faculty of tourism and hospitality … consultancy and outreach..... 9 iv. governance and management...

MZUZU UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

GRADUATE TRACER STUDY & EMPLOYER SATISFACTION SURVEY

REPORT

(DECEMBER 2016)

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Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 3

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 6

1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 7

1.0.1 Background Information ...................................................................................................... 7

1.0.1 Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management .................................................................. 7

1.0.2 Skills Development Project (SDP) at Mzuzu University ........................................................ 8

1.0.3 Development Plans .............................................................................................................. 9

i. Teaching, Learning and Training .............................................................................................. 9

ii. Capacity Building ...................................................................................................................... 9

iii. Research, Consultancy and Outreach .................................................................................. 9

iv. Governance and Management .................................................................................................. 9

v. Resource Mobilisation ............................................................................................................. 10

1.0.4 Development Plans for the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management ..................... 10

1.0.5 Structure of the Report ....................................................................................................... 10

2.0 CHAPTER TWO: OBJECTIVES OF THE TRACER STUDY ...................................... 12

2.0.1 Main Objective ................................................................................................................... 12

2.0.2 Specific Objectives ............................................................................................................. 12

2.0.3 Research Questions ............................................................................................................ 12

2.0.4 Justification for the Study ................................................................................................... 12

3.0 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................14

3.0.1 Graduate Tracer Study ........................................................................................................ 14

3.0.2 Description of Target Population ....................................................................................... 14

3.0.3 Designing of the Study Tool ............................................................................................... 14

3.0.4 Preliminary Tracing of Graduates ....................................................................................... 14

3.0.5 Data Collection ................................................................................................................... 14

3.0.6 Data analysis ....................................................................................................................... 15

3.0.7 Components of the Graduate Tracer Study Questionnaire .................................................. 15

3.0.8 Employer Satisfaction Survey Methodology ........................................................................ 16

3.0.9 Employer Satisfaction Survey Study Population .................................................................. 16

3.0.10 Data collection for the Employer Satisfaction Survey...................................................... 16

3.0.11 Components of the Employer Satisfaction Survey Questionnaire ................................... 16

4.0 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ....................................................... 16

4.0.1 Biographic background of BSc Tourism and BSc Hospitality Management graduates ......... 17

4.0.2 Perceptions of FoT&HM graduates on the adequacy of their degree programs ................... 22

4.0.3 Features characterising the job market for FoT&HM graduates .......................................... 35

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4.0.4 To identify the challenges that FoT&HM graduates face in the job market. ........................ 38

4.0.5 To determine the relevance of the knowledge, skills and attitudes ....................................... 47

acquired by FoT&HM graduates to their current jobs. .................................................................... 47

4.0.6 To measure the level of employer satisfaction with FoT&HM’s graduates .......................... 51

5. CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................57

5.0.1 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 57

5.0.2 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 57

5.0.3 Lessons Learnt ................................................................................................................... 58

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List of Abbreviations

FoTHM : Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management

MZUNI : Mzuzu University

ODeL : Open and Distance e-Learning

ODL : Open and Distance Learning

SDC : Skills Development Centre

SDP : Skills Development Project

SMEs : Small and Medium Enterprises

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List of Tables

Table 1 : Sex distribution by programme (percent)……………………….……………...17

Table 2 : Sex distribution by cohort (percent)…………………………….…………..…17

Table 3 : Vocational training/post-secondary school courses before entering

MZUNI by gender (percent)………………………….…………………….…18

Table 4 : Vocational training/post-secondary school courses before entering

MZUNI by gender (percent)……………………………………………….….18

Table 5 : Employment before Mzuzu University by study programme (percent)………...19

Table 6 : Duration of employment before MZUNI by Cohort (percent)…………….......19

Table 7 : Employment during study by cohort (percent)…………………………..…......20

Table 8 : Duration of employment during study by cohort (percent)………..……...……20

Table 9 : Employment status after graduation by gender (percent)…………………....…21

Table 10: Study conditions and provisions at Mzuzu University (percent)………….……22

Table 11: Rating of study conditions and study provisions by study programme………....25

Table 12: Rating of study conditions and study provisions by study cohort……….……..26

Table 13: Duration of attending courses by cohort……….……………………………...26

Table 14: Duration of study activities outside courses by cohort……………………...….27

Table 15: Internships/ practical attachments during course of studies by cohort…...……28

Table 16: Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work by

study programme………………………………………………...……………29

Table 17: Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work……….…...30

Table 18: Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work by

study programme…………………………………………….………………..32

Table 19: Acquired competencies at the time of graduation by study program……….…..33

Table 20: Acquired competencies at the time of graduation by study program……….…..34

Table 21: Satisfaction with the study in general by study programme…………….……....35

Table 22: Satisfaction with studies in general by cohort…………….……………………35

Table 23: Employment status at the time of the survey by study programme…...................36

Table 24: Duration of job search…………….…………………………………………..37

Table 25: Type of employer by study programme………………………………………..37

Table 26: Economic sector of employment by programme………………….…………...38

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Table 27: Time of job search by programme…………….………………………………39

Table 28: Job search methods for first job by study programme…………….…………...40

Table 29: District of employment by study programme……………….…………………41

Table 30: Number of jobs since graduation by study programme……………….……….42

Table 31: Gross monthly income by study programme……….………………………….43

Table 32: Kind of fringe/other benefit(s) by study programme……….…………………44

Table 33: Working hours per week by study programme…......................................................45

Table 34: Size of the company/firm/organisation by study programme……...…………..46

Table 35: Comparison of salaries across employment sectors…………………..………...47

Table 36: Characteristics of employment and work by study programme……..…..............48

Table 37: Job satisfaction by study programme…………………………………………..49

Table 38: Utilisation of acquired knowledge and skills in the job by

study programme………………………………………………………...……50

Table 39: Appropriateness of field of study for the job by study programme………….....51

Table 40: Required competencies by study programme……………….……….………....52

Table 41: Evaluation of the usefulness of studies by study programme…………..………53

Table 42: Category of business…….……………………………………….……………54

Table 43: Recruitment criteria………….……………………………………...…………55

Table 44: Relevance of skills of graduate employees………….……………….…………56

Table 45: Satisfaction with FoTHM graduate skills………………………………………57

Table 46: Level of satisfaction demonstrated by Mzuzu University

graduates’ performance………………………………………………………..58

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Mzuzu University would like to extend

its appreciation to the World Bank for funding the two studies.

The Faculty is grateful to the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) for the services of

the Consultant who mentored the whole study processes.

The Faculty also appreciates the Study Consultant Harald Schomberg for his immerse support in

mentoring the tracer study process.

The Faculty is grateful to the management of Mzuzu University for providing the logistical

support that made the two studies possible.

The Faculty is indebted to Dr Arts Luwanda, Mr Paxton Zozie and Mr Seyani Nayeja for the

support they provided to the study team during data processing and report writing.

To all the Faculty members, thank you very much for the job well done.

