Reviewing labour market signals through the lenses of social sciences graduates from the University of the Witwatersrand
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Unemployment among social sciences graduates is often discussed as an issue of graduates lacking the required skills to enter the labour market. This research report sought to review labour market signals and unemployment experiences described and interpreted by social sciences graduates from the University of the Witwatersrand. This research aimed to analyse their perceptions of unemployment and their views on employability and signalling. It adopted the qualitative approach to collect data and analysed it using thematic analysis. The survey yielded twelve responses, and four of the twelve respondents returned for individual interviews.
The research report aimed to understand whether there is a mismatch between what the labour market expects and requires versus what graduates perceive, and found that there is not. It was discovered, however, that while graduates of social sciences understand the requirements of signals, their unemployment experiences are rooted in various socioeconomic and political issues. This research report concluded that positively responding to labour market signals plays a significant yet minimal role in securing employment because an array of supply and demand factors determine unemployment and employment prospects among graduates. Higher learning institutions, employers, and government must collaborate to reform the social sciences curricula to align with the labour market’s demands and improve unemployment
Description
A research report Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Management in Public Policy in the Faculty of Commerce, Law & Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022
Keywords
Unemployment, Social sciences, Graduates, Employability, Signalling; perceptions, UCTD
Citation
Madubye, Mokgethwa. (2022). Reviewing labour market signals through the lenses of social sciences graduates from the University of the Witwatersrand [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40231