Aligning University-Industry Partnership in Africa to Employability of Graduates

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue IV, April 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Aligning University-Industry Partnership in Africa to Employability of Graduates

Goddana Mensima Darko, Akua Ahyia Adu-Oppong

College of Technology Education, Kumasi-University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Abstract:-This paper examines University-Industry collaboration in Africa as a tool for engendering graduate employability. It reviews perspectives on university education in Africa in the context of fulfilling the needs of industry through appropriate human capital development strategies. It outlines the challenges of African industries in respect of their collaboration with academia to foster employability of graduates. Available literature showed that the two institutions operate almost in isolation at a level of cooperation that is insignificant to guarantee employability of graduates on an appreciable scale. Beyond the pure teaching and research functions of academia and the profit goals of industry, the paper sheds light on workable employability strategies that can be adopted by the two institutions with support of government to create a win-win situation for universities and industry as well as guarantee employability of graduates

Keywords: Universities, Industry, Collaboration, Graduates, Employability, Government

I. INTRODUCTION

In the last couple of decades, Universities across Africa have initiated certain programmes and policies that seek to synergise their expertise with the corporate world in an attempt to address the socioeconomic needs of their respective countries. In Ghana for example the 2010-2020 education strategic plan of the ministry of education (MoE) highlights a number of actions intended to increase the relevance of tertiary education to national needs (MoE, 2012). Among other outcomes, the document lays emphasis on building competencies in technical and vocational occupations, acquisition of industry-specific skills, career orientation for students, entrepreneurial training, client based staff performance appraisal, incentives for those that create value for the beneficiaries of tertiary education and above all, collaboration between industries and tertiary educational institutions. The intent of the document suggests the existence of shortfalls in the tertiary education enterprise that call for formulation and implementation of programmes and policies driven by the current needs of industries.

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