This follow-up study involved college women seven years after graduation. The purpose was to investigate the predictability of women's career behavior from career aspirations at senior year of college. Some data were derived from The Role Outlook Study senior year questionnaire. In addition, a second questionnaire, The Role Outlook Follow-Up, was utilized which focused upon various events occurring in women's lives following college graduation, namely marriage, graduate school attendance, receipt of advanced degrees, and work experience. No significant association was found between women's career aspirations senior year and actual career behavior. Instead, marriage and the absence or presence of children differentiated working and non-working women. However, a significant association was found between women' s occupational preferences at senior year and their current occupations.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Masters in Development Theory and Policy, School of Economics and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, March 2017 / This study explores labour market inequality amongst those with post-secondary education in South Africa. The need to invest in higher education has been emphasised as the gateway to facilitating equal opportunities in the labour market, with the view of bridging inequality in employment and incomes. Nevertheless, South Africa’s labour market remains highly unequal, despite higher rates of enrolment and completion in higher education. The existing body of literature suggests that labour market outcomes amongst those with post-secondary education are not equal, consequently widening the level of inequality within the economy. Using the Quarterly Labour Force Survey 2014 annual dataset a combination of descriptive statistics and econometric tools are employed to investigate employment and earnings outcomes between graduates and diplomates. The findings indicate that graduates are more successful in obtaining employment relative to diplomates even once demographic and geographic characteristics and field of study are controlled for. Moreover, graduates obtain a substantial earnings premium relative to diplomates even when controlling for job characteristics / XL2018

Thesis (M.Com. (Management))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2016. / Graduate unemployment has become a significant factor in the global economy. The economic system now relies on institutional unemployment figures as the indices of the socio-economic well-being of any country. Research shows that graduate unemployment is potentially damaging to the economy. If such unemployment persists, it may lead to the erosion and outdating of graduates' skills–bases, which will affect the economy in the long term. Statistical reports show that there is high graduate unemployment in South Africa; hence graduates struggle to find work despite the skills shortage in the country. This seems to contradict previous studies suggesting that the higher a person‘s education level, the higher his or her probability of finding employment. As a result of the significant rise in unemployment rates among South Africa‘s stock of graduates, the extent of the emerging skills-mismatch possessed by new graduate labour market entrants are increasingly misaligned with the skills demanded by employers.

Human capital has become a key driver of individual employment and economic growth over the past few decades. The Republic of Korea in particular has experienced rapid and sustained economic success due to a marked rise in educated human capital over the past thirty years, but this status has begun to falter as glaring inefficiencies in the South Korean educational system, particularly concerning higher education, have emerged. The high-performing academic curricula at Korea’s higher education institutions fail to reflect the needs of industries, and the subsequent high unemployment rate among university graduates has led to a high incidence of voluntary college leaves of absence (LOAs) aimed at acquiring and reinforcing those skills required by the labor market, suggesting that Korea’s educational progress and the labor market are not well matched. This dissertation is the first study aimed at understanding this voluntary break in college schooling while controlling for self-selection bias using propensity score matching (PSM) estimates. This study contributes to exploring the causal effect of a college LOA on labor market outcomes and heterogeneous effects across family background based on the 2011 Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey (GOMS), the results of which may be useful for policymakers. Distinguishing between engaging in a college LOA to gain skills or experience and engaging in an LOA because of financial difficulties, I find significant positive effects of a college leave of absence on earnings and employment status for college LOAs motivated by employment preparation for both males and females. Considering that there is high financial dependence on parents in South Korea, both for funding one’s education and for covering the monetary costs of taking a college LOA, there is a strong link between family socioeconomic status (SES) and access to extra career-related activities through a college LOA. Families with low SES do not have the same opportunities to participate in college LOAs for employment preparation as do high SES students. Although low SES students have higher heterogeneous effects of a college LOA to prepare for employment, students with low parental income have limited returns to education. The close relationship between parental wealth and the ability to invest in experience and on-the-job training through an LOA may play a significant role in achieving successful labor market outcomes. This means that college LOAs can become a new channel for intergenerational transmission of earnings and even social inequality. The impact of a college LOA due to financial difficulties on monthly income is not statistically significant for both males and females. However, statistically significant negative effect for males are found after controlling for work experience while enrolled in college, implying that student employment during college for male students who take an LOA for financial reasons has a significantly negative effect on wages in the labor market. This could be because the types of jobs that students might work may not be oriented toward labor market preparation and may even impede the development of increased human capital or have negative signaling properties, thus inducing negative labor market payoffs after graduation. Interestingly, even LOAs due to financial difficulties have a positive impact on female employment status. Given that South Korea has high barriers to labor market participation for women in South Korea, a college LOA contributes to a reduction in temporary female workers, indicating that more women are participating in the labor market with stable employment status.

This study invest igated the demand trends in the employment of psychology graduates - with specific reference to research psychology - in South Africa from 1976 to 1998. A total of 5769 advertisements appearing in the Sunday Times and the Mail and Guardian were analysed. Results indicated that there has been an increase in demand for research skills coupled with a decrease in demand for technical psychosocial skills (psychodiagnosis, psychotherapy and psychometrics) . In addition, there has been an increase in demand for graduates with a background in research and community psychology to work in the public sector and in social welfare and development environments. These results are discussed in the light of other studies, which suggest an increased demand globally for research skills and service professionals. The implications of these results for the planning of psychology curricula suggest that career-oriented studies could concentrate on research skills and exposure to social welfare and development contexts, thereby ensuring that the demand for these skills is met. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

Douglas College Business Program students have graduated for the past twenty-two years. This study was undertaken to examine three specific aspects of the 'impact' that the Douglas College educational experience has had on these business graduates. Impact, as defined by Alfred (1982), is the sum total of outcomes, changes and benefits produced by a college. Through the use of Astin's model of the components of the process of higher education, specific outcomes related to employment, finances and further educational development were investigated. A survey was conducted of graduates from selected business programs from the years 1981 and 1986. Analyses were carried out to determine outcomes of having graduated from a Douglas College business program. It was found that the Douglas College business program graduates experienced positive outcomes related to employment, finances, and pursuit of further education. Graduates perceived that the benefits related to employment were more important than other benefits related to their educational experience.

