Employment Expectations of Final-Year Undergraduates at Private Universities: Challenges and Opportunities - A Case Study of Saint Thomas University of Mozambique
Abstract
The present research investigates the employability expectations of graduates from Saint Thomas University of Mozambique (USTM). It aims to analyze the extent to which these expectations align with the current conditions of the Mozambican labour market. The study employed qualitative research, and a case study design was adopted. Fifty participants, including students and faculty members, were engaged in this study and gathered input from employers to understand the challenges and opportunities graduates face. The researcher selected 30 students, 15 lecturers, and five employers using random sampling techniques. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. The data were then analyzed using Nvivo software to generate codes and themes. The results indicated a significant gap between what graduates expect from USTM and the available employment opportunities. Among the issues identified by employers was skill mismatch, while graduates in Mozambique expressed frustration about limited internship opportunities and competitiveness in the job market. The study also identifies resource constraints and inadequate industry collaboration as systemic issues in private universities. Regarding their students' readiness for employment, this study recommends incorporating practical training into academic programs, strengthening partnerships between private universities and employers, enhancing career counselling, and promoting entrepreneurship as a viable career option. This research contributes to the broader debate on employability in Mozambique while providing insights for policymakers, educators, and industry leaders to create a more inclusive and effective pathway to employment for university graduates
Downloads
References
Agency, U. S., U. (2020). Opportunities for Youth Employment in The Health and Social Sectors in Mozambique: Development, I., International, M. C., Order, E. T., Learning, Y., Contract, A. I. D., & States A Desk Review (Vol. 1, Issue August).
Anyanwu, J. C. (2013). Characteristics and Macroeconomic Determinants of Youth Employment in Africa. African Development Review, 25(2), 107– 129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8268.2013.12019.x
Asmady, A. S., & Drake, A. (2016). Risk-Based Approach to Assessment of Advanced Technologies for Conceptual Design. 16th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2016-3747
Balchin, N., Coughlin, P., Papadavid, P., te Velde, D. W., & Vrolijk, K. (2017). Economic transformation and job creation in Mozambique. Synthesis Paper. London: Supporting Economic Transformation.
Barsoum, G., & Rashad, A. (2018). Does Private Higher Education Improve Employment Outcomes? Comparative Analysis from Egypt. Public Organization Review, 18(1), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-016-0367-x
Bonde, R. A., & Matavel, P. A. (2022). Education Financing in Mozambique and its Challenges. Educacao and Realidade, 47, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-6236119894
Brück, T., & Van den Broeck, K. (2012). Growth, Employment and Poverty in Mozambique. In SSRN Electronic Journal (Issue January). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2124924
Bryman, A. (2012). Social Research Strategies: Social Research Methods. In OUP Oxford (Vol. 32, Issue 4). University Press.
Callanan, G., & Benzing, C. (2004). Assessing the role of internships in the career‐oriented employment of graduating college students. Education + Training, 46(2), 82–89. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910410525261
Chiffi, D., Moroni, S., & Zanetti, L. (2022). Types of Technological Innovation in the Face of Uncertainty. Philosophy & Technology, 35(4), 94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00587-3
Creswell, J. W. (2021). A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research. In SAGE Publications, Inc. SAGE publications.
Damayanti, D. (2021). Human Resources Competency in the Era of Industrial Revolution 4.0. Economics and Business Solutions Journal, 5(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.26623/ebsj.v5i1.3334
Dhakal, S. P., Connell, J., & Burgess, J. (2018). Inclusion and work: addressing the global challenges for youth employment. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 37(2), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-12-2017-0290
Edmonds, W. A., & Kennedy, T. D. (2020). An Applied Guide to Research Designs: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. In An Applied Guide to Research Designs: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071802779
Gallardo-Gallardo, E., Dries, N., & González-Cruz, T. F. (2013). What is the meaning of ‘talent’ in the world of work? Human Resource Management Review, 23(4), 290–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2013.05.002
Gbadamosi, G., Evans, C., Richardson, M., & Ridolfo, M. (2015). Employability and students’ part‐time work in the UK : does self‐efficacy and career aspiration matter? British Educational Research Journal, 41(6), 1086–1107. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3174
Hamid, A., & Intan, A. M. (2023). Labor Law Does Not Exist in a Vacuum in the Era of Industrial Revolution 4.0. Beijing Law Review, 14(01), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.4236/blr.2023.141001
Jeque, A. J. (2023). Análise Situacional Sobre Trabalho E Emprego Em Moçambique, Na Cidade De Maputo. RECIMA21 - Revista Científica Multidisciplinar - ISSN 2675-6218, 4(9), e493931. https://doi.org/10.47820/recima21.v4i9.3931
Jones, S., Santos, R., & Schnupp, A. (2020). Baseline survey on the school-to-work transition of technical and vocational education graduates in Mozambique. UNU-WIDER, University of Copenhagen, University of Eduardo Mondlane.
