RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYABILITY COMPETENCIES AND CAREER CERTAINTY OF FINAL YEAR BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN PUBLIC TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ANAMBRA STATE
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between employability competencies and career certainty of final year business education students in tertiary institutions in Anambra State. The study was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population comprised 319 final year students from public tertiary institutions in Anambra State. There was no sampling. The entire population was used as the population was manageable. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Validation of the instrument was carried out by three experts, all from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The study utilized a direct method of questionnaire administration. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to analyze the research questions. Linear regression was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that there is a relationship between employability competencies and career certainty of Business Education students. The study concluded that employability competencies enhance career certainty by aligning skills with industry demands and fostering clarity in career choices. This bridges the gap between education and employment by ensuring smooth transitions and informed career planning of business education students. The study recommended that administrators of educational institutions should continuously update Business Education curricula to include industry-relevant skills and ensure they align with current job market demands. Universities should offer robust career counseling services that could help students make informed decisions, focusing on matching their competencies with available job opportunities in the market.
Downloads
References
Ahmed, N. O. A. (2019). Career commitment: the role of self-efficacy, career satisfaction and organizational commitment. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, (just-accepted), 00-00.
Aigbedion, E. (2021). Preparing Nigerian Youth for Self-Employment (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
Alonso-García, M., de-Cózar-Macías, Ó. D., & Blazquez-Parra, E. B. (2021). Viability of competencies, skills and knowledge acquired by industrial design students. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 31, 545-563.
Anitha, C. & Rajandran, K.V.R. (2019). Evaluating the employability skills towards performance of industrial employees. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE), 8(2S4),
Choi-Lundberg, D., Douglas, T., Bird, M. L., Coleman, B., Greenwood, M., Martin, R., & Kelder, J. A. (2024). Employability learning and teaching research: A twenty-year structured narrative review. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 21(5), 1-38.
Ekpe, I., Nzemeka J. A., Ofeimun, G. O. & Adelaiye, M. O. (2021). Employability skills, work attitude and job commitment: perception of Nigerian youths. UNILAG Journal of Business, 7(2), 89 – 101.
Kretovics, M. A., & Eckert, E. (2019). Business practices in higher education: A guide for today's administrators. Routledge.
Mansvelt, J. (2024). ALIGNING PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS. Thriving in an Academic Career: An International and Interdisciplinary Guide for Early Career Faculty.
Maripaz, A. M., Ombra, A. I. & Shuki, O. (2013). Employability skills and task performance of employees in government sector. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(4), 150 – 162.
Monteiro, S., Almeida, L., & Aracil, A. G. (2016). Graduates’ perceptions of competencies and preparation for labour market transition: The effect of gender and work experience during higher education. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 6(2), 208-220.
Mutanga, M. B., Piyose, P. X., & Ndovela, S. (2023). Factors Affecting Career Preferences and Pathways: Insights from IT Students. Journal of Information Systems and Informatics, 5(3), 1111-1122.
Nisha, S. M., & Rajasekaran, V. (2018). Employability skills: A review. IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 12(1), 29-37.
Normala, R., Abdul, R. A. & Yahya, B. (2016). Employability skills constructs as job performance predictors for Malaysian polytechnic graduates: A qualitative study. GEOGRAFIA Online Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 12(3), 154 – 167.
Nurzunah, M. J. & Shazaitul, A. R. (2022). The relationship between employability skills and job performance among university graduates. Research in Management of Technology and Business, 3(1), 042 – 051.
Nwaikpo, P. N. O. (2025). From classroom to crisis: Interrogating stakeholders on the correlation between skill mismatch, unemployability, and increasing unemployment in Nigeria. Research Journal in Translation, Literature, Linguistics, and Education (RJTLLE), 1(1).
Obidile, J. I. & Onwugbufor, D. O. (2024). Extent of Adoption and Utilization of E-Learning Media in the Teaching of Accounting in Government Tertiary Institutions in Anambra State. NAU Journal of Technology and Vocational Education, 9(2), 19-32.
Okoye, K. R., & Edokpolor, J. E. (2021). Effect of industrial work experience in developing technical and vocational education undergraduates’ employability skills. Asian Journal of Assessment in Teaching and Learning, 11(1), 1-12.
Olalekan, O. O., & Bisola, A. M. (2022). Skills Building in Business Education for National Development. International Journal of Education, Library and Information Communication Technology, 1(1).
Pesch, K. M., Larson, L. M., & Seipel, M. T. (2018). Career certainty and major satisfaction: The roles of information-seeking and occupational knowledge. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(4), 583-598.
Puad, M. H. M., Mohamad, A., & Rashid, A. M. (2023). Career-Related Characteristics Towards Career Certainty of Vocational College Students. Journal of Technical Education and Training, 15(3), 92-104
Punch Newspaper (2024). Nigeria’s unemployment rate rises to 5% – NBS. Available at: https://punchng.com/nigerias-unemployment-rate-hits-0-8-in-2023-q3-nbs-report/#:~:text=Nigeria's%20unemployment%20rate%20surged%20to,is%20in%20the%20labour%20force.
Robinson, B. (2024). graduates lack skills in communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, study finds. Forbes.
Saniuk, S., Caganova, D., & Saniuk, A. (2023). Knowledge and skills of industrial employees and managerial staff for the industry 4.0 implementation. Mobile Networks and Applications, 28(1), 220-230.
Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., & Heslin, P. A. (2016). Developing career resilience and adaptability. Organizational Dynamics, 45(3), 245-257.
Author(s) and co-author(s) jointly and severally represent and warrant that the Article is original with the author(s) and does not infringe any copyright or violate any other right of any third parties, and that the Article has not been published elsewhere. Author(s) agree to the terms that the Global Publication House will have the full right to remove the published article on any misconduct found in the published article.
