| Peer-Reviewed

Competencies of A’ Level Graduates as Future Labor Market Participants in Uganda

Received: 12 July 2023    Accepted: 31 July 2023    Published: 15 August 2023
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This study examined the current state of competencies of A' Level graduates in Uganda compared with the views of the desired competencies in line with society's needs and the world of work to guide the future A ‘level transformation. The study employed a mixed-methods approach and a cross-sectional survey design, involving various stakeholders, including university registrars, lecturers, human resource officers of different institutions, A' Level leavers, parents/sponsors, and other officials involved in training A ‘level students’ completion. The study shows that A' Level graduates have deficits of desired competencies in line with society's needs and the world of work. The study reveals that A' Level graduates have expanded general knowledge of national and global issues and learn new concepts faster, but they lack creativity, hands-on practical skills and generic competencies. Contrarily, the society and the world of work believes that the A ‘Level leavers are not prepared to using the possessed theoretical knowledge in practice and are not grounded with critical thinking, creativity, ICT, communication, problem-solving skills, positive attitude towards vocational/hands-on work, resilience, and honesty. The study recommends a review of Uganda's A' Level curriculum that will focus on acquiring practical experiences through competence-based training, improving communication, ICT, business, and entrepreneurship skills, and incorporating vocational education to probably lead to the lessening of competence gap.

Published in Journal of Human Resource Management (Volume 11, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14
Page(s) 109-121
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

