COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN FEDERAL, STATE, AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA
https://doi.org/10.83151/4wkq-bh79
Employability, the ability to obtain and maintain employment, encompasses a range of skills and qualities that make an individual attractive to prospective employers. This study assessed employability skills possessed by undergraduates in the Nigerian federal, state, and private universities. A comparative survey design was adopted for the study. The participants in the study were 1,594 undergraduate students drawn from federal, state, and private universities in three geo-political zones in Nigeria using a multi-stage sampling method. The Undergraduate Employability Scale was used to collect responses from participants. The scale was validated using exploratory factor analysis, while the reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha. The reliability coefficient of 0.996 showed that the scale is valid. It also confirmed the potency of every item to measure undergraduate employability in Nigeria. Cross-tab analysis was conducted to investigate possession of employability skills in relation to different higher institutions. Undergraduates in federal universities possess higher employability skills than those in state and private universities. Aligning curricula with labour market demands, integrating soft skills development into the curricula, and providing experiential learning opportunities are recommended to bridge the existing gaps between employability skills possessed by the students in federal, state, and private universities in Nigeria.
Keywords: Employability skills, Nigeria’s undergraduates, Soft skills development,
Undergraduate Employability Scale
Folajogun V. Falaye (PhD) & Enoch O. Olayori
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN FEDERAL, STATE, AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA https://doi.org/10.83151/4wkq-bh79
Employability, the ability to obtain and maintain employment, encompasses a range of skills and qualities that make an individual attractive to prospective employers. This study assessed employability skills possessed by undergraduates in the Nigerian federal, state, and private universities. A comparative survey design was adopted for the study. The participants in the study were 1,594 undergraduate students drawn from federal, state, and private universities in three geo-political zones in Nigeria using a multi-stage sampling method. The Undergraduate Employability Scale was used to collect responses from participants. The scale was validated using exploratory factor analysis, while the reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha. The reliability coefficient of 0.996 showed that the scale is valid. It also confirmed the potency of every item to measure undergraduate employability in Nigeria. Cross-tab analysis was conducted to investigate possession of employability skills in relation to different higher institutions. Undergraduates in federal universities possess higher employability skills than those in state and private universities. Aligning curricula with labour market demands, integrating soft skills development into the curricula, and providing experiential learning opportunities are recommended to bridge the existing gaps between employability skills possessed by the students in federal, state, and private universities in Nigeria. Keywords: Employability skills, Nigeria’s undergraduates, Soft skills development, Undergraduate Employability Scale