Students’ Views on Degree Course Enrolled in and Their Eventual Employability

This paper aims to contribute to the current lack of research literature in the Botswana context by reviewing quantitative feedback collected from students in a faculty/school of a part-government-owned higher education institution. The paper particularly attempts to examine whether students enrolled on a bridging course to a UK degree honours degree offered by a quasi-government higher education institution agree that the bridging course and the institutional support offered prepares them for higher education and whether they are interested in using such support structures to enhance their eventual employability. This study draws on data from students enrolled in a common bridging course for five (5) UK honours business-related degree programmes. It involved feedback from a common questionnaire administered to a total of 530 post-secondary school students (296 students in 2015 and 234 students in 2017) at the same level of study after six (6) weeks of teaching in the bridging course in a longitudinal survey over two academic years of intake. The selection of students was based on age and programme of study. The two cohorts indicated that they chose their course to increase future marketability as well as to obtain technical skills in their chose fields. A comparison of the two cohorts under “level of interest” also indicated that they intended to make full use of extra-class activities to enhance their employability. The students ranked group activities highly and showed a high level of interest in allowing role models at the institution and in industry to influence them. The findings indicated that high visibility of lecturers/Course Managers and interactions with guest lecturers from the industry are valued by the students. The study is limited to students in one school/faculty of one quasi-government funded higher education institution that offers degree courses in collaboration and partnership with British universities. The course design, name and curricula are therefore somewhat influenced by the UK partners. The inclusion of students across the whole institution could result in different findings. The higher education sector in Botswana is undergoing significant changes. There is no current quantitative research done in Botswana higher education institutions on perceptions of bridging students on their choice of programmes studied and their eventual employability. The institutional support structures available and students’ choices of such institutions and degree programmes require research-informed insights.