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Published By ARUA Centre of Excellence for Unemployment and Skills Development Right-Hand Side, First Floor, Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC) Building, Behind Creative Arts Building, Faculty of Social Sciences Premises, University of Lagos, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria i JOURNAL OF AFRICAN EMPLOYMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT (JAEESD) (ISSN: 2805-3524) Publication of the ARUA, Centre of Excellence for Unemployment and Skills Development (ARUA, CoE-USD), University of Lagos, Nigeria JOURNAL DESCRIPTION The Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) is an interdisciplinary, continental, and peer-reviewed Academic and Research Journal with the objective of publishing insightful, persuasive, original articles that have constructive evidence-based analysis on the subject of employment, entrepreneurship, innovation and skills development across the continent of Africa. The ARUA, Centre of Excellence for Unemployment and Skills Development Centre (ARUA, CoE-USD) engenders strong collaboration among researchers and experts in Africa and globally with the primary interest of resolving the menace of unemployment (especially youth unemployment) by leveraging entrepreneurship, innovation, and skills development research outputs to galvanize opportunities for decent jobs in Africa. At present, ARUA, CoE-USD is funded by the UKRI through the Partnership, Research, and Capacity-Building for Youth Unemployment Solutions in Africa (PRAC-4-YUSA). The Centre is passionate about researches that explore methods and techniques that can equip the African youth and its entire populace with the indispensable and phenomenal innovative skills, risk taking abilities, creativity and business management skills that will help African youth become employers of labour rather than employees of labour. AIMS AND SCOPE It is the aim of JAEESD to publish articles that focus on deepening understanding of the youth unemployment crisis in Africa, with strong research outputs that proffer innovative policy solutions while leveraging the tools of entrepreneurship and innovation for enhanced skills development across the continent of Africa. JAEESD accepts rigorous research papers, case studies, research letters and research notes that are qualitative or quantitative and examine any of the following areas of research focus:  Unemployment in Africa  Youth unemployment in Africa  Entrepreneurship, skills development, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  Innovation and Technopreneurship  International entrepreneurship, business development, and born global  Family business, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and gender entrepreneurship  Micro financing, angel financing, and Venture Capital  Social entrepreneurship and informal sector  Employment relations, Graduate unemployment, and Talent Management  Agropreneurship, Healthpreneurship, and Artpreneurship  Future of Work and Decent Jobs  The 4th Industrial Revolution MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS v Table of Content Underdevelopment, unemployment, migration, and racism: The nexus Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ani 1 - 11 Insurance and youth unemployment in Nigeria: A take-away from the #EndSars protest Joyce Odiachi and Sunday Adebisi 12 - 21 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and undergraduate employability in Nigeria: A case study of the University of Lagos, Nigeria Oluwatosin Wuraola and Hussein AbdulAzeez 22 - 38 Agropreneurial value chain creation: Small and medium scale industrial production of fragrances from indegenously cultivated plants Olayinka Asekun and Foluso Agunbiade 39 - 48 Innovation and youth employment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does educational qualitymatter? Abidemi Adegboye and Samson Ojo 49 - 67 Employability measures and enhancing young adults in the labour market: Insights from the University of Lagos, Nigeria Oyekunle Yinusa and Adeku Ohiani 68 - 82 Student engagement in entrepreneurship education programs: Implications for entrepreneurial skills development in universities Ayodele Shittu; Bukola Amao-Taiwo; & Geraldine Ekpe-Iko 83 - 98 Polygamy and family business in Nigeria Oluwabunmi Adejumo, Akinyemi, F. O., Obisanya, J. F., Akinbami, C. A. O., & Jiboye, T. F. 99 - 115 Why we defy the law to remain in urban space: Street traders and the struggle for survival in Lagos Adebowale Ayobade & Waziri Adisa 116 - 138 Intellectual property: Protection, legal framework, and national policies for enterprise and job creation for the youths in Africa Ifeoma Ann Oluwasemilore 139 - 153 Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 68 EMPLOYABILITY MEASURES AND ENHANCING YOUNG ADULTS IN THE LABOUR MARKET: INSIGHTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS, NIGERIA Oyekunle Yinusa & Adeku Salihu Ohiani Department of Adult Education, University of Lagos, Nigeria Department of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Nigeria Corresponding Email: yoyekunle@unilag.edu.ng Abstract Nigerian higher education has not been adequately producing graduates with the required knowledge, skills and attitude (KSA) necessary to function effectively in the labour market. This has further added pressure on higher institutions to focus more attention on the improvement in employability of young graduates. Hence, the paper seeks to examine employability measures at higher education that could enhance young adults for the 21st century world of work. Six research questions were raised and answered using focus group discussions and interviews with