Massification fields of training, as well as to assess their skill gaps for connotes more than a simple, albeit substantial, expansion of further training. student numbers [15]. Tracer studies are widespread in higher education but also 1.1.2. Specific Objectives often employed in the VET (vocational education and To provide the HPC catchment area with practical and training) / TVET (technical vocational education and training) hands-on information on the employment status of TVET (2) sector. In many countries, conducting tracer studies is a graduates in the labor market. formal requirement for the accreditation of study programs. To assess the skills gap and training needs of the TVET Programs/projects seeking reform of TVET, which try to graduates. improve skills match and the transition from school to work, To know the number of trainees finding employment on use data from tracer studies to measure their effectiveness. the field of occupations they had been trained. Education institutions are also increasingly interested in To asses why unemployed trainee graduates could not be feedback from their former students to improve their study able to find employment in the labor market. programs, and to show new applicants how their graduates have managed the transition to employment. 1.2. Limitation of the Study The tracer study manual [10] states that the primary The accessibility of all graduates in the study catchment purpose of a tracer survey is to assess whether TVET area as well as graduates of the Colleges became difficulty graduates, are able to get gainful employment or not, be it due to lack of data sources and malfunction of registered wage employment or self-employment. In effect while a phone number obviously affecting to study the whole tracer survey, as the name implies, is tracing where about of graduates. As illustrated under study area particularly graduates, it is also an important mechanism to assess how graduates of HPC came from 7 Zones and 3 Towns which is effective and efficient training centers are in meeting their very wide area to get in touch all graduates during the study. objectives; that is, in preparing young people for the next phase of their lives through providing quality training. Many countries are experiencing growing demand to 2. Methodology introduce a system of tracer studies due to requirements of 2.1. Study Area reaccreditations and quality management. Education institutions are often forced by law to implement regular The study area is predetermined by government based on tracer studies, and demand from various donor agencies or TVET Cluster Structure. The catchment area covers Holeta stakeholders (such as the World Bank, EU, Asian Town and Wolmera District. Such tracer believed to be Development Bank and the national agencies) to collect conducted by other TVET Institutions according to their empirical evidence about the relevance of the cluster. Thus, the study is restricted to this catchment area. education/training is also growing. HEIs today are increasingly viewed as central to national strategies for 2.2. Employers of HPC Graduates securing shares in the global market and universities as the The list of all private enterprises was taken from repositories of valuable human capital to support the Investment of Offices of both local administrations’ bodies economic development of the nation. Universities are in that (Holeta Town administration and Walmera district favored position of keeping and creating science. Graduates Administration) and enterprises have capacities of employing occupy an interesting position in the economy and there are were purposely selected to be studied. All Federal and local still competing interpretations about the outcomes of organizations found in the catchment areas were studied. graduates when they enter the labor market [11-13]. [1] Study conducted on tracer study which was forced by 2.3. Baseline Survey of 2019 Graduates Ethiopia government to conduct tracer study and evaluate the employability of graduates for each program undertaken in For the base line survey, the whole graduates of 2019 (142 institution. After the tracer study conducted the institution male and 87 female totals of 229) were studied based on the decided on the continuity of the program going on in the guidance of tracer study manual. institution or closing the program. Therefore, HPC tracer 2.4. Employed Graduates of 2019 study is intended to generate information on the employment status and conditions of youth who were trained in HPC. It Through phone contacts it was tried to call 238 HPTC also aimed at generating information on the competitiveness graduates using their personal phone or family’s phone. The 101 Tamiru Fufa et al .: Tracer Study of 2019 Graduates of Holeta Polytechnic College in the Catchment Area survey of all other employed HPC graduates were conducted college registrar the number of female graduates was in all potential employer organizations. Only 45 were found proportional to the male during registration (which is almost in 31 organizations.