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1.0 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.0.1 Background Information

Mzuzu University is one of the public universities situated in the northern part of Malawi,

established in 1999. Its vision is to be a premier provider of tertiary education, adaptive research

and outreach in Malawi and the World. Mzuzu University’s mission is to provide high quality

education, training, research and complimentary services to meet the technological, social and

economic needs of individuals and communities in Malawi and the World. The values of Mzuzu

University are Self-reliance, Service and Perfection. While it started with teacher education

programs, Mzuzu University has expanded to five Faculties and these are:

1. Faculty of Education;

2. Faculty of Environmental Sciences;

3. Faculty of Information Science and Communication;

4. Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management; and

5. Faculty of Health Sciences.

Further to that, the University has four Centres namely; Centre for Open and Distance Learning

(CODL), Centre for Security Studies (CSS), Centre for Water and Sanitation, and the Testing and

Training Centre for Renewable Energy and Technologies (TECRET). Mzuzu University offers

programs at certificate, diploma, and degrees at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

1.0.1 Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management

The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Mzuzu University was established in 2007 following a specific request by the Ministry of Tourism. The Faculty aims at producing competent and skilled tourism and hospitality professionals who would address the needs of the industry through research and professional service delivery. It started with three staff members and about 40 students with two four-year programmes: Bachelor of Science Tourism and Bachelor of Science Hospitality Management. In addition to the courses offered by the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, the students in the Faculty are also serviced by other departments for example ICT, mathematics and languages. Considering that the two programmes that the Faculty offers are a combination of vocational (practical) and academic (theoretical) components, the Faculty has adopted the teaching model below in the delivery of its programmes:

It must be highlighted at the outset that ain practice it may not be easy to distinguish between the two since the tourism sector, which represent a broad and diverse range of activities, includes hospitality as a sub sector. In as much as there is some overlap in some attributes of tourism and

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hospitality, there are distinct and unique skill sets that apply to hospitality sub sector, hence the two programs. Otherwise, the tourism sector often encompasses "hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars, night clubs, contract food service providers, membership clubs, events, gambling, travel services, tourist services, visitor attractions, holiday parks, self catering accommodation and hospitality services"1.

1.0.2 Skills Development Project (SDP) at Mzuzu University

The Skills Development Project aims at increasing access, market relevance, and results

orientation of supported skills development institutions in agreed priority areas. The two

components of the project concern strengthening institutional performance and also technical

assistance for system strengthening and policy reforms. The Government of the Republic of

Malawi received a credit facility form the World Bank towards the SDP. Mzuzu University is one

of the five participating institutions including University of Malawi-The Polytechnic, University

of Malawi-Chancellor College, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and

the Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA).

For Mzuzu University the first component consists of carrying out a program of specific

activities;

a) To increase access to secondary teacher training programs including, among others,

establishing four new satellite learning centres covering the three regions of Malawi, with

corresponding curriculum development and staff capacity building to augment Mzuzu

University’s Centre for Open and Distance Learning. This will facilitate the rapid

expansion of degree level graduates supported by the open and distance learning

approach, developing curriculum for ODL programmes, supplying equipment,

strengthening the capacity of staff in the development of ODL materials and upgrading

staff skills to deliver on the programs.

b) To increase access, market relevance, sustainability and cost efficiency of hospitality and

tourism course including, among others, establishing a Skills Development Centre,

supplying equipment and upgrading staff skills to deliver the programs, all through the

provision of results based grants. Mzuzu University is the only public university offering

courses in Tourism and Hospitality Management, following a specific request by the

Ministry of Tourism to establish courses in this field.

The priority areas for the SDP at Mzuzu University are secondary school teacher Training and

Tourism. Mzuzu University plans to provide an increased number of highly skilled and versatile

personnel for the tourism industry; improved market relevance of the programs; ensure program

sustainability and cost efficiency by offering the programme through ODL, among other modes

of delivery. The Faculty plans to offer programs at certificate, diploma, bachelor’s, honours,

master’s degrees as well as short courses.

The impact of the Skills Development Project would include:

- Increase in student enrolment due to purpose built infrastructure

- Enhancement of the delivery of tourism and hospitality training at the university level;

1 Nicholson, D. (2013, p. 4). Human Resource Management for the Hospitality and Tourism Industries.2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge.

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- Accelerating skills acquisition of existing workforce

- High quality tourism and hospitality services and products to be offered to domestic and

international market;

- Capacity building for the Faculty staff at various levels from technician to doctoral level.

A requirement to conduct the Tracer Study is part of the SDP and curriculum review. The

exercise focused on the graduates as well as employer satisfaction.

1.0.3 Development Plans

The institutional development plans are reported based on the pillars agreed upon forming the

backbone for the strategic goals and objectives in the 2016-2020 Mzuzu University Strategic Plan.

The overall goal is to provide high quality tertiary education in Malawi.

Outlined below are the specific goals under each pillar of the institution as a whole.

i. Teaching, Learning and Training

- Increase access and equity to higher education

Increase enrolment from 4,000 to 8000 by 2020

Provide adequate facilities for teaching, learning and training

- Improve the quality and relevance of higher education and training provision

Improve quality and relevance of curricula

Strengthen student support services

- Promote innovation and entrepreneurship

Inculcate a mind-set that is entrepreneurial oriented

Emphasize innovative application of theoretical knowledge

ii. Capacity Building

- Enhance delivery of programmes, research and outreach services

Train staff to the highest relevant academic qualification

Meet minimum standards of staffing levels

Improve the institutional transport system

- Develop purpose-built infrastructure

Improve utilisation of contemporary technologies

iii. Research, Consultancy and Outreach

- Create and apply knowledge for addressing existing challenges in society

1.1.1. Promote and encourage quality research and innovation

1.1.2. Strengthen research support services

1.1.3. Promote research collaboration at national and international level

- Promoting contract research and consultancy

Market MZUNI research and consultancy services

- Engage with local communities in projects of mutual benefit

Define and promote outreach initiatives

iv. Governance and Management

- Govern the university along its vision, mission and values

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Develop and implement effective academic and administrative systems

Improve the audit and risk management function

Establish the market relevance of MZUNI’s programmes

v. Resource Mobilisation

- Move towards self-reliance

Increase generation of resources to supplement government support for

effective functionality of the university

1.0.4 Development Plans for the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality

Management

Overall there are plans for development and expansion in terms of infrastructure, programs of

study ranging from certificate to postgraduate levels for both face-to-face and ODeL modes in

consultation with private sector.

Specifically, in line with the SDP, the Faculty will establish a Tourism and Hospitality Skills

Development Centre. The three main components in the development of the Faculty of Tourism

and Hospitality management at Mzuzu University include vocational training and development,

academic component and staff development;

Under the vocational training and development component there will be construction of the

Tourism and Hospitality Skills Development Centre which will be equipped with appropriate

teaching laboratories for Tourism and Hospitality training. It is expected that all the programmes

offered by the Faculty will be supported by the Skills Development Centre.

The academic component will consist of: teaching and learning resources; development of new

programs in partnership with other universities; increased flexible modes of programme delivery

in response to industry requirements; develop a research centre as a hub of excellence for action-

oriented research and offering of postgraduate programmes and outreach.

Staff development: The Faculty will undertake staff development programmes by introducing in-

house postgraduate courses.

1.0.5 Structure of the Report

The report is organised in five chapters. Chapter One has provides the background to Mzuzu

University and more specifically to this report, an introduction to the FoTHM in the context of

the Skills Development Project.

Chapter Two acquaints the reader with the objectives of the study, the research questions used to

address the objectives and the justification for carrying out the study.

The methodology adopted in the study is explained in Chapter Three. In the Chapter, the target

population, the tracing strategy for the graduates, and data collection and analysis methods have

been discussed.

Chapter Four discusses the results of the study.

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Finally, Chapter Five presents conclusions and recommendations based on how the results of the

study. Further, the Chapter Five makes recommendations for improving the effectiveness of

future graduate tracer and employer satisfaction studies.

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2.0 CHAPTER TWO: OBJECTIVES OF THE TRACER STUDY

This Chapter presents the objectives of the two studies and provides the justification for the

same. The Chapter also presents the research questions that were framed to help address the

study objectives.

2.0.1 Main Objective

To inform the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FoT&HM) curriculum review

and development processes.

2.0.2 Specific Objectives

i. To determine the perceptions of FoT&HM graduates on the completeness/adequacy

of their degree programs.

ii. To identify the challenges that FoT&HM graduates face in the job market.

iii. To identify some of the characteristics which define FoT&HM graduates’ job market.

iv. To determine the relevance of the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired by

FoT&HM graduates to their current jobs.

v. To measure the level of employer satisfaction with FoT&HM’s graduates.

