Mbabane – The University of Eswatini has recorded significant progress in strengthening graduate employability through an Erasmus+ funded project aimed at bridging the gap between academic training and labour market needs.
This information was shared at an Erasmus+ information sharing session held at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Mbabane, organised by the Ministry of Education and Training in partnership with the European Union Delegation to Eswatini. UNESWA is one of the beneficiary institutions under the programme.
Presenting on behalf of the university, Dr Khetsiwe Kunene said the UPSCALE Project, formally titled Upscaling Graduates’ Employability Tracking Through the Implementation of Special Dual Career Paths in Botswana and Eswatini, is co funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education action.
Dr Kunene said the project started running from 1 December 2024 and will run until November 30, 2027, with a total cost of €884,676, which is approximately E17 million. The European Union contributes 90 percent of the funding, while partner institutions provide the remaining 10 percent as a demonstration of ownership and commitment.
She said the project brings together higher education institutions from Botswana and Eswatini, as well as European partners from Slovenia, Poland and Spain. African partners include Botho University, BA ISAGO University, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the University of Eswatini and Southern Africa Nazarene University.
According to Dr Kunene, the project seeks to promote dual education systems and improve the monitoring of graduate employability, while building national consensus among universities, industry and policymakers in Botswana and Eswatini. It also aims to strengthen legislative and policy frameworks supporting dual education and employability at both national and institutional levels.
She said UNESWA is leading one of the key components of the project, focusing on the development of dual higher education career paths. This involves identifying industry needs, developing dual education models, designing learning materials and engaging companies to ensure programmes are aligned with workplace requirements.
Dr Kunene said benchmarking exercises conducted with European partners identified critical success factors for sustainable dual education systems. These include strong legal and policy frameworks, formalised partnerships between universities, employers and students, dual mentorship models combining academic and workplace supervision, and credit bearing workplace learning.
She added that effective systems also require well resourced career centres, data driven graduate tracking mechanisms and digital platforms to support placement coordination and quality assurance.
On progress made so far, Dr Kunene said several memorandum of understanding have already been signed with companies, although more partnerships are being pursued to meet project targets. Findings from company surveys showed that 78.3 percent of employers require graduates with higher education qualifications, while 95.6 percent indicated that graduates need additional practical training.
She said interest in dual education was high, with 87 percent of companies expressing willingness to participate in such programmes and more than 90 percent requesting further information.
Dr Kunene also revealed that the establishment of career centres at partner institutions is underway, with the Southern Africa Nazarene University Career Centre almost fully operational.
She said the next phase of the project will focus on stakeholder consultations, strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions, industry and government, developing and implementing dual education models, approving career centre regulations and action plans, and establishing coordinated national graduate tracking systems inspired by European best practice.
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