Higher Education and Graduate Employment in South Africa

Developments in the South African higher education system designed to establish employability as a prominent element in good quality higher education are reviewed. A case study was carried out in three universities in South Africa, one Historically White Afrikaans, another Historically White English and the third Historically Black University. For students, employability, in the sense of post-graduation employment rates, is an important indicator of quality. Faculty deans, in principle, share this notion, but the findings indicate that actions to enhance student employability are uneven and often lackadaisical. A more robust and proactive approach is encouraged if universities are to satisfy students' expectations that a study programme should lead to some form of employment and, in so doing, defend themselves against competition from the technikon sector.