2.0.3 Research Questions

i. What are the perceptions of FoT&HM graduates on the completeness/adequacy of

their degree programs?

ii. What challenges do FoT&HM graduates face in the job market?

iii. What features characterise the job market for graduates of FoT&HM?

iv. How relevant are the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired by FoT&HM graduates

to their current jobs.

v. How satisfied are employers with FoT&HM’s graduates?

2.0.4 Justification for the Study

In pursuit of offering high quality, industry-driven programs of study, Mzuzu University has

embarked on a curriculum review process for all its programs. Specifically, the Faculty of

Tourism and Hospitality Management intends to develop new programs in response to industry

needs. To make this process as inclusive and as informed as possible, the Faculty embarked on

the Skills Gap Analysis Study, the Tracer Study as well as the Employer Satisfaction Survey.

The tracer study was necessary for the Faculty to (i) assess the degree of relevance of its

programs to the industry’s needs, (ii) understand the challenges that its graduates face as they

execute their day to day tasks in their respective jobs (iii) understand how its graduates fair in the

job market after completion of their degree programs and (iv) to find out from the graduates the

areas that they believed needed some attention if the programs were to help improve the tourism

industry in Malawi, among other things.

On the other hand, the Employer Satisfaction Survey was carried out to accord employers an

opportunity to provide necessary feedback to the Faculty regarding the quality and relevance of

the study programmes. This was necessary if the graduates are going to contribute to the growth

and performance of the industry.

Furthermore, the graduate tracer study as well as the employer satisfaction survey also form part

of the deliverables of the World Bank funded Skills Development Project that is currently being

implemented at Mzuzu University.

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Thus these studies will not only accord the Faculty the opportunity to be responsive to the inputs

of and challenges faced by its graduates and their employees, but also enable it to fulfil the

requirements of both NCHE and the World Bank.

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3.0 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

This Chapter provides information pertaining to strategies and techniques deployed in tracing

graduates, contacting them, collecting data from them and how the data was analysed. The

Chapter also discusses how employers were identified, how data was collected from them and

how the data was analysed.

3.0.1 Graduate Tracer Study

3.0.2 Description of Target Population

The study was carried on students who graduated from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at

Mzuzu University between the years 2011 and 2015. Four cohorts with a total population of 136

graduates were identified. These cohorts had graduated from either the BSc Tourism or the BSc

Hospitality Management programmes. The first cohort graduated in 2011; second cohort

graduated in 2012; third cohort graduated in 2014 and the fourth cohort graduated in 2015.

There was no graduating class in 2013 as due to financial challenges the University was closed for

seven (7) months in 2011, consequently delaying a cohort by almost a year. Since the total

number of the graduates was relatively small (136) and therefore manageable to reach out to, it

was decided to use a census approach where all the graduates were to be included as respondents.

3.0.3 Designing of the Study Tool

The questionnaire that was used in the graduate tracer study as a data collection was adapted

from the national graduate tracer study questionnaire which was provided to the FoTHM by

NCHE. Between 12th and 13th May, 2016 the questionnaire from NCHE was modified to suit the

two programmes offered by the Faculty and the four cohorts that were targeted.

3.0.4 Preliminary Tracing of Graduates

From 22nd to 24th June, 2016, the graduates were initially traced. Faculty staff used contacts

(phone numbers and emails) that they had of some of the graduates and social media (Whatsapp

and Facebook) to make initial contacts with some of the graduates and spread messages about

the tracer study. Using these personal contacts as referral points, a database of the graduates’

contact details (n=122) was created compiled within the three days. Thereafter, a personal

informational form was sent to all the traced graduates on 24th June, 2016 so as they could fill in

it and send it back to the Faculty. The personal information form asked for the name of the

graduate, their programme of study, year of graduation, mailing address, employer and address of

employer (if employed), physical address, mobile number and email address. A majority of the

forms were filled in by the graduates and sent back to the Faculty whereas the rest were filled in

by the tracer study team with information collected from the graduates via phone calls. Using

data collected via the personal information forms, the database was updated to include more

information about the graduates (see attached personal information form). Six (6) more graduates

were traced in the month of July using the graduates traced earlier as reference points, taking the

figure of the graduates traced to 128.

3.0.5 Data Collection

On the 14th of November, 2016, questionnaires were sent to all the traced graduates by email.

Workshops were also arranged in the cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre so as to bring the graduates

together for easy and faster data collection. Twenty (20) graduates turned up for the Blantyre

workshop at Protea Hotel Ryalls and sixteen (16) turned up in Lilongwe for the workshop at

Sogecoa Golden Peacock Hotel. The tracer study team that facilitated the two workshops also

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visited, in Zomba and Mangochi, graduates who did not attend the workshops and were unable

to send the questionnaires via email due to lack of access to the Internet. Graduates based in the

northern region of Malawi who had challenges with the Internet were asked to print and then

send their questionnaires by postal mail, as Mzuzu University is proximal to most of the districts

in the northern region.

Three modes of reminders were used to remind the graduates of the need to respond to the

questionnaires: emails, phone calls and reminders sent through friends. Phone calls were the

mode that was highly used to remind the respondents than the other modes due to its instant and

convenient nature. On average, four phone calls were made per respondent to remind them. The

data collection team asked the respondents the time after which they could be called for a

reminder. In cases where no such information was given, the data collection would call and

remind the respondents after two days.

3.0.6 Data analysis

After data was collected, it was handed over to a data manager for processing. The data manager

was specifically hired for the task so as to give the Faculty members who constituted the study

team to concentrate on the interpretation of the findings and writing of the report. Data was

analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software which was used to

generate frequency tables and cross-tabulations of variables. To minimise and correct errors, the

data was validated both internally by the data manager and externally by the consultant provided

by NCHE.

3.0.7 Components of the Graduate Tracer Study Questionnaire

The graduate questionnaire was designed to acquire the information about the graduates’

perception of the study conditions in the course of their studies at MZUNI, experiences after

graduation, career progression and suggestions for improvement of the programmes of study.

The questionnaire consisted of fifteen sections as follows;

(i) Vocational education or training of the graduate before their studies at Mzuzu

University.

(ii) Course studies pursued at Mzuzu University.

(iii) internship and work experience during course studies at Mzuzu University

(iv) Graduates evaluation of study conditions and study provisions at the Mzuzu

University.

(v) Opinion on competencies and satisfaction obtained with the study.

(vi) After graduation from Mzuzu university,

(vii) Employment and work,

(viii) Work requirements

(ix) Relationship between study and employment

(x) Work orientation and job satisfaction,

(xi) Further education after the study at Mzuzu university,

(xii) Further vocational /professional training

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(xiii) Individual background

(xiv) Migration and regional mobility

(xv) Further comments and recommendations

3.0.8 Employer Satisfaction Survey Methodology

Given the budget and time-constraints of this exercise, it was agreed that the data collection

exercise shall run concurrently with the graduate survey exercise.

3.0.9 Employer Satisfaction Survey Study Population

The survey questionnaire was sent to all employers of the four cohorts. The firms represented in

the employer survey were a cross section of the Malawi economy, manufacturing, banking and

financial services, university colleges and institutes with majority in food and beverages sector. A

total of 46 questionnaires were sent to 46 employers. A majority of the employers were located

in Lilongwe of Malawi followed by Blantyre and Mzuzu. In most of the organisations

questionnaires were filled in by senior managers or immediate managers/supervisors of the

graduates.

3.0.10 Data collection for the Employer Satisfaction Survey

Data collection began with an initial email invitation accompanied by a questionnaire to

employers followed by reminder emails of the survey. Phone calls were made to arrange for

questionnaire collection to those incapable of replying via email. Generally, collecting data for the

employer satisfaction survey proved more difficult than in the graduate tracer study as most

responsible persons in the organisations reported to have been busy and thus found it difficult to

fill in the questionnaire. On average, 6 phone calls were made to remind the employers to fill in

and return the questionnaire.