A’ Level Curriculum, Desired Competences, World of Work, Vocational Skills

References
[1] Abelha et al. (2020). Graduate Employability and Competence Development in Higher.
[2] Education—A Systematic Literature Review Using PRISMA, Sustainability, 12 (15), 5900.
[3] Alemiga, R. R., & Kibukamusoke, J. W. (2019). Parental Involvement in Children’s Education: A Case of Primary Schools in Wakiso District, Uganda. Journal of Education and Practice, 10 (10), 1-8.
[4] Amin (2005). Social Science Research, Conception, Methodology, and Analysis. Kampala: Makerere University Press.
[5] Atwebembeire, J., & Malunda, D. (2019). The impact of parental involvement on children's academic achievement in primary schools: a case of selected schools in Kasese District. African Educational Research Journal, 7 (1), 1-10.
[6] Bagonza, J. (2015). The influence of parental involvement on the academic performance of children at primary level in Kabale municipality, Uganda. Master's thesis, Makerere University.
[7] Belwal, R., Khan, R., Dar, M. A., & Maqbool, N. (2017). The effect of parental involvement on academic achievement of students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 4 (1), 270-274.
[8] Brown, P. (2014). The global auction: The broken promises of education, jobs, and incomes. Oxford University Press.
[9] Chua, B. H. (2019). Singapore's A-level curriculum reform: A case study in competence-based education. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 51 (5), 652-668.
[10] Buller, J. L., & McEvoy, C. D. (2012). Parental involvement in elementary children's education: A critical race theory analysis. The Journal of Educational Research, 105 (4), 245-257.
[11] Bwiruka, V. A., Lugalla, J. B., & Kamuzora, F. (2021). Effect of parental involvement on academic performance of students in public primary schools in rural Tanzania. International Journal of Education and Research, 9 (3), 111-124.
[12] Byamugisha, J., Shamchiyeva, L. and Kizu, T. (2014). Labour market transitions of young women and men in Uganda. ILO.
[13] Choi, Y. (2020). The effects of parental involvement on academic achievement: Evidence from Korea. International Journal of Educational Development, 74, 102185.
[14] Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, & Mixed methods approaches. Los Angeles: Sage.
[15] Deaconu, A., Cristea, M., & Rusu, A. (2014). The influence of parental involvement on academic achievement. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 128, 141-146.
[16] Dekeyser, S. (2007). The cognitive-contextual framework of language acquisition. In Theories in second language acquisition (pp. 68-88). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[17] Denscombe, M. (2014). The Good Research Guide: For small-scale social research projects. London: Mc-Graw Hill.
[18] Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Collier Books.
[19] du Preez, M., van der Merwe, L. J. and Swart, S. B. (2019). Employability skills: What is required of consumer sciences graduates? Journal of Consumer Sciences, 47.
[20] Dunbar, R. I., Kaskatis, K., MacDonald, I., & Barra, V. (2016). Performance of music elevates pain threshold and positive affect: implications for the evolutionary function of music. Evolutionary psychology, 14 (1), 1474704916630268.
[21] FUE. (2011). Forest and the Environment: The Benefits of Forests. Forests for the Future.
[22] García-álvarez, J., Pacheco, P., Llorente-Cejudo, M. C., Delgado-Rodríguez, M., Martín- González, M., & García-Ortega, P. (2022). Psychological well-being and its association with socio-demographic and clinical factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11 (1), 118.
[23] Gawrycka, M. Kujawska, J. T. and Tomczak, M. (2020). Competencies of graduates as future labour market participants–preliminary study. 0-0. Economic research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 33 (1).
[24] Gichuru, M. G., Kilonzo, K. G., & Ndung'u, P. W. (2021). Adoption of e-learning in Kenya: A case of higher education institutions in Nairobi County. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18 (1), 28.
[25] Gorman, G. E. and Clayton, P. (2005). Qualitative Research for the Information Professional: A Practical Handbook. London: Facet Publishing.
[26] Guàrdia, L. Mancini, F. Jacobetty, P. and Maina, M. (2021). Graduates' employability skills in East Africa. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 12 (2), 169-184.
[27] Hadullo, K. (2021). Institutional factors influencing teachers’ professional development in Kenyan secondary schools. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 9 (3), 161-169.
[28] Hurlimann, A., March, S., & Robins, G. (2013). Using social network analysis to evaluate health-related adaptation decision-making in Cambodia. PloS one, 8 (8), e71261.
[29] Jones, R., Voorhees, R., & Paulson, G. (2002). A comparison of two methods of teaching business statistics. Journal of Education for Business, 77 (4), 193-198.
[30] Kim, H. J. (2015). An investigation of the relationship between pre-service teachers’ perception of problem-solving ability and math anxiety. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 11 (1), 1-11.
[31] Kothari, C. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques.
[32] Kulkarni, P. M., & Chachadi, A. (2014). Assessment of groundwater quality in and around Khanapur village of Belgaum district, Karnataka, India. International Journal of Environmental Sciences, 4 (1), 54-64.
[33] Lippman, L., Ryberg, R., Carney, R. and Moore, K. (2015). Key “Soft Skills” that Foster Youth Workforce Success: Toward a Consensus Across Fields. FHI 360, Child Trends. Published through the Workforce Connections project manage. Washington, DC: USAID.
[34] Low, M., Botes, V. and Dela, R. D. (2016). Accounting employers’ expectations – the ideal accounting graduates. E-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching, 10 (1), 36–57.