Langa, P. V, & Zavale, N. C. (2015). Private higher education in Mozambique: an overview of a growing subsystem. 1(2), 89–109.
Marginson, S. (2016). The Dream Is Over: The Crisis of Clark Kerr’s California Idea of Higher Education. University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.17
Mason, G., Williams, G., & Cranmer, S. (2009). Employability skills initiatives in higher education: what effects do they have on graduate labour market outcomes? Education Economics, 17(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09645290802028315
Mendola, M., Minale, L., & Raimundo, I. (2018). Subjective expectations and occupational choices among university students in Mozambique (Issue March).
Mercer, D., & Brown, B. (2010). The Social Shaping of Technology: Lessons for Eco-Innovators. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v16i2.593
Nielsen, J. L., & Andreasen, L. B. (2015). Higher education in Mozambique: A case study. In Democratizing Higher Education: International Comparative Perspectives (Issue July). James Curry Ltd.
Oraison, H. M., Konjarski, L., & Howe, S. T. (2019). Does university prepare students for employment? Alignment between graduate attributes, accreditation requirements and industry employability criteria. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 10(1), 173– 194. https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2019vol10no1art790
Piepiorka, A. (2020). Exploring “Socialist Solidarity” in Higher Education: East German Advisors in Post-Independence Mozambique (1975–1992). In Education and Development in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa (pp. 289–318). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27801-4_11
Popov, O., & Manuel, A. (2016). Vocational Literacy in Mozambique: Historical Development, Current Challenges and Contradictions. Literacy and Numeracy Studies, 24(1), 23– 42. https://doi.org/10.5130/lns.v24i1.4899
Rosenbaum, D. (2017). Planned organisational change management - forward to the past? An exploratory literature review. Journal of Organizational Change Management, Accepted f.
Ruth, C. (2020). The Role of Competency in Curbing Youth Unemployment: Competencybased Curriculum Approach. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 8(4), 33– 37. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v8i4.3343
Santos, R., & Jones, S. (2019). Employment expectations of university students in Mozambique – results from a baseline survey.
SHI HONGJUN, WANG JIE, HU BENHAN, & HAN YANG. (2024). The Influence of Students Academic Performance on Their Employability in the Field of Education. British Journal of Teacher Education and Pedagogy, 3(2), 113–139. https://doi.org/10.32996/bjtep.2024.3.2.10
Stanton, W. W., & Stanton, A. D. (2020). Helping Business Students Acquire the Skills Needed for a Career in Analytics: A Comprehensive Industry Assessment of Entry‐Level Requirements. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 18(1), 138–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12199
SUPIOT, A. (2020). The tasks ahead of the ILO at its centenary. International Labour Review, 159(1), 117– 136. https://doi.org/10.1111/ilr.12164
Teichler, U. (2009). Higher Education and the World of Work: Conceptual Frameworks, Comparative Perspectives, Empirical Findings. Sense Publishers.
Teichler, U. (2017). Internationalisation Trends in Higher Education and the Changing Role of International Student Mobility. Journal of International Mobility, N° 5(1), 177–216. https://doi.org/10.3917/jim.005.0179
Tholen, G. (2022). Earnings. In Modern Work and the Marketisation of Higher Education (pp. 91–100). Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447355298.ch008
Tomlinson, M. (2012). Graduate Employability: A Review of Conceptual and Empirical Themes. Higher Education Policy, 25(4), 407–431. https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2011.26
Tomlinson, M. (2017). Introduction: Graduate Employability in Context: Charting a Complex, Contested and Multi-Faceted Policy and Research Field. In Graduate Employability in Context (pp. 1–40). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57168-7_1
Verma, S., Gautam, R., Pandey, S., Mishra, A., & Shukla, S. (2017). Sampling typology and techniques. 5, 298–301.
Videira, P., & Teixeira, P. N. (2020). Higher Education Systems and Institutions, Mozambique. In The International Encyclopedia of Higher Education Systems and Institutions (pp. 1316–1320). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8905-9_463
USAID, (2024), USAID Higher Education for career development initiative
World Bank. (2019). No Title. Informal Firms in Mozambique: Status and Potential, 33.
Copyright (c) 2025 Saul Machava, Kidega Charles, Ibeakamma Chinazaekpere Ugochinyere
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
