Survey of Employability Skills Possessed by Undergraduates in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Graduate unemployment has been a continual challenge in Nigerian society due to graduates’ inability to meet up with the current expectations of the labour market. These worries have been given serious attention in the present labour market. The employers, school authorities and policymakers continue to emphasize the importance of ‘employability skills’ in order for graduates to be fully equipped in meeting the challenges of an increasingly flexible labour market as these skills are rarely taught in the school. This study surveyed the employability skills possessed by undergraduates in Kwara state, Nigeria while the target population was undergraduates at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the level of employability skills, the perceived factors influencing the employability of undergraduates, the extent of self-development skills and job searching techniques as well as the interview skills possessed by undergraduates. Descriptive research based on survey design was employed. A sample of 353 students were drawn from a population of 4,362 students who participated as respondents. The Survey of Employability Skills of Undergraduates Questionnaire (SESUQ) was used as an instrument for data collection and the instrument's reliability coefficient of 0.82, 0.84, 0.86 and 0.76 were obtained via Cronbach Alpha. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were employed for analysis. The results obtained signify that the employability level of undergraduates at the University of Ilorin was at an average level. Among others, a recommendation was made that the University management should, as a matter of urgency, create a graduate employability programme that includes such employability techniques as interview skills, job searching skills, entrepreneurial skills and self-development skills.