[35] Matovu, F. (2018). The role of teacher motivation in successful implementation of inclusive education. International Journal of Education and Practice, 6 (1), 25-32.
[36] McClarty, K. L. (2015). Attitudes and beliefs of early childhood pre-service teachers about diversity: a qualitative study. Journal of Education and Learning, 4 (2), 81-94.
[37] Ministry of Education and Sports. (2019). Lower Secondary Curriculum. Kampala, Uganda: Ministry of Education and Sports.
[38] Ministry of Education and Sports, Uganda. (n. d.). Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education. Retrieved from http://www.education.go.ug/index.php/uganda-advanced-certificate-of-education-uace
[39] Misbah, M., Gulikers, J., Dharma, S., & Mulder, M. (2020). How video feedback can enhance the feedback experience of novice teachers: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 29, 100299.
[40] Misbah, M., Gulikers, J., Dharma, S., & Mulder, M. (2020). Effects of teacher video feedback on the feedback acceptance, self-efficacy and instructional skills of novice teachers: A quasi-experimental study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 88, 102957.
[41] MoES. (2019). Education sector strategic plan (ESSP) 2018-2022. Ministry of Education and Sports.
[42] Morsy, H., & Mukasa, A. (2019). Youth jobs, skill and educational mismatches in Africa.
[43] Mugenda, O. M. and Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Nairobi: Acts Press.
[44] Mulder, M. (2019). Foundations of competence-based vocational education and training. Handbook of vocational education and training, 1-26.
[45] Mwakali, J. A. and Byaruhanga, J. N. (2018). Human Resources and Oil in Uganda: An Analysis of Uganda’s Human Resource Development for the Oil Sector.
[46] Nagarajan, S., & Edwards, J. (2014). Is the graduate attributes approach sufficient to develop work ready graduates?. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 5 (1), 12-28.
[47] Nankabirwa, E. (2016). Effects of unemployment to the attitude of youths towards education in Kampala (Doctoral dissertation, Makerere University).
[48] Ndagije, E. M. (2019). Implications of youth unemployment on Uganda’s National Security (Doctoral dissertation, Makerere University).
[49] Nederstigt, W., & Mulder, M. (2011). Competence Based Education in Indonesia: Evaluating the Matrix of Competence-Based Education in Indonesian Higher Education.
[50] Nganga, G. (2014). Employers need graduates to be taught vital soft skills. A paper presented at the Policy Research for Development’s (REPOA) 23rd Annual Research Workshop, held in Dar es Salaam from 4 to 5 April. Dar es Salaam.
[51] NPA (2020). NDP III National Planning Authority. Kampala: National Planning Authority.
[52] Nshimiyimana, P. (2017). The challenges and solutions to youth unemployment in Africa.
[53] Oryem-Origa, H. (2015). The effect of the introduction of Subsidiary Mathematics on the performance of students in A' level Physics: A case of selected schools in Arua District, Uganda. Journal of Education and Practice, 6 (34), 91-98.
[54] Okello-Obura, C., & Kibirige, I. (2015). A comparative study of the performance of students in Mathematics and Subsidiary Mathematics in Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations. Journal of Mathematics Education, 8 (2), 84-95.
[55] Ozturk, I. (2001). The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Theoretical Perspective. SSRN Electronic Journal.
[56] Palmer, P. J. (2017). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life. John Wiley & Sons.
[57] Pang, E., and Hung, H. (2012). Designing and evaluating a personal skill development programme for management education. Journal of College Teaching and Learning (Online), 9 (3), 159.
[58] Pang, E., Wong, M., Leung, C. H. and Coombes, J. (2020). Competencies for fresh graduates’ success at work: Perspectives of employers. Industry and Higher Education, 33 (1), 55-65.
[59] Ponge, A. (2013). Graduate unemployment and unemployability in Kenya: Transforming university education to cope with market demands and the lessons for Africa. International Journal of Social Science Tomorrow, 2 (3), 1-12.
[60] Poon, J. (2014). Do real estate courses sufficiently develop graduates’ employability skills?
[61] Perspectives from multiple stakeholders. Education þ Training, 56 (6), 562–581.
[62] Reinikka, R. and Svensson, J. (2011). The power of information in public services: Evidence from education in Uganda. Journal of Public Economics, 95 (7-8), 956-966.
[63] Ruth, C., & Ramadas, V. (2019). The" Africanized" Competency-Based Curriculum: The Twenty-First Century Strides. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 7 (4), 46-51.
[64] Sifuna, D. N., & Obonyo, M. M. (2019). Competency Based Curriculum in Primary Schools in Kenya-Prospects and Challenges of Implementation. Journal of Popular Education in Africa, 3 (7), 39-50.
[65] Ssekamwa, J. C. (1997). History and development of education in Uganda. Kampala: Fountain Pub Limited. Stewart et al., 2016.
[66] Stewart, C., Wall, A. and Marciniec, S. (2016). Mixed signals: do college graduates have the soft skills that employers want? Competition Forum, 14 (2), 276–281.
[67] Stuckart, D. W., & Rogers, J. D. (2017). Dewey, technological thinking and the social studies: The intelligent use of digital tools and artifacts. European Scientific Journal, 13 (SE), 147-162.
[68] Thipatdee, G. (2021). The Development of English Competency-Based Curriculum Integrated with Local Community for High School Students. Journal of Education and Learning, 10 (1), 39-46.
[69] UBOS. (2017). Statistical Abstract 2016. Adapted from http://www. ubos. org.
[70] Waller, G., Walsh, K. D. S., & Wright, C. (2016). Impact of education on clinicians' attitudes to exposure therapy for eating disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 76, 76-80.
