● Limkokwing leads, followed by Uneswa
Ezulwini- The Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT) has no visible ICT professionals in a LinkedIn-based analysis of the country’s technology workforce, placing it behind Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and the University of Eswatini, which recorded 265 and 152 professionals respectively.
The findings, presented by Skills for Youth (S4Y) Technical Expert Tim Andrews during the ICT S4Y validation workshop at the Royal Villas on Thursday, raise questions about ECOT’s visibility in the professional ICT labour market and the transition of its graduates from technical training into the workforce.
According to the graph presented by Andrews, Limkokwing accounts for the highest number of ICT professionals identified by their educational background on LinkedIn, followed by the University of Eswatini, while ECOT does not appear in the data.
The difference is significant. Limkokwing’s 265 professionals are almost twice the 152 associated with the University of Eswatini, while ECOT has no recorded figure in the analysis because it was not visible on the platform.
The presentation also showed that four employers interviewed recruited graduates from Limkokwing or the University of Eswatini, while only one expressed a preference for ECOT.
This, according to Andrews suggests that ECOT faces a visibility challenge in the professional network examined, although the findings do not establish that its graduates are unemployed or that the institution has produced no ICT professionals.
ECOT offers diploma programmes in Computer Science and Information Technology, making the findings particularly relevant to discussions about the contribution of technical and vocational education to Eswatini’s digital workforce.
Andrews said the LinkedIn findings should not be interpreted as proof that public technical and vocational education and training institutions have failed to produce employed graduates. Rather, the data did not show the expected transition from those institutions into visible professional ICT roles.
The concern extends beyond the institutions appearing on LinkedIn. Employers interviewed during the research identified software engineering, data analytics, cybersecurity, application programming interfaces and no-code development among the areas requiring skills.
However, Andrews found that employers continued to source specialized expertise, including SAP, Salesforce and software architecture, from South Africa instead of developing all those capabilities locally.
He argued that closer cooperation between businesses and training institutions, alongside industry-recognized micro-credentials, could help graduates demonstrate the competencies required by employers.
The findings also highlighted gaps in practical training in cloud computing, data analytics and networking certifications, including Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
For ECOT, the findings present a challenge to demonstrate how its ICT programmes prepare graduates for the demands of employers and how those graduates progress into professional roles.
However, the LinkedIn figures alone cannot establish which institution produces the most employable graduates. They measure professionals visible on the platform, not the total number of graduates employed across Eswatini’s ICT sector.
The findings therefore point to the need for more comprehensive graduate employment data to determine whether ECOT’s absence reflects limited professional-network visibility, graduate employment patterns or a wider disconnect between technical training and employer demand.
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