stakeholders in the higher education institution with reference to the University of Lagos, Nigeria. A desk review method was employed to gather secondary data for the discussion of the following concepts: employability; employability at higher education and labour market level; policies and strategies for employability in Nigeria; and practices and actions that support employability of students and graduates in higher education in Nigeria. Findings reveal that employability measures that influence policies in higher education are: 1) directives by the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the incorporation of entrepreneurship education in the university education curriculum; 2) the Nigerian Labour Act regulations on recruitment of young persons; 3) the National Policy on Education (NPE); and 4) the National Employment Policy of Nigeria (2002), outlined employability agenda in higher education. In the instance of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, employability measures put in place include: job placement programmes through the counselling units; entrepreneurial skills training for students through the entrepreneurship and skills development centre; resuscitation of graduate assistantship programmes; students’ industrial work experience; teaching practice programmes; and the internship programme. However, in respect of curriculum delivery, it is revealed that it tends towards the theoretical rather than the practical approach to deliver a better programme implementation, which is not the best in terms of inclusivity and fair connection with the labour market. Nationally, there is a great challenge in the disparity between employers’ and graduates’ views on employability and incorrect implementation of policies and programmes. It is recommended, therefore, that there is a need for relevance in programme implementation, domestication of the CareerEdge Model, and the correct practical approaches to ensure that national policies and university learning experiences support graduates’ transition towards the labour market. Keywords: Employability, Transitions, CareerEdge Model, Competences, Labour market Introduction Education, and higher institutions of learning in particular, is an instrumental device par excellence towards national development. It is the key to unlocking potentials, capacities, skills and expertise of individuals to bring about cultural, socio-economic and political transformation for national development. Higher education is that aspect of education for developing high-level skilled manpower to meet the demands of the global market. The government of Nigeria at the federal level, through the Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 69 National Policy on Education (NPE, 2013) emphasized the purpose of higher education in preparing young adults for sustainable employment in the labour market, locally and globally. This is achievable by enhancing the competencies and lifelong learning skills required to fit into the world of work (Lees, 2002). Globally, higher institutions of learning are supposed to be at the centre stage of human-capacity development. However, the university education system in Nigeria currently seems not to be producing graduates with employable and essential skills (Abiodun-Oyebanji & Omojola, 2018; Pitan, 2017). This is traceable to reasons such as the inability of university education to integrate curricula to the present skill demands of the knowledge-driven economy, and the theoretical approach to teaching and training which has made their graduates poorly-prepared and equipped for the world of work (Rufai, Bakar & Rashid, 2015). Nigerian graduates need employability skills to aid their smooth transition from the academic environment to the labour market, especially with the increasing effects of globalization, demographic changes, and the rapid rate of technological development at the work place. According to Weligamage (2009) and Oliver (2015), employability skills are indispensable qualities for securing employment, sustenance and career progression. Also, employability skills are a set of personal attributes and competences required to enhance individual capacity towards gaining employment, and to be successful in a chosen field or occupation (Yorke & Knight, 2006). For this reason, a skilled individual delivers certain benefits to the workforce, the society and the nation at large. These skills include but are not limited to: leadership skills, adaptability skills, effective communication, problem solving, interpersonal relationships, creativity, innovative, information technology skills, team work, emotional intelligence, and presentation skills (Finch, Hamilton, Riley & Zehner, 2013). A dearth of employability skills could reduce Nigerian graduates’ chances of securing and sustaining jobs. The inability to secure jobs by graduates of the Nigerian university is not limited to the inaccessibility or lack of jobs, but is also as a result of the inadequate employability skills of graduates as desired by employers (Emeh, Nwanguma & Abaroh, 2012; Pitan, 2015). In the opinion of Akanmu (2011), many graduates who are in search of jobs are not gainfully employed, and for those who are able to secure employment, their employers tend to have serious concerns about their competence and skills for the jobs. Consequently, as argued in the literature, skills mismatch is one of the factors that has reduced employability of Nigerian graduates. Skills mismatch among employed young graduates is at 60.6% (Pitan & Adedeji, 2012). They stressed further that these young graduates are found deficient in critical thinking, effective communication, information technology-IT, effective