[71] Wamala, R., Tagoole, A. and Omala, S. K. (2013). Do Graduates of General Education in Uganda possess Vocational skills? Makerere Journal of Higher Education, 5 (1), 49-65.
[72] Williams, A., Nangia, N., & Bowman, S. R. (2017). A broad-coverage challenge corpus for sentence understanding through inference. arXiv preprint arXiv: 1704.05426.
[73] Winterton, J. (2017). Competence-based vocational and professional education (p. 1). M. Mulder (Ed.). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.
[74] World Bank (2020). World Bank data set on unemployment in Uganda. Accessed on 3rd February 2021. World Bank.
[75] Zanville, H. (2020). Reflections on Education in a New Era of Work and Learning. New Directions for Community Colleges. 189, 83-94.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Seezi Bogere, Gregory Tweheyo, Myers Mumanyire. (2023). Competencies of A’ Level Graduates as Future Labor Market Participants in Uganda. Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(3), 109-121. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Seezi Bogere; Gregory Tweheyo; Myers Mumanyire. Competencies of A’ Level Graduates as Future Labor Market Participants in Uganda. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 2023, 11(3), 109-121. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Seezi Bogere, Gregory Tweheyo, Myers Mumanyire. Competencies of A’ Level Graduates as Future Labor Market Participants in Uganda. J Hum Resour Manag. 2023;11(3):109-121. doi: 10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14,
      author = {Seezi Bogere and Gregory Tweheyo and Myers Mumanyire},
      title = {Competencies of A’ Level Graduates as Future Labor Market Participants in Uganda},
      journal = {Journal of Human Resource Management},
      volume = {11},
      number = {3},
      pages = {109-121},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jhrm.20231103.14},
      abstract = {This study examined the current state of competencies of A' Level graduates in Uganda compared with the views of the desired competencies in line with society's needs and the world of work to guide the future A ‘level transformation. The study employed a mixed-methods approach and a cross-sectional survey design, involving various stakeholders, including university registrars, lecturers, human resource officers of different institutions, A' Level leavers, parents/sponsors, and other officials involved in training A ‘level students’ completion. The study shows that A' Level graduates have deficits of desired competencies in line with society's needs and the world of work. The study reveals that A' Level graduates have expanded general knowledge of national and global issues and learn new concepts faster, but they lack creativity, hands-on practical skills and generic competencies. Contrarily, the society and the world of work believes that the A ‘Level leavers are not prepared to using the possessed theoretical knowledge in practice and are not grounded with critical thinking, creativity, ICT, communication, problem-solving skills, positive attitude towards vocational/hands-on work, resilience, and honesty. The study recommends a review of Uganda's A' Level curriculum that will focus on acquiring practical experiences through competence-based training, improving communication, ICT, business, and entrepreneurship skills, and incorporating vocational education to probably lead to the lessening of competence gap.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Competencies of A’ Level Graduates as Future Labor Market Participants in Uganda
    AU  - Seezi Bogere
    AU  - Gregory Tweheyo
    AU  - Myers Mumanyire
    Y1  - 2023/08/15
    PY  - 2023
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14
    T2  - Journal of Human Resource Management
    JF  - Journal of Human Resource Management
    JO  - Journal of Human Resource Management
    SP  - 109
    EP  - 121
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2331-0715
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jhrm.20231103.14
    AB  - This study examined the current state of competencies of A' Level graduates in Uganda compared with the views of the desired competencies in line with society's needs and the world of work to guide the future A ‘level transformation. The study employed a mixed-methods approach and a cross-sectional survey design, involving various stakeholders, including university registrars, lecturers, human resource officers of different institutions, A' Level leavers, parents/sponsors, and other officials involved in training A ‘level students’ completion. The study shows that A' Level graduates have deficits of desired competencies in line with society's needs and the world of work. The study reveals that A' Level graduates have expanded general knowledge of national and global issues and learn new concepts faster, but they lack creativity, hands-on practical skills and generic competencies. Contrarily, the society and the world of work believes that the A ‘Level leavers are not prepared to using the possessed theoretical knowledge in practice and are not grounded with critical thinking, creativity, ICT, communication, problem-solving skills, positive attitude towards vocational/hands-on work, resilience, and honesty. The study recommends a review of Uganda's A' Level curriculum that will focus on acquiring practical experiences through competence-based training, improving communication, ICT, business, and entrepreneurship skills, and incorporating vocational education to probably lead to the lessening of competence gap.
    VL  - 11
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Research, Evaluation and Consultancy, National Curriculum Development Centre, Kampala, Uganda

  • University Secretary, Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal, Uganda

  • Department of Research, Evaluation and Consultancy, National Curriculum Development Centre, Kampala, Uganda

  • Sections