PERCEPTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

The process of job-hunting among graduates inevitably involves experiences of failure and rejection, which in the long or short run may tamper, directly or indirectly, with one’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to evaluate perceptions of agricultural postgraduate students on unemployment in South Africa. To understand these, the researcher looked at what motivates students to enrol in the field of agricultural studies as well as the perceived causes of unemployment by graduates. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, data is collected from 163 post graduate students enrolled in various higher institutions of learning in South Africa. The mixed method research design is applied in the present study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27 is used to analyse the quantitative data. Whereas, the content analysis technique is used to analyse qualitative data. The results show the participants’ satisfaction level with agriculture as their choice of study and their willingness to assist farmers and the larger agro-based community in overcoming their farming challenges. The findings also present the top five perceived reasons causing unemployment amongst the educated youth of South Africa. Finally, the study offers practical solutions and recommendations to reduce the rate of unemployment in South Africa