decision-making, interpersonal networking and relationships, entrepreneurial mindset, technical and proficiency skills. To buttress this argument further, Dabalen, Oni and Adekola (2001) lamented the high level of skills disparity among employed graduates and the labour market that has rendered many Nigerian graduates unemployable. Employability Model The theoretical framework adopted goes a long way in enhancing employability of graduates. Theories on employability include: graduate employability development theory developed by Harvey (2003); theory on the relationship among job transitions, movement capital and perceived employability developed by Forrier, Verbruggen and De Cuyper (2015); USEM theory developed by Knight and Yorke (2003); and CareerEDGE theory of graduate employability propounded by Pool and Sewell (2007). However, the focus is on the CareerEDGE Model, because it has been adjudged as one of the best theories, contributing immensely to the development of employability studies, as demonstrated in Figure 1. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 70 Figure 1: CareerEDGE model Source: Pool and Sewell (2007) CareerEDGE theory combines all the key features of USEM theory on employability skills. The model presents important variables or concepts in a lucid and simplified manner. Pool and Sewell (2007) aver that CareerEDGE model shows a practical summary of the underlying factors that are relevant for employability skills development. The theory identifies five critical stages that follow a bottom-up approach in building the employability process. At the first stage are: career development learning, work-life experience, degree subject, knowledge, skills and understanding, emotional intelligence, values and enterprise skills. Stage two exemplifies deep reflection and evaluation of the skills acquired in stage one. The third stage is the self-efficacy and self-confidence that will be developed through the reflection process, which will translate to enhancing individual self-esteem at the fourth stage. The final stage is the build-up of the employability skills through the experiences and skills acquired. CareerEDGE model discusses methods by which graduates’ unemployment could be reduced if it is incorporated into the university curriculum and strategic plans. Few researches have been done on policies and programmes and the institutional framework that enhances employability of graduates in Nigeria. This study, therefore, focuses on policies, laws, programmes and strategies that could help reduce graduate unemployability in the fast-changing knowledge and technology driven labour market. Statement of Problem Higher education institutions in Nigeria have been criticized over their inability to produce top graduates needed for the modern world of work. This is attributed to reasons such as inability to integrate employability related measures into the curriculum, dearth of effective implementation of education-specific programmes on employability, and a lack of institutional frameworks to influence employability of graduates, among others. This has resulted in persistent increases in the unemployment rate in the country, which has heightened issues of poverty, the youth dependency ratio, social menace, and delinquent behaviour in the country. In light of these challenges, this paper investigates policies and practices that can enhance employability of young graduates at higher education level in Nigeria. Research Objective The major objective of this research is to examine measures that enhance graduates’ employability at the higher education level so as to ensure effective transition from the academic environment (higher education) to the labour market in Nigeria. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 71 Research Questions This study is guided by the following questions: i. What are the policy initiatives that influence employability measures in institutions of higher learning in Nigeria? ii. What relationship exists between the theories or models of employability and strategies at national level? iii. In Nigeria, what are the policy documents that highlight the employability agenda in institution of higher learning? iv. What are the educational activities and specific programmes that have been implemented at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, to enhance employability of students in the world of work? v. How are the programmes carried out at the university boosting students’ employability? Are the related measures in tandem with the curriculum or services offered by the university? vi. What is the outcome of educational programmes on young adults’ employability development? Methodology This paper adopts the case study approach of qualitative method by investigating the national policies, laws and institutional frameworks, and educational actions and programmes that support employability of young graduates. The focus group discussion and interview were conducted with stakeholders in the higher education institution (University of Lagos, Nigeria). The interview was carried out with the support of fellow researchers, majorly from the Adult Education Department and Business Administration Department, both in the University of Lagos. Their engagement allowed for contact and communication between the researchers and the stakeholders (staff of the Academic and Research Unit, staff of Students Affairs Division, staff of Counselling Unit; undergraduate and post-graduate students) in the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Two (2) staff members were interviewed per unit/division, and two (2) undergraduate and postgraduate students from each faculty (six