3.0.11 Components of the Employer Satisfaction Survey Questionnaire

The survey instrument covered six key areas:

i. Organisation details – this section collected data about the respondent and the company

demographics (name of organisation, category of business, position of respondent in the

organisation)

ii. Employment of graduates – this section examined the level of recruitment of graduates,

preferred institution and the recruitment criteria.

iii. Graduate skills relevance – this section looked at both technical and employability skills of

graduates to examine the relevance of their skills in the organisation they were employed

iv. Strength and weakness- This section probed into the overt areas requiring improvement.

v. Higher Education engagement – this section examined employer engagement with MZUNI

relating to cooperation on curriculum design/development.

vi. Conclusion –the section addressed the marketability of MZUNI graduates in their fields.

4.0 CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents and discusses the findings of both studies. The findings have been

presented and discussed in line with the objectives of the study. The first four objectives address

17

issues to do with the graduate tracer study whereas the last objective tackles the employer

satisfaction survey.

4.0.1 Biographic background of BSc Tourism and BSc Hospitality Management

graduates

This study collected data from graduates of all the four cohorts that have graduated since the

inception of the Faculty in 2007. During the nine years that the Faculty has been in existence, it

has graduated four cohorts. All of the Faculty’s graduates exited with either a Bachelor of Science

in Tourism or a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management. The minimum period in years

that each graduate spent at MZUNI was twenty four months for upgrading students and forty

eight months for generic students. Of the 86 respondents to this study, 60 percent were male as

it can be seen in the table below. Furthermore, 40 percent of the respondents were BSc Tourism

graduates. The following tables provide more descriptions of the respondents.

Table 1: Sex distribution by programme (percent)

Question M1: What is your sex?

The distribution of the respondents by cohort and sex was as follows:

Table 2: Sex distribution by cohort (percent)

Male Female Total

Sex distribution by

cohort

Cohort 1

18

12

16

Cohort 2 29 24 27

Cohort 3 43 36 40

Cohort 4 10 27 17

Total 100 100 100

Count 49 33 82

Question M1: What is your sex?

Graduates from Cohort 3 made up the majority of the respondent (40 percent) whereas Cohort 1

was the least represented with its graduates making up only 16 percent of the respondents. All

cohorts were represented by more male respondents than female respondents save Cohort 4

which had almost thrice as much female respondents than male respondents.

Male Female Total

Sex distribution by programme

Bachelor of Science Tourism

37

44

40

Bachelor of Science Hospitality

Management

63 56 60

Total 100 100 100

Count 51 32 83

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Table 1 below shows that 38 percent of the graduates indicated that they had attended vocational

training or post-secondary school courses prior to enrolling at Mzuzu University. This implies a

substantial level of interest in the degree programmes offered by the Faculty by the existing

workforce in the industry. Considering that the programmes of study are currently offered on a

full-time basis, the level of interest to enrol in the programmes by the existing workforce could

be higher if they were to be offered on a block-release or open and distance learning modes of

delivery.

Table 3: Vocational training/post-secondary school courses before entering

MZUNI by gender (percent)

Question A1: Did you attend any vocational training and/or post-secondary school courses

before your study at Mzuzu University?

Table 4: Kind of training/post-secondary school courses before entering MZUNI

by gender (percent)

Male Female Total

Kind of vocational training/post-secondary school

courses before entering MZUNI

Food Production 7 0 4

Hospitality management 21 0 13

Tourism management 0 30 13

IATA 7 0 4

Others 64 70 67

Total 100 100 100

Count 14 10 24

Question A2: Please specify the vocational training and/or post-secondary school courses.

As it can be seen in Table 2 above, about 35 percent and 30 percent male and female respondents

respectively who had prior vocational or post-secondary training had undergone training in areas

directly related to tourism. Of the remaining proportions of both groups, some had attended

trainings that were related to tourism such as food and human nutrition.

Male Female Total

Vocational training or post-secondary school

courses before entering MZUNI

Yes 40 35 38

No 60 65 62

Total 100 100 100

Count 47 31 78

19

Table 5: Employment before Mzuzu University by study programme (percent) Tourism HospManag #Total Employmet before studies at MZUNI

Yes 10 32 23

No 90 68 77 Total 100 100 100

Count 31 44 75

Question A3: Were you employed before your study at Mzuzu University?

Table 3 shows that overall, 23% of the graduates said they were employed prior to their

enrolment at Mzuzu University. Considering the full time nature of both the BSc Tourism and

the BSc Hospitality Management programs, this result could mean that some, if not all, of the

graduates had to give up their jobs for them to be able to attend their training at the University.

Furthermore, attending full time training programs is costly to both employers (if the staff

member proceeds to training on paid leave) and the employee (when they have to give up their

jobs or when they have to proceed on training whilst on unpaid leave). This could imply that the

low enrolment rate for those who were employed prior to joining Mzuzu University could have

been due to these cost implications. To appreciate these assertions, please see the table below.

Table 6: Duration of employment before MZUNI by Cohort (percent)

Cohort

1

Cohort

2

Cohort

3

Cohort

4 Total

Duration of employment before your

study at Mzuzu University

Less than 1 year 67 50 31 100 42

More than 1 year to 2 years 0 50 31 0 26

More than 3 years to 4 years 33 0 31 0 26

More than 4 years 0 0 8 0 5

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 3 2 13 1 19

Question A4: How long were you employed before your study at Mzuzu University?

It can be seen from the Table 6 above that 42 percent of the respondents who came in with

working experience, had worked for less than one year. Considering that 94 percent of the

respondents had up to 4 years of working experience, and that the training programs in the

Faculty were delivered on a full time basis, this result could be an indication that accorded an

opportunity to study part time or by distance learning, a good proportion of young workers

would be willing to enrol at institutions of higher learning.

Table 7: Employment during study by cohort (percent)

Cohort

1 Cohort 2 Cohort 3 Cohort 4 Total

20

Question C5: Were you employed during your study? Please include full-time as well as part-time

work; excluded are internships.

It can be seen from the table above that 62 percent of all the respondents indicated that they

were working during the course of their studies. Of these, 77 percent were full-time employees. It

can therefore be argued that even though most of the employers do not provide training or

education fringe benefits (See Table 29) they are supportive to employees that seek further

training. This is evident in the fact the respondents remained employees of these organisations

during their training periods.

Table 8: Duration of employment during study by cohort (percent)

Question C6: For how many months were you employed during your study?

Table 8 had indicated that 49 respondents had said that they were working (either part-time or

full-time) during the course of their studies. However, when asked on the duration of their

employment, only 15 respondents answered the question. This response rate is too low for any

meaningful inferences to be made.

Employment during

study

Yes, part-time 8 10 21 8 14

Yes, full-time 38 57 48 38 48

No 54 33 30 54 39

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 13 21 33 13 80

Cohort 1

Cohort

2 Cohort 3 Cohort 4 Total

Duration of employment during

study

Less than one month 0 50 0 100 13

One to 6 months 0 50 64 0 53

13 to 24 months 0 0 9 0 7

More than 24 months 100 0 27 0 27

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 1 2 11 1 15

21

Table 9: Employment status after graduation by gender (percent)

Male Female Total

Employment status after graduation

At the time of completion of studies

14

6

11

Less than a month after completing studies 8 12 10

1 month to less than 3 months after completing

studies 20 18 19

3 months to less than 6 months after completing

studies 18 21 19


studies 12 21 16


studies 12 12 12

More than one year after completing studies 12 6 10

I have not been employed since I completed my

studies 2 3 2

Was already employed 2 0 1

Total 100 100 100

Count 50 33 83

Question F2: When did you start your first job after you completed your studies?

At the time of the study, almost all the respondents were employed with only 2 percent being out

of job at the time of study. Fifty nine percent had found jobs within 6 months of completing

their studies at Mzuzu University. Of the 83 respondents, 50 percent were male.

