EMPLOYABILITY-CENTERED CURRICULUM AND BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS' LABOUR MARKET PROSPECTS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This is a descriptive study conducted to examine the concept of employability-centered curriculum and labour market prospects of Business Education students. In achieving the underlying purpose, a sample of 70 Business Educators and programme coordinators charged with curriculum planning and implementation was used in the study. A 23-item instrument, structured on a 4-point rating scale was validated and pilot tested and the reliability coefficient was calculated using Pearson Product Moment Coefficient to achieve 0.87 internal consistencies. Quantitative data collected from respondents were analyzed usingDescriptive statistics-means and standard deviation. The findings showed that broader career-specific learning environment, experiential learning, professional skill development, global orientations and access to business information in students' specificdiscipline are core employability-centered curriculum framework of action that could guide curriculum and instruction planners in universities. The study recommended that rebranding of institution's mission, system-wide employability curriculum and interface with industry are practical approaches university could undertake to enrich the educational experience of their students and ensure their successful transition into the labour market. These best practices when incorporated into the curriculum by institution management would help students develop valuable career-specific employability skills that guarantee the employers and assure stakeholders of students' readiness for employment. Institutional leadership in various universities should be encouraged to adopt the employability-centered dimensions and set up practical approaches as framework of action to broaden the current Business Education curriculum so as to provide students, valuable competencies required by employers.