faculties) were interviewed. In all, 18 participants were interviewed. The interview scheduled for students was based on those students that participated in some specific programmes at the university. A thorough review of available empirical and conceptual literature was done to ensure a robust discussion of the findings of the study. Literature Review Concept of Employability The term employability has been subjected to numerous studies (Chandrasiri, 2008; De la Harpe, Radloff & Wyber, 2000; Finch, Hamilton, Riley & Zehner, 2013; Hillage & Pollard, 1998; Knight & Yorke, 2004; Pool & Sewell, 2007; Sumanasiri, Yajid & Khatibi, 2015; Wickramasighe & Perera, 2010). This shows that the concept and discussion of employability is not new. In this regard, employability is described as an array of related knowledge, such as skills, values and personal attributes, that increase graduates’ chances of securing employment in a competitive labour market. It is worthy to note that the body of associated knowledge also supports the success of an individual’s career progression in any field of endeavour, which ultimately benefits the labour force (employees), the society, and the entire economy of a nation (Yorke & Knight, 2006). Though, there seems to be the public opinion that employability is about being employed, for clarity, Harvey (2003) opined that there is more to employability than getting employed. Employability connotes developing critical and innovative abilities in order to empower learners for self-development. Employability, therefore, is expected to be competency based. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 72 Studies on the employability of university graduates from higher education (academic environment) to the labour market revealed the varying perceptions of people about the concept, which has led to different understandings (Knight & Yorke, 2003; Pool & Sewell, 2007; Pitan, 2017). In view of this, employability is not an end in itself, and cannot be achieved just by the possession of employable attributes and skills by young graduates. Specific attention must be paid to the internal support systems of the institution, such as the faculty, curriculum, and initiatives, as well as employer-university relationships in meeting the demands and expectations of the labour market. Evidence suggests that higher education has failed drastically in the pursuit of enhancing graduates’ employability through to the labour force, owing to the curriculum and educational activities not being tailored towards the present demands of the society (Sumanasiri et al., 2015). This has heightened youth unemployment in the global arena. Employability Measures and Enhancing Young Adults in the Labour Market The economic situation in Nigeria that leads to the unemployment of many university graduates became noticeable from the 1980s and continued into to the 21st century (Anayochukwu & Patrictia, 2014; Eneji, Mai-Lafia & Weiping, 2013). The problem of unemployable graduate emanates from the educational process which young adults underwent during their university education (Sodipo, 2014). There is no doubt that higher education institutions in Nigeria, and the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the regulating body, have fantastic educational programmes and curricula that actually support employability of young adults towards the labour market; however, the implementation process of these programmes and educational actions seems ineffective and unsustainable. The approach to teaching the curriculum appears theoretical in nature rather than being practical and learner centred. Lees (2002) argued that to make the teaching of the curriculum worthwhile and effective, it has to be learner centred and practically oriented. Similarly, Rufai et al. (2015) stressed that the mode of delivering the curriculum and training in higher education is no longer relevant to the current societal and economic realities, thereby leading to production of unemployable graduates in Nigeria. If the implementation process in a system is wrong, the product of the system is equally believed to be half-baked. It is a law of garbage in, garbage out. This serves as a major cause of the inability of higher education institutions to produce employable graduates required for the dynamic knowledge economy. To corroborate this assertion, evidence suggests that there are over 40 million unemployed youths in the country, out of which 23 million are unemployable owing to inadequate skills required for gainful employment, which should have been acquired while in higher education institutions (Emeh et al., 2012; Pitan, 2017). Also, Mahmood (2014) argued that of over 300,000 graduates that are released to the labour market annually, about 70% to 80% of them are either unemployed or underemployed. The unemployment rate in Nigeria for 2017 is revealed in figure 2. Figure 2: Unemployment rates in Nigeria as at 2017 Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 73 Source: National Bureau of Statistics (2017) Figure 2 reveals how the unemployment rate and labour force population increased at every quarter of the year 2017. In addition, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) (2018) revealed that the unemployment rate increased by 3.3 million in the third quarter of 2017 from 17.6 million to 20.9 million. The report claims that in the third quarter of 2017 there was an increase from 18.8% to 23.1%. The issue of unemployment among youths is enough to wreak havoc on the economic viability of the nation (Yinusa, Bakare, Adebisi & Jegede, 2020). This assertion clearly indicates that domestic labour is fragile and economic growth has not been strong enough to