Despite the fact that most of the respondents were able to find jobs at some point after the

completion of their studies at MZUNI, almost 20 percent were out of job at the time of study.

The majority of these were self-employed and were not even searching for formal employment.

22

4.0.2 Perceptions of FoT&HM graduates on the adequacy of their degree

programs

To determine the graduates’ perceptions of the adequacy of the degree program that they

attended at Mzuzu University, graduates were asked to rate the institution/faculty on various

aspects of their study. The following tables show the associated results:

Table 10: Study conditions and provisions at Mzuzu University (percent)

Very

bad Poor

Modes

t

Goo

d

Very

good

Study conditions and provisions at Mzuzu

University

Quality of classroom learning 5 15 43 30 7

Student recreational facilities on campus 14 44 26 13 2

Availability of learning materials (e.g. books,

Internet access 8 23 41 24 4

Opportunity for consultation with teaching staff 1 7 22 41 29

Quality of teaching 1 7 23 56 13

Teaching/grading system 0 7 42 38 13

Internship/industrial attachment programme 5 10 36 30 20

Academic interaction with fellow students 1 4 19 37 40

Chances of students to have on MZUNI policies 6 18 37 32 6

Availability of technical equipment (e.g. lab

equipment, measuring instruments, computer lab) 11 22 37 21 10

Quality of technical equipment 11 26 32 23 8

Availability of teaching materials 1 20 41 31 7

Quality of buildings/facilities 7 26 51 11 5

Stocking of the library with relevant materials 8 29 37 19 6

Question D1: How would you rate the study conditions and provisions you experienced at

Mzuzu University?

Quality of classroom learning was one of the areas in which the respondents rated Mzuzu

University poorly as 63 percent of the respondents felt that the University’s performance in this

area was at its best just modest. This is not an encouraging finding for the University and the

Faculty in particular as it implies that the taught component of its curricula may have not been

delivered with the desired level of effectiveness. About 70 percent of the respondents rated

opportunity for consultation with teaching staff as either good or very good. Only 8 percent of

the respondents rated the variable as either poor or very bad. This is an encouraging finding

considering that consultation with teaching staff has a positive correlation with student

performance. Quality of teaching was rated as either good or very good by a majority of the

respondents (69%). Considering that about 23 percent of the respondents rated the variable as

modest, some improvement in the quality of teaching could go a long way in improving the

overall satisfaction of students with teaching offered by the Faculty.

Almost 76 percent of the respondents rated their academic interaction with fellow students as

either good or very good. Only 5 percent of the respondents rated the same as either very bad or

23

poor. This implies that there was a reasonably good level of academic interaction among the

graduates during their course of studies.

Regarding availability of technical equipment, approximately 70 percent of the respondents felt

that, at most, the University’s performance was just average during their studies. Considering that

the two programmes are highly practical in nature and require a lot of technical equipment, this

finding should be a cause for concern. Moreover, majority of the respondents (69%) were of the

view that, at the maximum, the quality of the technical equipment available at the time of their

training was just average. As it has already been pointed that the two programmes offered by the

Faculty are highly practical in nature and that they require use of modern equipment, this is a

worrying finding. It should however be noted that this problem will very soon be addressed as

Mzuzu University has obtained funds through a World Bank skills development project grant to

construct a purpose-built tourism and hospitality training facility (skills development centre)

which will be equipped with not only adequate but also state-of-the-art equipment to enhance the

practical training of the students attending programmes offered by the Faculty.

Furthermore, approximately 62% of the respondents indicated that they had at most just the

minimum level of teaching materials available during the course of their studies. This raises

concern as it might be an indication that there was a scramble for teaching and learning materials

during the graduates’ studies at the University. Regarding library resources, approximately 74%

percent reported that they were at the maximum just satisfied with the level of relevance of

library resources that were available at the University during their time of study. Like most of the

results under this section, this result is not very encouraging as the availability of relevant library

resources is crucial to the academic success of every university student. Similarly, the availability

of learning materials was rated as either bad or poor by at least 31 percent of the respondents

whilst 41 percent rated the same as average. Again this result calls for immediate Faculty action to

ensure that its curricula are delivered to the intended depth and quality. Similarly, in the SDP

alluded to earlier on, the Faculty will be in a position to acquire relevant teaching and learning

materials such as books, computers, industry-oriented training/application software and access to

online journals and periodicals.

Additionally, the above table shows that about 93 percent of the respondents felt that the grading

system in the Faculty was, at the minimum, reasonably relevant. This is an encouraging finding

since it implies that the graduates felt that the grades that they obtained in various courses were at

least fair. On the other hand, a relatively small percentage (14%) of the respondents felt that the

conditions of the internship programme that they went through was either or poor. The rest were

at least just satisfied with the conditions of the same. This is a favourable result considering that

the internship programme is a crucial element of the study programmes offered by the Faculty. It

is expected that the practical component of the two programmes will further be improved with

the establishment of the Skills Development Centre as the students will have a chance to practice

whatever they learn in a real industry setting at the Centre before going to industry for the

internship.

Most of the respondents (51%) rated the quality of the University’s buildings or facilities as being

average. However this finding was skewed towards the negative side as 33 percent of the

respondents, compared to about 16 percent who had contrary views, had indicated that quality of

the buildings was poor to very bad. The establishment of the SDC will to a very significant extent

24

alleviate this problem as the centre will have modern and purpose-built classrooms and other

facilities for the Faculty’s students.

Lastly, respondents were also asked to rate the University on availability of recreation facilities

during their time of studies. Considering the fact that the University does not have adequate

facilities, the ratings were expectedly unfavourable with 58 percent rating MZUNI’s recreation

facilities as being at their best poor and 26 percent rating them as being just average. Since active

life styles and adequate leisure time are necessary for students to excel academically, this finding is

also a cause for concern to MZUNI.

Table 11 shows the ratings of MZUNI study conditions and provisions by program of study. As

the table clearly shows, the average ratings do not vary much across the two programs for most

of the study conditions or provisions. However, they seem to show that on average, relevant

library materials were more abundantly available for hospitality management students than they

were for tourism students. Moreover, hospitality graduates appeared to believe to have had a lot

more influence on MZUNI policies than did tourism graduates. Mzuzu University however

accords all students the same opportunity to be heard. It is however possible that at departmental

level, decision making was more inclusive in the Hospitality Management Department than they

were in Tourism Department.

Table 12 below highlights the differences in the average ratings across the four cohorts that have

graduated from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management since its inception. It can be

seen from the Table that on average, all cohorts rated availability or quality of student

recreational facilities on campus quite poorly. However, quality of teaching, opportunity for

consultation with teaching staff, academic interaction with other students and the internship

component of their training were rated quite favourably. The rest of the study conditions and

provisions were rated as average.

