Employers’ Expectations, Perceived Skill Gaps, and Remedial Actions for Graduate Employability: Evidence from Selected Information Technology Companies in Lagos State

This study examined employers’ perspectives on graduate employability in the Information Technology (IT) industry. The descriptive research design and purposive sampling techniques were used in this study. The participants included eighteen (18) employers of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) interns in Lagos State, across four different careers, which are Human Resource management, software development, digital marketing, and user experience design. The data collection was done via semi structured interview, and responses were systematically coded and analyzed. Five (5) research questions were raised and answered using the qualitative data analysis computer software package, NVivo. The themes that emanated from the analysis are: expected employability skills; perceived skill gaps; causes and effects of prevalent skill gaps; role perception; and recommendations on remedial actions. The results revealed a misalignment between employers’ expectations and the skills interns presented. It was concluded that a lacuna exists between industry requirements and the current employability skills possessed by interns. This study recommended that government and higher institutions should actively work to improve graduate employability through industry partnerships, and regular curriculum update.