provide adequate employment in Nigeria’s domestic labour market. Also, the statistics displayed here show that Nigeria has not done enough to salvage the issue of unemployment and employability of graduates, despite the laudable work and several supportive initiatives implemented in the past. Many young Nigerian graduates are of the belief that university education is about acquiring a certificate (NUC, 2007). This contributes to the reasons why most young graduates do everything possible to get the certificate (i.e., via “read to know” or “sort to pass”) while neglecting the prospect of acquiring the right competences, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values needed to excel in the labour market. In essence, it may not be fair to shift the blame on the young graduates, since higher education institutions over the last two decades have wired them to believe this by shifting attention towards certificate oriented rather than competency and skill oriented education (Pitan, 2017). This contributes more woes to the rate of unemployable graduates in the economy. Phillips Consulting (2014) confirmed this claim by stressing that Nigerian graduates place more importance on certificates than employability skills, and this further worsens their employability in the labour market. Other culpable factors of un-employability of Nigerian graduates with regard to higher education in Nigeria, as revealed by several empirical studies, are: poor synergy between Nigerian universities and the labour market (Pitan, 2017, Philips Consulting, 2014), mismatch in the employability skills instilled in young adults at the university education level, and the employability abilities required by employers of labour (Dabalen et al., 2001). A good and effective collaboration among these bodies could keep university systems abreast with trends of skills, information, practical experiences and competencies needed by the employers of labour to make Nigerian graduates attractive to potential employers. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 74 National and Local Practices That Enhance Employability of Youths There are several national and local programmes targeted towards enhancing the employability of young adults in Nigeria. Some of these initiatives are: National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) The National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), is a medium-term strategy (May, 2003-2007) that was introduced by the Nigerian government in response to the high unemployment rate, grinding debt burden and low industrial productivity in Nigeria (Marcellus, 2009). It is a strategy deployed by the country to reduce poverty towards wealth creation. NEEDS recognizes education as a dynamic transformational tool and a vibrant instrument for increasing young graduates’ employability towards self-reliance. Adeyemo, Ogunleye, Oke and Adenle (2010) claimed that NEEDS goals of wealth creation, jobs creation, poverty reduction, and value re-orientation could only be effectively achieved and sustained via an education system that is efficient. As at March 1999, the unemployed in rural areas was 23.2%, while 12.4% of urban dwellers were without jobs (NBS, 2018). In March 2004, almost a year after NEEDS came on board, there was a decrease of about 12.3% in the rural unemployment rate, while the urban rate dropped to 7.4% from 10.8% (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2020; NBS, 2018). These statistics are terrifying, given the estimated 61 million youths in the Nigerian labour force. Introduction of Entrepreneurship Education Under the leadership of former President Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo with the support of International Labour Organization (ILO, 2001), the government understudied the Nigerian labour market and came up with a strategy to introducing a training module on entrepreneurship education in the curriculum of tertiary education. The rationale behind the introduction is to equip university students with the basic knowledge and skills required for setting up enterprises and to enhance their employability in the labour market. This development led to the creation of entrepreneurial study, skills acquisition, innovation, capacity building, and career advisory centres in the Nigerian higher education system (Adeyemo et al., 2010). The Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) This initiative was established in 2020 by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and is geared towards empowering 500,000 youths in Lagos state with the aim of enhancing innovative skills, employability and enterprise skills of Nigerian youths. The Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in its 2020 report stated that the NYIF scheme is designed to enhance employability skills through training, as well as providing access to funds for enterprise among the Nigeria youth. The N-POWER Programme N-Power programme was established in 2016, and is a large-scale skills development initiative designed by the Federal Government of Nigeria to raise competent youths out of economic and employment struggles (Adi & Ngutor, 2019). N-Power is aimed at tackling youth unemployment by organizing a platform where qualified candidates are provided with opportunities to work in institutions, most especially public organisations. This initiative helps the government to fix the shortfalls in high-level manpower required in the public sector (Nwaobi, 2019). The programme’s structure presents participants with the required competences to become employable in the labour market or, better yet, to create jobs. The programme is geared towards empowering young graduates with practical knowledge, skills, values and experience of the world of work, thereby transforming them into individuals who will be ready for the 21st century labour market (www.npower.gov.ng). Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 75 The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) CV Portal The Nigerian government instituted the NYSC on the 22nd May, 1973, with the principal aim of tackling the issue of inadequate workers in government parastatals and agencies across the nation. The launching of the Curriculum Vitae (CV) web repository and job portal in September 2017 was one of the numerous initiatives by the National Youth Service Corps to improve graduates’ employability in the labour market. The initiative is geared towards creating a link between outgoing corps members (young graduates) looking for white collar jobs, and the employers of labour who are ready to employ and enjoy the services of competent graduates, based on their job specifications. The portal is designed to help graduates become well equipped for employability in the highly competitive labour market. Graduate Employability Programme (GEP) At the state and local government level, the GEP programme was organized with the support of corporate organizations to enhance undergraduates’ and graduates’ employability in the labour market. The conveners of these programmes, with the strong support of their corporate organizations, make provisions for 3-6 months’ students exchange schemes. A good example is the Postgraduate School of Credit and Financial Management (PSCFM) in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, aimed at improving the employability skills of young undergraduate students and graduates in Nigeria. Graduate Internship Programme Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment launched the Graduate Internship Programme in a bid to tackle the unemployment crisis in the state. The programme is a six-month paid internship scheme for young graduates who have been unemployed for a minimum of one year after their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exercise. The programme is designed to offer an opportunity to candidates to develop employability skills which are often required and important in securing employment (http://mactayconsulting.com/lasg-graduate-program/). These numerous programmes and practices have no doubt remarkably achieved their mandate of providing employability skills to young adults and graduates, enabling them to better see and identify opportunities and requirements of the labour market from an entrepreneurial point of view. The initiatives must, therefore, be sustained, and gains of the programmes enhanced through budgetary provisions. Answers to the Research Questions Policy initiatives that influence employability measures in higher institution of learning in Nigeria. National Universities Commission (NUC) Directives for the Incorporation of Entrepreneurship Education in the University Education Curriculum The National Universities Commission gave a directive in 2004 that entrepreneurship education should henceforth be integrated into the university education curriculum in a bid to tackle the scourge of unemployment and dearth of employability skills of young adult in Nigeria. For example, at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, General Studies (GST) 307 (Entrepreneurship Education) is a university-wide course offered to all undergraduate students in higher education in Nigeria. It was part of the strategy to develop entrepreneurship and employability skills among university students before they graduate to the labour market (Department of Adult Education, University of Lagos, Students’ Handbook 2012-2014). However, the approach to the implementation of this course was wrong, the reason being that it was meant to be in alignment with the current issues and problems of industries in Nigeria. The survey Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 76 carried out by Phillips Consulting in 2014 corroborates the claim that there is lack of effective collaboration between higher education and industries as regards the design of a curriculum that will meet current needs in the world of work. Secondly, results from the interviewees show that the teaching of the course was too theoretical, rather being practically oriented. The design of the training modules is abstract in nature and does not afford reflective and practically based learning by the students. In line with the findings, Rooijen (2011) asserts that concerted effort is required by the Nigerian universities to tailor the curriculum to meet market demands. The Nigerian Labour Act Regulation on Recruitment of Young Persons One of the policies that influences strategies in higher education is the regulation on the recruitment of young employees, as contained in the Nigerian Labour Act of 1990. It states: “No recruiter shall recruit any young person: Provided that the Minister may in writing authorize the recruitment of young persons whose apparent age exceeds sixteen years with the consent of the parents or guardian for employment in an occupation appearing to the Minister not to be injurious to their moral or physical development, subject to such safeguards relating to their welfare as may be stated in the authorization” (Nigeria Labour Act, 1990). With the enactment of this regulation, Nigerian higher education institutions had to make it mandatory that any prospective candidate, to be eligible for admission, must be 16 years of age and above by the year of admission. This is to ensure that young persons who are being given admission for a four- or five-years course from age 16 would be fully mature and ready for the