Abstract:
Skill is any personal characteristic that is a product of value and can be augmented
through some forms of investment. However, despite the importance of Skills
Demanded (SD) (new technologies, managers‘ strategies, associated ways of
organising works and rising in equality) to economic productivity, there have been
complaints of inadequacy of these skills in university graduates especially among
private university graduates in Nigeria. Extant studies paid more attention to skills
supplied in relation to employability, skills-mismatch, employers‘ satisfaction and skill
gap assessment than SD by employers of labour among public university graduates.
This study, therefore, was carried out to investigate resource factors (academic staff
profile, accessibility and availability of ICT facility), supply of skills (analytical,
creative, collaborative and communication) and SD by employers of labour among
private university graduates in southwestern Nigeria.
The study was anchored to Campbell Theory of Job Performance, while the survey
design of ex-post facto type was used. The multistage sampling procedure was
adopted. Ten private universities (Babcock, Bowen, Covenant, Redeemers, Ajayi
Crowther, Lead City, Crescent, Joseph Ayo Babalola, Caleb and Wesley University of
Science and Technology) were purposively selected based on student enrolment of
more than 300 in a session. Seventy percent of the faculties common to each university
were selected through purposive sampling technique making 55 faculties, while 173
Heads of Departments in the sampled faculties were enumerated. Twenty-two Human
Resource Managers from key sectors of the economy were purposively sampled
(Communication–2; Banking–4; Education–4; Health–3; Judiciary–3;
Manufacturing/Construction–3 and Agriculture–3). The instruments used were Skills
Demanded by Employers and Graduates Assessment (r=0.89); Resource Factor in
Private Universities (r=0.81) and Skills Supply in Private Universities (r=0.79)
questionnaires. Indepth interviews were held with the seven most experienced
employers of labour across the selected sectors. Quantitative data were analysed using
descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation and Multiple
regression at 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were content-analysed.
Private universities meet the benchmark of National Universities Commissions in
terms of number of academic staff, availability and accessibility of ICT. The
distribution of SD as required by employers based on analytical, creative and
collaborative skills was found to be higher than the supply (3.43>2.89; 3.18>2.93 and
3.16>2.90) respectively, while communication skill was at equilibrium where demand
equals supply (3.5). There was a significant difference in SD by employers in different
sectors of the economy (F(6,15)=27.08; η2=0.04). There were positive significant
relationships of academic staff profile (r=0.206), accessibility of ICT (r=0.142) and
supply of skills (r=0.11) with SD. Resource factors and skills supply by private
universities jointly contributed to SD (F(4,18) = 176.07; Adj. R2=0.64), accounting for
64.0% of its variance. Academic staff profile (β=0.55) and availability of ICT
(β=0.35) relatively contributed to SD. There were complaints that private university
graduates lacked managerial strategies and skills associated with organising things.x
Academic staff profile, availability of ICT and skills supply in private universities
enhanced skill demanded among graduates in southwestern Nigeria. Private
universities should therefore infuse these skills into their curricula.