25

Table 11 Rating of study conditions and study provisions by study programme (arithmetic mean)

Hospitality

Tourism Management Total Rating of study conditions and study provisions

Quality of classroom learning. 3.0 3.4 3.2

Student recreational facilities on campus. 2.4 2.5 2.5

Availability of learning materials (e.g. books, internet access).2.9 3.0 2.9

Opportunity for consultation with teaching staff. 4.0 3.8 3.9

Quality of teaching. 3.9 3.6 3.7

Teaching/grading system. 3.6 3.6 3.6

Internship/industrial attachment programme. 3.5 3.6 3.6

Academic interaction with fellow students. 3.9 4.2 4.1

Chances for students to have an influence on MZUNI policies. 3.2 3.7 3.5

Availability of technical equipment

(e.g. lab equipment, measuring instruments, computer lab).3.0 3.0 3.0

Quality of technical equipment. 2.7 3.0 2.9

Availability of teaching materials. 3.0 3.3 3.2

Quality of buildings/facilities. 2.8 2.8 2.8

Stocking of the library with relevant materials. 2.9 3.5 3.3 Count 33 49 82 Question D1: How would you rate the study conditions and provisions you experienced at Mzuzu University? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Very bad' to 5 = ' Very good'

26

Table 12: Rating of study conditions and study provisions by study cohort

(arithmetic mean)

Cohort 1

Cohort 2

Cohort 3

Cohort 4

Total

Rating of study conditions and study provisions Quality of classroom learning 3.6 3.1 3.0 3.5 3.2

Student recreational facilities on campus 2.7 2.2 2.4 2.7 2.4 Availability of learning materials (e.g. books, internet access) 3.0 2.9 2.6 3.6 2.9 Opportunity for consultation with teaching staff 4.0 3.7 4.0 3.9 3.9

Quality of teaching 3.9 3.4 4.0 3.6 3.8

Teaching/grading system 3.8 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.6 Internship/industrial attachment programme 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.7 3.5

Academic interaction with fellow students 4.4 3.8 4.1 4.2 4.1 Chances for students to have an influence on MZUNI policies 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.1 Availability of technical equipment (e.g. lab equipment, measuring instruments, computer lab) 2.5 3.1 3.0 3.3 3.0

Quality of technical equipment 2.4 3.0 3.0 3.2 2.9

Availability of teaching materials 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.8 3.2

Quality of buildings/facilities 2.8 2.6 2.9 3.0 2.8 Stocking of the library with relevant materials 2.6 2.6 3.8 3.3 3.2

Question D1: How would you rate the study conditions and provisions you experienced at

Mzuzu University? (Key: 1 – Very bad; 2 – Poor; 3 – Modest; 4 – Good; 5 – Very Good)

Respondents were also asked how much time they spent in class per a week during their studies

at Mzuzu University. The table below shows the results for this measure of adequacy:

Table 13: Duration of attending courses by cohort (percent)

Cohort 1 Cohort 2 Cohort 3 Cohort 4 Total

Duration of attending courses

Up to 10 hours 9 5 0 8 4

11 to 19 hours 9 0 4 8 4

20 to 29 hours 45 36 52 17 40

30 to 39 hours 18 36 24 25 27

40 to 49 hours 18 18 16 33 20

50 hours and more 0 5 4 8 4

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 11 22 25 12 70

Question B7: On average, how many hours per week did you spend attending courses / classes

during the course of your study?

27

In response to the question, 4 percent (3 respondents) of the respondents said that at most they

spent only 10 hours a week in class. Since a standard semester has 6 courses, this response

implies that the respondents spent a maximum of 1 hour per week in class for certain courses.

Majority of the respondents spent at least 20 hours in class. The current curricula were designed

such that a student spends a maximum of 24 hours in class per week (that is in the absence of

make-up sessions among other things). Thus majority of the respondents attended classes as they

were required to (4 hours per week per course). Consistent class attendance could be taken as an

indication that the content covered during the courses of study was heavy or deep enough to

make students feel the need to attend class. Even though 24 percent of the respondents indicated

that they attended class for more than 40 hours a week, the result seems implausible. The

respondents must have included, in their responses, laboratory hours.

The table below shows independent student learning hours per week for the graduates.

Table 14: Duration of study activities outside courses by cohort (percent)


Duration of attending courses Up to 10 hours 23 29 21 38 27

11 to 19 hours 23 29 25 31 27

20 to 29 hours 31 29 21 8 23

30 to 39 hours 8 10 21 8 13

40 to 49 hours 15 5 7 8 8

50 hours and more 0 0 4 8 3

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 13 21 28 13 75

Question B8: On average, how many hours per week did you spend on study activities outside of

courses/classes during the course of your study?

The above results show that majority of the respondents reported that they studied

independently less than 48 hours a week. This could be an indication that course instructors

provided students with more information than they needed to and therefore denying them the

responsibility and necessity to seek out more and new information independently.

Table 15: Internships/ practical attachments during course of studies by cohort

(percent)


Internships/practical 100 100 94 93 96

28

attachments Yes

No 0 0 6 7 4

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 13 22 34 14 83

Question C1: Did you do any internships/practical attachments during your course of studies

(this does not refer to team projects, practical courses etc.)?

Industrial attachments for tourism and hospitality students are compulsory as they allow students

to experience first-hand the workings of the industry. Consequently, respondents from all the

four cohorts had internships/practical attachments during their course of study at the University.

Cohorts 1 and 2 attended two 3 month internships whereas cohorts 3 and 4 attended a 6-month

internship each. The ones in cohorts 3 and 4 who indicated that they did not have any

internship/practical attachments might have indicated so perhaps because they did not

understand the question.

Further to the evaluation of study conditions and provisions at Mzuzu University and various

ways in which students acquired knowledge during their studies, evaluation of various elements

that relate to employment and work was also used to determine the adequacy of the two degree

programs. The following table shows the average ratings in form of arithmetic means of the

various items that were assessed.

Table 16: Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work by study programme (arithmetic mean)

Hospitality

Tourism Management Total Evaluation of the study elements related to employment

and work

Professional advice provided by teaching staff. 4.0 3.8 3.9

Support of internship/Industrial attachment search. 4.0 4.0 4.0

Practice-oriented teaching contents. 3.8 3.3 3.5

Practical experiences of teaching staff. 4.1 4.0 4.0

Mandatory internships/Industrial attachments. 3.7 3.9 3.8

Support of employment/job search. 2.9 2.3 2.6

Preparation for work. 3.7 3.2 3.4

Individual occupational advice in the field/subject specific knowledge. 3.4 3.2 3.3 Count 33 49 82 Question D2: How do you rate the following elements related to employment and work in your study course/training? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Very bad' to 5 = 'Very good'

It is evident in the table above that respondents rated their programs very highly in the areas of

professional advice, support during internship search and practical experience of teaching staff.

On the other hand, practice oriented teaching content, and mandatory internships were rated just

above average. Ratings were particularly low for support of job search followed by individual

29

occupational advice in subject specific knowledge. These results were somehow expected as the

University as a whole, as well as the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in particular,

have not actively sought to be part of the graduates’ job search efforts. Moreover, the Faculty is

in the process of enhancing its engagement with students’ even further so as to accord them

maximum support in this area as well as that of providing individual occupational advice. Up

until now, these have been done but in individual capacity of various members of the Faculty.

Ratings of the same items by cohorts can be seen in the table below.

30

Table 17: Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work (arithmetic mean)


Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work Professional advice provided by teaching staff 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.2 3.9 Support of internship/Industrial attachment search 4.2 3.8 3.8 4.5 4.0

Practice-oriented teaching contents 3.7 3.6 3.3 3.7 3.5

Practical experiences of teaching staff 3.8 4.1 4.0 4.2 4.0 Mandatory internships/Industrial attachments 4.2 3.4 3.8 4.1 3.8

Support of employment/job search 2.8 2.8 2.8 1.7 2.6

Preparation for work 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4

Individual occupational advice in the field/subject specific knowledge 3.0 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3

Question D2: How would you rate the following elements related to employment and work in

your study course/training?

Key: 1. Very bad; 2. Poor; 3. Modest; 4. Good; 5. Very Good

The Table 17 above shows that on the most part, all cohorts rated various elements similarly. For

instance, professional advice provided by teaching staff and practical experiences of the same

staff were both rated very highly by all cohorts. In the same manner, all cohorts found the degree

or quality of support that they obtain from the university in terms of job search less than average.

The following table, Table 18, shows ratings of the same elements that have now been

categorized by program of study. The table shows that although ratings for certain elements are

similar for the two programs of study that followed by the respondents, there were notable

differences in those for other elements. Whereas 66 percent of the respondents who had studied

for a BSc in Tourism felt that practice oriented teaching content formed a very significant part of

their program, only 46 percent of those who had studied for a BSc in Hospitality Management

felt the same way about their own program of study. Similarly, whereas 64 percent of the BSc in

Tourism program rated their preparation for work very highly, only 45 percent of BSc Hospitality

Management graduates said the same thing about their program. Even though respondents from

both programs rated support for employment search poorly, BSc in Hospitality Management was

rated even more poorly than the BSc in Tourism program with the two. The areas in which BSc

Hospitality Management did better than BSc Tourism, the differences were less pronounced.