labour market from age 21 and above. National Policy on Education (2014) The National Policy on Education (NPE) is a policy guiding educational provision in Nigeria. NPE was promulgated in 1977, it was revised and reprinted in 1981, 1998, 2004, 2007 (Fifth Edition) and 2014 (Sixth Edition). The recent NPE review (2014, 6th edition) emphasized the goal of higher education in equipping young adults with the required skills in the labour market. Section 5 of the NPE policy states that university education shall: a) Provide quality career counselling and lifelong learning programmes that prepare students with the required knowledge, soft skills, and competencies for self-reliance and employability in the world of business. b) Make entrepreneurship skill acquisition a requirement for all universities in Nigeria, etc. According to Evoh and Agu (2015), the employment mapping exercise revealed that the institutional framework of employability policy in Nigeria remains uncoordinated and underdeveloped. Theoretical Dimension of Employability and National Policies A cross-examination of theoretical model of employability and national policies as regards employability of young adults in Nigeria shows that employability in this sense must be employment centred. In the Nigerian context, employability is seen as possessing competences and characteristics which will transform individuals into potential employees for employers (Babalola, 2011). CareerEDGE model emphasizes that employability must be in relation to achieving competencies that will make an individual employable in the world of work. This involves the gathering of learning experiences that will make an individual well qualified for jobs in the labour market. For theoretical frameworks and national policies to work in tandem, the role of individual characteristics coupled with their responsibilities and labour market conditions must be considered. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 77 The main documents outlining employability agenda in Higher Education The National Employment Policy (NEP) of Nigeria (2002), outlined what higher education must do to enhance employability of university students. This is contained in the National Employment Policy Review (2016:28). Objective 2 states: a) To provide education system and training institutes with the labour market demand in Nigeria. b) The higher education institutions in Nigeria should bridge the gap between on-the-job experiential training and classroom education. This is to create opportunities for young people in Nigeria to acquire the necessary skills needed for the world of work. The NUC and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) could, with similar regulatory bodies, be given the opportunity and mandate to facilitate the strategy. c) Charge the Nigerian Ministry of Education to determine workforce requirements of the labour market to enable higher education institutions to align their curricula and training with the labour force demand in order to produce skills and credentials needed by employers in Nigeria, etc. The National Policy on Education, under Section 5, 6th Edition, also enumerates the employability agenda for higher education in Nigeria (NPE, 2014). In addition, the NEEDS stresses the need for higher education institutions to expand capacity to produce high quality manpower, among other strategies (NEEDS, 2007). Educational Actions Implemented in the University of Lagos, Nigeria a. The University of Lagos, Nigeria, established by Act of Parliament in 1962, has a counselling unit that provides counselling services, career services and job placement services to students. Annually, the counselling unit of the university organizes job placement in collaboration with private organizations and corporations for final year students. Examples of companies that have partnered with UNILAG for job placement are KPMG, PZ Cotton, Access Bank Plc, GTB Bank Plc, etc., in Nigeria. However, reports of the interview claimed that the counselling units of the University of Lagos were underutilized by the students, who don’t visit the office when need be. More so, the guidance and counselling units’ staff are not well qualified to handle the job adequately. This report corroborates the findings of Pitan (2017), who opined that where guidance and counselling units exist in the university system, there is underutilization of services by the students. He stressed further that the services rendered by the staff of this unit are substandard to what is expected because they are not being handled by professionals. b. The resuscitation of the Graduate Assistantship Programme in 2015 is a laudable effort by the University of Lagos, Nigeria. This educational action was put on hold in 2007 before it was resuscitated in 2015 during the tenure of the former Vice Chancellor, Professor Rahman Bello. c. The establishment of the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre in 2013 was a giant step by the university management towards enhancing employability of students. Training programmes are organised for students to raise their employability and entrepreneurial competence. d. University debate is an example of a specific programme instituted by the management to support the future career of students. University debate is organized annually to develop potentials in students towards building future careers. