Building a puzzle of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in South Africa : competencies, graduateness and employability

Abstract

A picture paints a thousand words. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are under constant pressure to prepare students for the world of work. Competencies that make students more employable are needed, but in a changing world more and more are expected from those entering for example government departments. This requires that those leaving universities should be individuals epitomising the elements of graduateness. It is imperative that university programmes incorporate competencies into curricula that will make students more employable as well as embody graduateness. This article provides an overview of the concepts graduateness, employability and competencies. An exploration of the literature reveals how these concepts can be incorporated into the curriculum of HEI programmes. It can be concluded that if a university leaver needs to be more than just employable, a different competency skill base needs to be part and parcel of the curriculum. This article explores specifi cally the various competencies required for graduates entering the world of work.