THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ON INNOVATIVE APPRENTICESHIP-INAP

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

2. 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

3. Introduction • Vocational education training programmes critical in linking school with employment • 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 • 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 upon high school graduation • 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?

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 • Rival Variables: Competence, Attitude, Aspirations, Quality, Relevance, etc. • Resources: 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, descriptive research survey • Triangulation: Nominal Group Technique (NGT) approach and Survey with questionnaire employed to collect and analyze data

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

10. Methodology: Population and Sampling Target population: Pre-vocational agriculture graduates-2005-2009 (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

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

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

13. Findings • 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

14. Findings Objective 3/4: Explaining & Predicting Variables 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. 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

17. 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] • Networking/Sharing:Business Forum-Students & business community

18. 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

19. 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

20. End of Presentation Thank you for your time