It is important to note that respondents rated both programs to have been below average in their

ability if not willingness to provide students with adequate individual occupational advice. Both

programs may find it necessary to acquire more information on their ratings so as to boost their

outlook to prospective as well as current students seeing neither one of them was rated

exceptionally favourably by the respondents on any of the elements.

31

Table 18: Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work by study program (percent)

Hospitality

Tourism Management Total Evaluation of the study elements related to employment and work

Professional advice provided by teaching staff

High 68 71 70

Medium 6 15 11

Low 26 15 19

Support of internship/Industrial attachment search

High 73 72 73

Medium 12 9 10

Low 15 19 18

Practice-oriented teaching contents

High 66 48 55

Medium 13 15 14

Low 22 38 31

Practical experiences of teaching staff

High 78 76 77

Medium 3 4 4

Low 19 20 19

Mandatory internships/Industrial attachments

High 58 64 62

Medium 23 10 15

Low 19 26 23

Support of employment/job search

High 39 23 30

Medium 42 60 53

Low 18 17 18

Preparation for work

High 64 45 53

Medium 18 23 21

Low 18 32 26

Individual occupational advice in the field/subject

specific knowledge

High 39 45 43

Medium 21 26 24

Low 39 30 34

Count 33 49 82 Question D2: How do you rate the following elements related to employment and work in your study course/training? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Very bad' to 5 = 'Very good'.

32

Adequacy of the programs was also assessed using ratings by the respondents of their acquired skills following their training at Mzuzu University. Table 23, further below, lists the skills of interest and also shows their corresponding average ratings by program of study as well as overall ratings. Table 22, on the other hand, shows the proportions of the respondents that rated each listed skill in a particular way e.g. “High” or “Low”.

Table 19: Acquired competencies at the time of graduation by study program (percent)

Hospitality

Tourism Management Total Acquired competencies at the time of graduation

Mastery of my field/subject specific knowledge

High 91 70 78

Medium 6 4 5

Low 3 26 17

Ability to develop new ideas and solutions

High 84 74 78

Medium 0 2 1

Low 16 23 20

Ability to adapt to changing conditions

High 91 87 89

Medium 0 2 1

Low 9 11 10

Analytical thinking

High 94 98 96

Medium 0 2 1

Low 6 0 3

Willingness to question my and other’s ideas

High 84 79 81

Medium 0 4 3

Low 16 17 17

Ability to work efficiently towards a goal

High 94 87 90

Medium 0 4 3

Low 6 9 8

Ability to organise my work processes efficiently

High 87 91 90

Low 13 9 10

Ability to work productively with others

High 94 94 94

Low 6 6 6

Ability to perform well under pressure

High 100 85 91

Medium 0 2 1

33

Low 0 13 8

Count 32 47 79 Question E1: To what extent did you acquire the following skills / competencies upon completion of studies? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

Table 19 above shows that majority of respondents from both programs of study felt that they

had acquired a substantial level of skills in all areas that were listed. There are also not many

differences in ratings across the two programs. However, notably more respondents (91 percent)

that graduated with BSc in Tourism felt that they had attained exceptional mastery of field

specific knowledge than did those that had graduated with a BSc in Hospitality Management (70

percent). Notwithstanding the need for improvement in a few areas, results in the table above are

impressive as they imply that the graduates that the Faculty has produced over the past years are

able to put the knowledge they acquired to practice.

Table 20: Acquired competencies at the time of graduation by study program (arithmetic mean)

Hospitality

Tourism Management Total Acquired competencies at the time of graduation

Mastery of my field/subject specific knowledge. 4.0 4.2 4.1

Ability to develop new ideas and solutions. 4.2 4.1 4.1

Ability to adapt to changing conditions. 4.4 4.4 4.4

Analytical thinking. 4.4 4.3 4.3

Willingness to question my and other’s ideas. 4.3 4.2 4.2

Ability to work efficiently towards a goal. 4.5 4.3 4.4

Ability to organise my work processes efficiently. 4.4 4.3 4.3

Ability to work productively with others. 4.5 4.5 4.5

Ability to perform well under pressure. 4.5 4.3 4.4 Count 32 47 79 Question E1: To what extent did you acquire the following skills / competencies upon completion of studies? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

The mean ratings in Table 20 above restate the story told by Table 22. Respondents from both

programs feel that they had acquired a very good level of mastery of all the listed skills in the

table. This result seems to indicate that the respondents perceive the skills that they obtained

during the course of their studies as more than just adequate.

Lastly, having graduated from Mzuzu University a year or more prior to the tracer study,

respondents were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with the studies that they had

undergone at the institution. The table below shows the results of this investigation categorized

by program of study.

It can be seen from the table that respondents for both programs rated their level of satisfaction

with their studies as being higher than average. Seventy five (70) percent of BSc Hospitality

Management respondents compared to 75 percent of BSc Tourism respondents were satisfied to

34

an at least high extent with their studies at Mzuzu University. Overall, only 9 percent of the

respondents were at most only somewhat satisfied. Much as it is appreciated that one’s

satisfaction with one’s program of study is a function of many variables, adequacy of a program

forms part of the ratings. In this case, adequacy is defined in terms of quality and depth of

material covered, student support, practical elements, quality of teaching and learning, etc.

Table 21: Satisfaction with the study in general by study programme (percent) Hospitality

Tourism Management Total Satisfaction with the study in general

Not at all 3 4 4

Somewhat 3 6 5

To some extent 19 19 19

To high extent 50 53 52

To very high extent 25 17 20 Total 100 100 100

Count 32 47 79 Question E4: In retrospective, to what extent are you satisfied with your studies in general? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

Table 22: Satisfaction with studies in general by cohort (percent)

Cohort

1 Cohort

2 Cohort

3 Cohort

4 Total

Satisfaction with the study in general

Not at all 8 10 0 0 4

Somewhat 0 10 3 7 5

To some extent 17 10 32 7 19

To high extent 50 57 42 71 53

To very high extent 25 14 23 14 19

Total 100 100 100 100 100

Count 12 21 31 14 78

Question E4: In retrospective, to what extent are you satisfied with your studies in general?

In rating their studies at MZUNI in general, compared to Cohort Three which registered a lesser

degree of contentment with their studies at MZUNI, Cohort Four expressed a high degree of

satisfaction with 85 percent saying they were at the minimum highly content with their training

program. It was an interesting thing however, to note that even though Cohort Three’s rating of

their studies at MZUNI was more inclined towards “just average” compared to all the other three

cohorts that had more favourable ratings, only 3 percent of the respondents from that cohort (a

global minimum) thought that at best, they were somewhat satisfied with their studies at MZUNI.

Overall, 71 percent of the respondents said they were at least highly content with their studies at

MZUNI whilst only 9 percent said they were at best somewhat satisfied with the same.

35

4.0.3 Features characterising the job market for FoT&HM graduates

In order to understand the job market in which BSc Tourism and BSc Hospitality Management

graduates operate, among other things, respondents were asked various questions that ranged

from whether they were employed or not, the duration of their job search and their type of

employer and economic sector they were employed in. These questions could help the Faculty

understand the job market by determining the size of the job market (numbers of graduates

employed), the skill and attitude sets required (type of employer) and the applicability of

graduates’ skills and knowledge to other sectors (sector of employment and type of employer).

When asked whether they were employed or not, about 81 percent of 82 graduates that answered

this question, said they were employed.

