INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -APRIL 23-24, 2013 UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND, SOUTH AFRICA THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ON INNOVATIVE APPRENTICESHIP-INAP

School-to-Work Transition: Explanatory & Predictor Variables for Self-Employability of Pre- Vocational Agriculture Graduates in Swaziland  Comfort B.S. Mndebele  Mpendulo L. Mngomezulu  Barnabas.M. Dlamini ______________________ UNIVERSITY OF SWAZILAND

Introduction Vocational education training programmes critical in linking school with employment Vocational education training programmes critical in linking school with employment Vocational programmes offer potential- providing knowledge and personal skills for success in the workplace Vocational programmes offer potential- providing knowledge and personal skills for success in the workplace NERCOM report in 1985 gave birth to pre- vocational education in Swaziland NERCOM report in 1985 gave birth to pre- vocational education in Swaziland Pre-Voc subjects in Swaziland: Agriculture, Business, Technical and Home economics Pre-Voc subjects in Swaziland: Agriculture, Business, Technical and Home economics

Statement of the Problem Main objective of Pre-Voc Ed. was acquisition of vocational skills for smooth school-to-work transition to Self- employability upon high school graduation Main objective of Pre-Voc Ed. was acquisition of vocational skills for smooth school-to-work transition to Self- employability upon high school graduation Therefore need for assessment of the Pre- Voc. Ed. graduates to determine their self- employability Therefore need for assessment of the Pre- Voc. Ed. graduates to determine their self- employability Research question: What factors influence [explain & predict] school-to-work transition-Sustainable self-employability? Research question: What factors influence [explain & predict] school-to-work transition-Sustainable self-employability?

Purpose & Objectives  Identify variables [explanatory & predictory] influencing a smooth school-to-work transition to self-employability of pre-vocational agriculture high school graduates

Hypothesis Resources-Major Independent variable: influence self-employability of pre-voc agric. Graduates Resources-Major Independent variable: influence self-employability of pre-voc agric. Graduates  Rival Variables: Competence, Attitude, Aspirations, Quality, Relevance, etc.  Resources: Initial endowments are critical to business survival

Theoretical framework Competence: Improved entrepreneurial skills defeat the various constraints that would inhibit entry into self-employment. (Etyang, 2003; Scharfstein, 2006) Competence: Improved entrepreneurial skills defeat the various constraints that would inhibit entry into self-employment. (Etyang, 2003; Scharfstein, 2006) Attitude: Predictor of success in achieving goals (Dorgi, 2008; Classens, 2008) Attitude: Predictor of success in achieving goals (Dorgi, 2008; Classens, 2008) Quality: affected by equipment: availability, repair and replacement (Akyeampong, 2002; Classens, 2008) Quality: affected by equipment: availability, repair and replacement (Akyeampong, 2002; Classens, 2008)

Methodology: Design Design of study: Ex post facto, descriptive research survey Triangulation: Nominal Group Technique (NGT) approach and Survey with questionnaire employed to collect and analyze data

Major Independent Variable Availability of Resources Rival independent variables 1. Competence 2. Attitude 3. Aspirations 4. Quality 5. Relevance 6. Reasons 7. Socio-economic Dependent Variable Sustainable Self- Employability of Graduates

Methodology: Population and Sampling Target population: Pre-vocational agriculture graduates (N= 494).  Sample size (n = 217/Usable 168)  Stratified random sampling by graduation year and region Data collection: Nominal Group Technique [NGT]approach [Qualitative] data used to develop survey questionnaire [Quantitative] supplemented by literature review

Methodology: Data collection NGT Subject selection NGT Subject selection  Pre-vocational agriculture instructors were used to select Pre-Voc. graduates for NGT workshop Purpose of NGT was to: Purpose of NGT was to:  Establish the graduates’ experiences with self-employment upon graduation from school  Elicit opinions on challenges of self- employment

Methodology: Data collection (cont…) Validation of questionnaire: panel of experts Validation of questionnaire: panel of experts Reliability: Pilot test & reliability. r =.60 Reliability: Pilot test & reliability. r =.60  Data analysis: Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, correlations and regression

Findings Objective 1, Availability of Resources: Markets for produce, Transport, Water for irrigation, Land Objective 1, Availability of Resources: Markets for produce, Transport, Water for irrigation, Land Objective 2, Challenges: Start-up capital (seed money), Bank loan requirements, Equipment, Theft of produce Objective 2, Challenges: Start-up capital (seed money), Bank loan requirements, Equipment, Theft of produce

Findings Objective 3/4: Explaining & Predicting Variables Self-employability 29% Competence 18% Resources 07% Programme Quality 02 % Self-employment challenges 02%

Decision regarding hypothesis Reject availability of resources as major hypothesis, not main influence on self-employability Reject availability of resources as major hypothesis, not main influence on self-employability Hypothesis rejected in favour of competence Hypothesis rejected in favour of competence Competence of graduate-major influence on self-employability of pre-vocational graduates Competence of graduate-major influence on self-employability of pre-vocational graduates

Conclusion Profile: males dominate, rural students have positive attitude to farming, less post-secondary education, face challenges [start-up capital] Profile: males dominate, rural students have positive attitude to farming, less post-secondary education, face challenges [start-up capital] Programme: Pre-Vocational Agriculture is effective at school level Programme: Pre-Vocational Agriculture is effective at school level Resources: Self-employment constrained by inadequate resources & start-up capital Resources: Self-employment constrained by inadequate resources & start-up capital Self-employability: Pre-vocational agriculture graduates have potential to enter self-employment Self-employability: Pre-vocational agriculture graduates have potential to enter self-employment

Conclusions (cont…) Explanatory variables: Competence, Resources, Quality, other Challenges Explanatory variables: Competence, Resources, Quality, other Challenges Implications: Policy and Practice Resources: Teach students to improvise Resources: Teach students to improvise Government: Policy-Revolving Fund for graduates start-up capital [Seed money] Government: Policy-Revolving Fund for graduates start-up capital [Seed money] Networking/Sharing: Business Forum- Students & business community Networking/Sharing: Business Forum- Students & business community

Recommendations for action  Resources: Mobilise resources by networking [forum] with business community  Start-up capital: Establish revolving fund [seed money] for prevocational graduates  Programme Quality: Teach students to improvise & use local materials available in community  Student home-based enterprises: Strengthen business enterprises in homes; engage/solicit parental support

Recommendations for further study  Tracer study-pre-vocational graduates in: Businesses, Technical, and Home economics studies  Self-employability skills & Resources- for graduates to enter self- employment in agriculture  Revolving Fund-study feasibility, sustainability of a revolving fund for pre-vocational graduates

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