Educational planning and youths employability in the University of Yaounde I.

Abstract

This study sets out to examine educational planning and youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I. Specifically, we intend to assess the effects of government policy, University curriculum, pedagogy, personnel/man power and infrastructure in educational planning on youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I. The problem under study emanated from the quick growing of unemployment rate among higher education graduates in Cameroon. Unemployment is a factor that militates against economic growth and retards socio-economic developmental process in the society. It has plunged most graduates into undesirable lifestyle such as theft, poverty, mysterious, cyber criminality, hunger, unconditional emigration to unknown places. This social demise could be caused by poor educational planning in the University. It is based on this backdrop that we want to investigate the extent to which educational planning affects youth’s employability. Four important theories were used; the Human Capital theory, The Signal theory, the Cost-benefit theory, the Blue Print Planning theory. This study was carried out in Yaoundé and 107 graduates were selected using a convenient sampling technique to constitute a workable sample. These respondents were seeking for jobs and undergoing trainings at the National Employment Fun (NEF) Mvolye Branch and 10 lecturers, heads of 5 departments of 3 faculties in the University of Yaoundé I. The data were collected using questionnaire and interview guide. The data were analysed using the descriptive and inferential statistics. The results are presented in percentages, mean and standard deviation and the hypotheses were verified using Spearman correlation index as a statistical tool. Ha1.concerning the first hypothesis we obtained a correlation coefficient of 0.743 and p-value ˂0.05. Based on this we rejected the null hypothesis and retained the alternative hypothesis which states that government policy in education affect youth employability in the university of Yaoundé I. Ha2. According to the second hypothesis we obtained a correlation coefficient of 0.580 and a p-value ˂0.05. Thus, we rejected the null hypothesis and retained the alternative hypothesis which states that school curriculum affects youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I. Ha3. Based on the third hypothesis, we obtained a correlation coefficient of 0.612 and a p-value of ˂0.05. Hence, we rejected the null hypothesis and retained the alternative hypothesis which states that pedagogy in education strongly affects youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I. Ha4. Based on the fourth hypothesis, we obtained the correlation coefficient of 0.780 and a p-value of ˂0.05 therefore; we rejected the null hypothesis and retained the alternative hypothesis which states that personnel in education effects youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I Ha5. Based on hypothesis five, we obtained the correlation coefficient of 0.69 and the p-value of ˂0.05 so we rejected the null hypothesis and retained the alternative hypothesis which states that infrastructure in education effects youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I. The acceptance of the entire specific hypothesis gives us the right to retain our general hypothesis which states that there is a significant relationship between educational planning and youth’s employability in the University of Yaoundé I. Based on these findings, recommendations have been made to stake holders.