Communication Skills Confidence, Employability Skills and Workplace Preparedness: Perceptions of Finalist-Undergraduate Students at the Institute of Adult Education in Tanzania

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if students are confident in their communication skills and well prepared for employment. The study utilized a descriptive research design. The target population included all 125 finalistundergraduate students at the Institute of Adult Education. A purposive sampling technique was used in this study because all final-year undergraduate students were involved in providing reliable information. Data were collected using questionnaires and a 5 point Likert-scale were administered to respondents while focus group interviews were conducted with 10 respondents. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics technique was used for data analysis. Results indicated that, the courses in adult and community development prepared them most for future jobs (M = 4.93). Of the respondents, 62.4% reported to work in an adult education organization and 25.6% planned to attend post-graduate course after graduation. Students were very confident in their communication skills (51.4%). Respondents considered BSc. in Entrepreneurship and Adult Education (36%) and Bachelor degree in Mathematics and other Teaching Science Subject (24%), Bachelor degree in Information Technology (20%) to be most needed programmes. Based on the findings, it was suggested that, curriculum revision should always be informed by findings from different studies as well as being guided by assessment for competencies and skills including student’s reflections on the curriculum they went through and how much they find it useful/not useful during their learning practices.