TVET Graduates’ Tracer Study and Employability in Ghana

Purpose: This study examines the employment status and factors influencing TVET graduate employability. Design/Methodology/Approach: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A 46-item structured questionnaire was randomly administered online to participants to collect data. A total of 374 responses were obtained from the survey. A descriptive and inferential model was adopted to analyse the empirical data. Findings: This study revealed that 69.50% of TVET graduates had employment. Of these, 24.20% had permanent jobs, 39.20% were self-employed, and 36.60% had part-time or contract positions. The study also found that 58.50% of employed graduates worked in TVET organisations, while 41.5% worked in non-TVET-related organisations. The private sector was the primary employer of TVET graduates, while the government sector employed 29.60%. Research Limitation: This study examined graduates of technical and vocational programmes at Kumasi Technical University from 2015 to 2021. The low response rate, however, may have impacted the inferences drawn from the survey data. Practical Implication: This study has implications for understanding the educational and employment experiences of graduates from technical universities in Ghana. Social Implication: This study aims to help stakeholders at technical universities develop policies to address infrastructure and skills gaps that impact the employability of TVET graduates. Originality/Value: This study used an inferential model to examine factors affecting graduates’ employability and satisfaction levels in Ghana's higher technical and vocational education.