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 78 e. Other educational actions implemented in UNILAG are the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), Teaching Practice (TP) programme, and Internship Programme. The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme and Internship Programme are handled by the Central Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit (CILPU), University of Lagos, while the Teaching Practice programme is handled by the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos (www.unilag.edu.ng). These programmes are instituted to enable undergraduate students to prepare for industrial work action so as to acquire practical skills, knowledge, understanding and values which will develop students’ employability skills for the labour market. Unfortunately, these programmes are not yielding the result expected. The experience gained by students during the course of the programmes is insufficient, and sometimes students do not participate in these programmes. Major problems facing the SIWES, TP, and Internship programmes are: rejection of students by organizations for industrial practice, little or no vacancy in organizations, poor supervision of students, and paucity of funds for the programmes (Pitan, 2017; Okechukwu & Robinson, 2011). Specific Programmes Carried out at the University to Boost Students’ Employability Work study programme: The University of Lagos, Nigeria, implemented the ‘Work Study Programme’ for students who are of good academic standing (3.5-5.0 scale). The programme has been running since 2007 and it has helped students to acquire work experience, applied and practical skills, while serving at various units of the university. Qualified students are placed and work at different administrative units of the faculties for a period of two months in a semester. Tutorial programme: This programme was instituted at the university in 2014 and has really enhanced the communication and teaching skills of students. Mostly, students who are academically sound are given the opportunity to teach and tutor other students who need assistance and support to improve on their academic performance. According to the interviewees, it was from this programme that some students during the 2014/2015 session across the faculties acquired the competencies to run tutorial centres for self- reliance. Employability Measures Relating to the Curriculum or Relating to Services Offered by the University: To a large extent, the content of GST 307 (Entrepreneurship Education) offered to all students in the University of Lagos is targeted towards instilling employability and entrepreneurship skills in students. However, it has been gathered that the modus operandi of delivering the course content is sub-standard as it does not have direct applicability to the labour market. The modules were not designed to reflect experiential learning of students as they were too pedagogical in nature. In addition, lack of domestication of the course at the departmental level is jettisoning the value and educability of the course. This does not allow for a full grasp of the course content by the students. This report is in line with Stutern’s Nigeria Graduate Report (2016) that stressed that most graduates believed that their academic experiences prepare them for further studies than than for employment. To bridge this gap, the University of Lagos, Nigeria, established the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development centre in the 2013/2014 academic session in a bid to educate and train undergraduate students to acquire both employability and entrepreneurial skills and competences. The summary of the policies and initiatives relating to employability measures of students and graduates are shown in figure 3. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 79 Figure 3: Multilevel Analysis Macro level NPE (2013) N-POWER Programme NEP (2002) NYSC CV Portal NLA (1990) Entrepreneurship Education Mega level ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- Meso level International Labour Org. Internship (2001) Teaching Practice ESDC G.A. Programme GEP Work-study prog. GIP Tutorial Programme Micro level Source: Lima & Guimarães (2011) Outcome of Educational Programmes on Young Adults’ Employability Development According to the interviewees, these educational activities have improved them in the following ways: ability to think critically to handle technical work in and outside the office; ability to apply knowledge of job gained to work situation; working with team to achieve great result; ability to express oneself without fear of contradiction; ability to write report, minutes of meetings, etc.; ability to solve problem independently through creative thinking; and ability to teach professionally. Therefore, the educational activities implemented in the University of Lagos, Nigeria, have impacted positively on the development of young adults’ employability. Conclusion This paper concluded that students and graduates must possess the employability skills that will aid their smooth transitions from higher education to the labour market, and this is possible when government and higher institutions ensure that those fantastic policies and programmes put in place at the national level, state level and in higher education institutions are effectively implemented and practically integrated into the curriculum. When this is done, students and graduates can be well qualified for work locally and globally, and also create work for themselves to enhance the economic growth of the country. Journal of African Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Skills Development (JAEESD) - Special Issue, 2021 80 Recommendations i. It is established in this study that Nigerian universities have been implementing some programmes, but there is a need for relevance in those programmes so that the skills of young graduates may be updated to the global standard. ii. 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