A tool to measure employment readiness among agricultural graduates

Abstract

For graduates in agriculture, the shift from academic study to professional employment is a crucial stage that necessitates a thorough assessment of their employability. Through a review of the literature, the study set out to create a metric to gauge how prepared agricultural graduates were for the workforce. This study comprised a scoring procedure and item selection. This study finalised the instruments to give six constructs: perceived orientation towards employment opportunities, peer influence, institutional influence, personal motivation, family & society influence and employers' influence. These findings were based on reliability and validity testing. For educational institutions, legislators and businesses, the Employment Readiness Index (ERI) instrument is an invaluable resource that offers practical insights to improve curricula and support mechanisms targeted at enhancing employment outcomes. This study emphasises the need for a comprehensive strategy to help agricultural graduates succeed in their professions and supports focused interventions that address the various factors that affect employment preparation.