1. THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ON INNOVATIVE APPRENTICESHIP-INAP
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -APRIL 22-23, 2013
UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND, SOUTH AFRICA

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

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

4. Statement of the Problem
Main objective of Pre-Voc Ed. was acquisition of vocational skills for smooth school-to-work transition to Self-employability on high school graduation
Assessment of the Pre-Voc. Ed. graduates to determine their self-employability (Stufflebeam, 1971)
Research question: What factors influence [explain & predict] smooth school-to-transition to self-employability?

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

6. Hypothesis
Resources-Major Independent variable: influence self-employability of pre-voc agric. graduates (Bush, 2007; Xaba, 2003)
Rival Variable-hypotheses: [Competence, Attitude, Aspirations, Quality, Relevance, etc.]
Resources: Baum (1996) states initial endowments are critical to business survival

7. Theoretical framework
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)
Quality: affected by equipment: availability, repair and replacement (Akyeampong, 2002; Classens, 2008)

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

9. Major Independent Variable Availability of Resources
Rival independent variables
Competence
Attitude
Aspirations
Quality
Relevance
Reasons
Socio-economic
Dependent Variable
Sustainable Self-Employability of Graduates

10. Methodology: Population and Sampling
Target population: Pre-vocational agriculture graduates (N= 522).
Sample size (n = 217)
Stratified random sampling by graduation year and region
Data collection: Nominal Group Technique approach [Qualitative] data used to develop survey questionnaire [Quantitative] supplemented by literature review

11. Methodology: Data collection
NGT Subject selection
Pre-vocational agriculture instructors were used to select graduates for NGT workshop
Purpose of NGT questions was to:
establish the graduate’s experiences with self-employment upon graduation from school
Elicit opinions on challenges of self-employment & to solve them

12. Methodology: Data collection (cont…)
Validation of questionnaire: panel of experts
Reliability: Pilot test & Cronbach’s alpha reliability. r = .76
Response rate: 77%, [death, re-location accounts for difference]
Data analysis: descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, correlations and regression

13. Findings
Objective 1, Availability of Resources: Low, Transport, money, water for irrigation, land for bees
Objective 2, Describe Self-employability of graduates: self employable, had the attributes

14. Findings Quality 02% Competence 18% Resources 07%
Objective 3: Regression analysis
Competence 18%
Resources 07%
Self-employability 29%
Programme
Quality 02%
Self-employment
challenges 02%

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

16. Findings (continue…)
Objective 4: Challenges: finances, equipment and transport
Objective 5: Differences: there were no differences found between independent variables and the dependent variable
Objective 6: Profile respondents: males (82%), single (96%), Av. 23yrs, rural (62%), Education: high school certificate only (82%), unemployed (52%)

17. Conclusion
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
Resources: Self-employment constrained by inadequate resources & start-up capital
Self-employability: Pre-vocational agriculture graduates have potential to enter self-employment

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

19. 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

20. Recommendations for further study
Tracer study-prevocational graduates in Businesses, Technical, and Home economics
Self-employability skills & Resources- for graduates to enter self-employment in agricultural business
Revolving Fund-study feasibility, sustainability of a revolving fund for prevocational graduates

21. End of Presentation
Thank you for your time