ENHANCING WORK-READINESS AND EMPLOYABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL GRADUATES THROUGH A WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17501/26827018.2024.9102Keywords:
work-integrated learning, employability, work-readiness, agricultural managementAbstract
Amidst a rapidly changing global agricultural landscape, a different set of knowledge, skills and attitudes is demanded by new entrants into the agricultural value chain. Such a changing landscape presents opportunities for universities to innovatively improve their products, processes, and systems. In this context, this paper presents one such innovation and focuses on the structure and content of a work-integrated experiential learning (WIL) component in the Agricultural Management curriculum offered by the Nelson Mandela University. Quality assessment feedback of students who completed a WIL program were analysed. The objective was to assess the program at two levels:1) the process level (the program design and delivery), as well as 2) the content level (improvement in managerial skills of graduates and the extent to which the Critical Cross-field outcomes (CCFOs) of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) were addressed). Quality assessment questionnaires containing both structured and open-ended questions from different student year-groups over four consecutive years were analysed. The analysis dealt with responses (n=65) to structured Likert-type questions, supported with narratives from open-ended questions. At the process level the design and delivery of the program was rated fairly high (mean scores > scale mid-point). At the content level, the top four management skills that students perceived as having improved were teamwork, information management, decision making and cross-functional integration (> 95% rated sufficiently and above). All of the CCFOs can be achieved through the WIL program (> 78% rated sufficiently and above). The study makes a unique contribution towards emphasising how the elements of adequate design, content and execution of a WIL program can be integrated purposefully to enhance work-readiness and employability of agricultural graduates.
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