Higher education is instrumental in the economic development of any country, as a resource of skilled personnel and knowledge production. In South Africa there is a need for higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop innovative responses to address graduate employability and entrepreneurship education. Moreover, there is a need to catalyse entrepreneurship activity among students in order to cultivate skilled opportunity-orientated entrepreneurs. This study explores the application the ‘Junior Enterprise (JE) concept’ (an international best practice) as a mechanism of improving employability and fostering entrepreneurship. To discern if this practice is appropriate for South African students, the research investigates students’ perceptions. Overall the findings suggest that there is relevant student demand for this type of experiential and cooperative learning practice. However, conflicting studies infer that the widespread implementation of this type of learning practice will face implicit challenges in the indigenous context. To further examine the feasibility of applying the JE-concept in South African HEIs, it is essential to design, implement and evaluate a pilot project. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The popularity and application of competencies to human resource processes has grown over the last 20 years since Richard Boyatzis fIrst described a competency in his book 'The Competent Manager' in 1982. With this dissertation a study of the origins of the competency movement, its various applications and in particular, its application to human resource processes in the area of graduate recruitment, selection and development, is undertaken. A study of the application of an existing competency framework to the graduate recruitment process in a local subsidiary of a Durban-based multi-national was undertaken. The objective of the study was to investigate whether specifIc competency clusters, as defIned in the competency framework, were better at predicting early career success than were others. The study used the cumulative appraisal increases of fIfty-four graduate recruits over a twenty-one month period, together with the competency scores that were awarded the graduate during their actual recruitment and selection for employment. Using a backward elimination multiple regression technique the merit ratings were included with scores for each of the four competency clusters in the equation. Results suggest that higher scores on two of the four competency clusters 'Determines Direction' (DD) and 'Delivers through People' (P) are better predictors of early career success. It was concluded that while certain competency clusters seem better indicators of early career success than others, factors such as interviewer skill in identifying competency evidence, interviewer bias and appropriateness of ii competencies to graduate recruitment, may account for the weak relationship between the indicator variables in the study. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2002

The International Hotel School is registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and Training as a Private Higher Education Institution. This registration entails accreditation by the Council on Higher Education and one of the requirements for accreditation is that "The programme has taken steps to enhance the employability of students and to alleviate shortages of expertise in relevant fields, in cases where these are the desired outcomes of the programme." The purpose of this study was to assess, from a graduate perspective, whether or not the Diploma in Hospitality Management programme offered by the school met the requirement of the Council on Higher Education. Skills sought by employers were identified through a review of literature on the topic of 'employability'. These skills were used to compile a research questionnaire sent electronically to the identified sample group. A study was conducted among students who had completed the diploma programme during the years 2008 to 2010. Using a five-point Likert Scale respondents were asked to rate their perception of skills developed through their participation in the diploma programme. In addition to assessing the employability skills, respondents were asked to rate the usefulness to them in their employment of the subjects comprising the diploma programme. Here a four point Rating Scale was used in the questionnaire. Results of the study have identified areas of weakness within the programme's design and recommendations will be made to the school Academic Board as to suggested actions to be taken in addressing these weaknesses. The programme's syllabi should be reviewed and the curricula content adapted to consider the areas of concern highlighted through this study. The study identified that the programme goes some way to meeting the requirements of both the Department of Higher education and Training and employers within the hospitality industry. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The world of work is increasingly changing, and to keep up with the changes, organisations are recruiting recent graduates with the aim of facilitating growth and continual improvement. The challenge is that these graduates do not necessarily possess the kind of competencies required to survive in the work environment. There are many challenges in the work environment that can affect the performance of graduates, and this requires certain competencies which graduates rarely possess. On the basis of the literature overview it is proposed that EI, SOC and PsyCap could contribute to strengthening graduates’ personal resources and contribute to their work readiness and ultimately their performance in the work environment. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), psychological capital (PsyCap), sense of coherence (SOC) and the work readiness (WR) of graduates. The main argument of this study was that the personal resources of EI, SOC and PsyCap may make meaningful contributions to the work readiness of graduates and subsequently their performance in the work environment. The existence of relationships between these variables was statistically investigated and the necessary conclusions were drawn. A sample of 183 participants was drawn from two universities in Africa. Participants completed existing reliable and valid instruments measuring EI, SOC and PsyCap. WR was measured using the recently developed WRS. Correlational analysis was undertaken to determine the relationships between EI, SOC, PsyCap and WR. Multiple regression analysis was undertaken to determine whether the independent variables (EI, SOC and PsyCap) contribute to WR. Results revealed significant positive relationships between several subscales of EI, PsyCap and the subscales of WR, more specifically with organisational acumen and work competence. Very low correlations and insignificant correlations were found between SOC and the subscales of WR. The multiple regression analysis revealed comprehensibility as the best predictor for personal work characteristics; emotional reasoning, emotional expression and optimism as best predictors for organisational acumen; efficacy and emotional self management as best predictors for work competence and efficacy as the best predictor for social intelligence. The conclusion that was drawn from this study was that EI and PsyCap contribute to WR, more specifically to organisational acumen and work competence.