Enhancing employability skills among higher learning students through career guidance and counselling: experience from the university of dodoma and St. John’s university of Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the role of career guidance and counselling services in enhancing employability skills among students in higher learning institutions in Tanzania based on experience from The University of Dodoma (UDOM) and St. Johns‟ University of Tanzania (SJUT). It employed a descriptive research design using qualitative and some aspects of quantitative research approach. A total of 123 respondents including lecturers, wardens and students from UDOM-CoED and SJUT were involved. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used in selecting respondents of the study. Questionnaires, interviews and focused group discussion were used to obtain data from the respondents. Qualitative data were analyzed according to their pattern of descriptions from the respondents to generate themes and sub-themes while quantitative data were processed and analyzed using SPSS (version 20) to compute frequency and percentages of responses. Findings revealed that higher learning students were aware of the available career guidance and counselling services however, the study found that, career guidance and counselling were inadequate something that was seen to threaten students‟ acquisition of employability skills. Apart from their importance in promoting students‟ employability skills, career guidance and counselling services were found not to be formalized within the higher learning institutions; no professional career counsellors were found. It was only the lecturers and wardens who were providing some career guidance and counselling to students besides the work load they had in the institution. Strategies to improve students‟ employability skills in higher learning institutions were also reported to be insufficient; Based on the findings above, it is recommended that HLIs in Tanzania should see the possibilities of preparing students in various competence areas such as academic excellences, career aspect, personal and social skills. Through establishing career guidance and counselling units and employing professional career counsellors will facilitate students‟ access to career information that will help to improve employability competence. Focusing on achieving good grades in the class alone limits the chances for students to acquire employability skills that ensure their confidence in the labour market today.