Structural determinants of graduate employability: impact of university and industry collaborations
Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology
ISSN: 1726-0531
Article publication date: 6 November 2020
Issue publication date: 12 August 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of university and construction industry collaborations (UIC) activities in developing the employability of built environment graduates.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a quantitative approach wherein data was obtained from professionals across academia, construction industry and government establishment within the South African built environment. A total of 204 questionnaires were administered to these professionals to provide information regarding the subject matter under question. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to examine possible relationships among identified factors that were obtained from a review of extant literature. SEM was performed using analysis of moment structures (AMOS Graphics, version 26) in testing the model and a best-fit was achieved after various model selections and validation tests were conducted.
Findings
The final model revealed that graduate employability can be improved through UIC as effective university-industry linkages provide students with mentoring opportunities and exposure to relevant training which improves their job market prospects and ultimately increases their professional relevance in the long run.
Practical implications
To continuously enhance the employability of students before graduation, universities are required to foster collaborations with the industry as such linkages are critical to the development of the future custodians of the construction industry.
Originality/value
There have been several generalized statements as to which of the UIC activities contribute to graduate employability. Therefore, through the use of SEM using AMOS, it was possible to state precisely the UIC constructs that are statistically significant and contribute to graduate employability.
Keywords
Citation
Aliu, J. and Aigbavboa, C.O. (2021), "Structural determinants of graduate employability: impact of university and industry collaborations", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 1080-1100. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-05-2020-0189
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited