Employability of Accounting TVET Graduates: A Case of One Polytechnic College in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Graduate unemployment is one of the biggest challenges that many countries in the world are faced with, more so in Zimbabwe. Given the prevailing rate of unemployment, this study sought to investigate the extent to which the TVET curricula in Accounting has provided sufficient skills to the accounting graduates to meet the expectations for employment. The study sought to deal with the problems that accounting TVET graduates face when entering the job market and the reasons why they are not getting their desired job in their chosen field of study. The study employed a qualitative approach. Data was collected from a sample of five lecturers and 55 Accounting graduates from one Polytechnic college in Zimbabwe, using interviews and a questionnaire. The study found that the main factor contributing to graduate unemployment is the deteriorating economic conditions in the country. It was also found that most of the graduates lacked sufficient skills and work experience to compete in the labor market. The graduates showed general inability to apply knowledge learnt in college to practical work situations, resulting in most graduates struggling to find suitable job placements in the country. It was further established that the graduates were ill-prepared to start their own businesses and did not have access to capital. The study recommends that TVET colleges in Zimbabwe should produce graduates with relevant skills, entrepreneurial mind set and appropriate knowledge acquired through work-based learning and internships to increase chances for employability among the graduates. Financial institutions may also assist through funding the graduates to start entrepreneurial activates in response to limited employment chances.