Table 23: Employment status at the time of the survey by study programme (percent; multiple responses)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Employment status at the time of the survey

Paid employment (e.g. wage, salary) 78 81 80

Self-employed 13 28 22

Occasional job (just to earn money) 6 11 9

Internship/practical attachment currently 6 0 3

Further academic/professional education (higher education)9 9 9

Further vocational education/training 0 2 1

Household work (family care) 0 13 8

Not employed, but searching for a job 13 6 9

Other 6 0 3 Total 131 149 142

Count 32 47 79 Question G1: What applies to your current situation? Multiple answers possible

Results in the table above show that 80 percent of the respondents were in paid employment.

Considering that only 9 percent of the respondents had indicated that they were not employed by

were searching for a job, it can safely be concluded that the job market for the graduates is

considerably sizeable enough to offer the graduates job opportunities. It is also interesting to note

that 22 percent of the graduates had gone into self-employment; a potential signal of the strength

of the entrepreneurship training component of the two programmes. However, it would be

interesting to find out in subsequent studies why more graduates hospitality management

graduates had gone into self-employment than their tourism counterparts.

36

Table 24: Duration of job search (only graduates who searched a job after graduation) by study programme (percent: only graduates who searched for a job after graduation)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Duration of job search (only graduates who searched a job after graduation)

Up to 1 month 10 26 19

2 to 3 months 24 21 22

4 to 6 months 24 26 25

7 to 9 months 3 5 4

10 months to 12 months 7 13 10

More than 12 months 31 10 19 Total 100 100 100

Count 29 39 68 Question F6: How long have you searched for your first job? Include also job search period before completion of study

From the table above it can be seen that about 80 percent of the graduates were able to secure a

job within the first 12 months after graduation. This is a favourable finding considering the

competitiveness of the job market and the state of the economy in Malawi.

Table 25: Type of employer by study programme (percent: only employed graduates) Tourism Hospitality Management Total Type of employer

Government 14 12 13

Parastatal 10 12 11

Private company 55 57 56

Self-employed 7 7 7

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) 14 7 10

Other 0 5 3 Total 100 100 100

Count 29 42 71 Question G9: What type of employer do you work for?

Results in the table above show that the majority of the graduates (about 57%) were employed in

the private sector. The Government, statutory institutions inclusive, was the second largest

employer of the graduates (approx. 24%). The least important employer was miscellaneous. This

is a positive finding as the two degree programmes are aimed at producing graduates mainly for

the private sector.

37

Table 26: Economic sector of employment by study programme (percent only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Economic sector

Banking 10 5 7

Tourism 34 49 43

Education 28 21 24

Others 28 26 26 Total 100 100 100

Count 29 43 72 Question G10: In which economic sector are you currently employed (e.g. fishery, primary education, textile industry)?

Results show that the tourism sector employed the greatest proportion (43%) of the graduates

than any other sector. The second largest employer-sector was miscellaneous, a finding that could

mean that the skills, knowledge and attitudes that the graduates acquired were wide enough to

enable them get jobs in various sectors beyond the tourism sector. Interestingly, at least 24% of

the graduates were employed in the education sector. This could be a result of the proliferation of

private secondary schools and colleges/universities which easily recruit job-seeking graduates as

part-time/temporary teachers and tutors.

38

4.0.4 To identify the challenges that FoT&HM graduates face in the job market.

This objective sought to identify the challenges that the graduates from the Faculty were facing in

industry. To address this objective a number of questions as regards the period in which the

graduates started looking for jobs, the methods they used to find jobs, the number of jobs they

had had after graduation, etc, were asked. The tables that follow present the respondents’

respondents to the questions.

Table 27: Time of job search by programme (percent)

BSc Tourism BSc Hospitality Management

Total

Time of job search Prior to graduation 48 41 44

At the time of graduation 24 27 26

After graduation 28 32 31

Total 100 100 100

Count 25 37 62

Question F5: When did you start searching for a job?

It can be seen from the table that less than half of the respondents (44%) started searching for

jobs prior to graduation. Much as this proportion is not much on a lower side, it is not desirable.

Considering the competitiveness of the job market in Malawi today, it would have been better if

majority of the respondents had started looking for a job prior to graduation so as to increase

their chances of getting a job earlier. It should also be noted that the Faculty encourages students,

as a matter of policy, to explore the possibilities of securing jobs while on internships as the

students go on internship in their seventh semester, with only one semester to go before they

finish their studies. If this approach is consistently impressed upon students, their chances of

finding jobs earlier could improve.

39

Table 28: Job search methods for first job by study programme (percent; multiple responses)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Job search methods for first job

Job ads/announcements (e.g. newspaper, internet, notice). 58 47 51

With the help of parents and relatives. 10 6 8

With help of personal contacts, friends and fellow students.48 28 36

Speculative application – independent contact to employers.26 26 26

Through internships during my course of studies 3 15 10

Through internships after graduation 0 6 4

Through side jobs during and after completion of the study 0 0 0

I was contacted by an employer 3 15 10

Job fair. 0 0 0

Through public job centre(labour office). 3 0 1

Through private job agencies. 3 0 1

Through social networks (e.g. facebook). 23 11 15

Through staff at MZUNI. 3 6 5

Not applicable, I have not searched for employment 3 0 1

Other 0 6 4 Total 184 166 173

Count 31 47 78 Question F3: How did you search for the first job after you completed your studies? Multiple answers possible

Results in the table above show that about 51% of those who were employed had been in their

jobs for more than 12 months. This is a positive finding considering that more than half of the

graduates were able to retain jobs for over a year; a likely pointer to job stability and career

progression for the graduates. Even though it could have been interesting to understand why 49%

of the respondents had not kept their jobs for more than a year, the study did not investigate why

that was the case.

40

Table 29: District of employment by study programme (percent; only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total District of employment

Dedza 7 2 4

Lilongwe 34 29 31

Mchinji 3 0 1

Nkhotakota 3 0 1

Ntcheu 3 0 1

Salima 0 5 3

Karonga 0 2 1

Mzimba 7 17 13

Nkhata Bay 0 2 1

Balaka 3 2 3

Blantyre 24 33 30

Mangochi 3 5 4

Mulanje 3 0 1

Thyolo 3 2 3

Zomba 3 0 1 Total 100 100 100

Count 29 42 71 Question G8: In which district of Malawi are you employed?

In terms of location of employment, the table above shows that the majority of the graduates

(about 61%) are working in Malawi’s major cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre. Probably this result is

due to the large number of tourism establishments as well as other service providers in the two

cities. However, considering that a majority of resort properties are located outside these cities,

this could imply that a majority of these small and medium-sized resort properties have not

employed a significant number of the graduates. Thus, it is incumbent upon the Faculty to

intensify its engagements with the small and medium resort properties so that the latter should be

acquainted with the study programmes offered by the Faculty and together explore possibilities

for collaboration (short courses, curriculum development, graduate recruitment, etc).

41

Table 30: Number of jobs since graduation by study programme (percent) Tourism Hospitality Management Total Number of jobs since graduation

No job, I have never been employed since completion of studies 0 4 2

One job 38 30 33

Two jobs 28 36 33

Three jobs 22 18 20

More than three jobs 13 12 12 Total 100 100 100

Count 32 50 82 Question G3: How many jobs (including your current one) have you had altogether after completing your study?

About 30% of the respondents had changed jobs three or more times after their graduation. This

is an undesirable trend considering that it could indicate that the graduates are not satisfied with

the jobs that they get or that the employers are not satisfied with the quality of graduates the

Faculty has been producing. However, it should be noted that the tourism industry is usually

associated with high labour turnover due to generally low wages and demanding work

environments and, such being the case, the rate of job turnover reported by the respondents

might not be out of the norm, much as it is not desirable.

Table 31: Gross monthly income by study programme (percent: only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Gross monthly income

Less than 100,000 MK 24 19 21

100,001-200,000 MK 31 43 38

200,001-300,00 MK 14 10 11

300,001-400,000 MK 10 10 10

400,001-500,000 MK 10 10 10

500,001-600,000 MK 0 2 1

600,001-700,000 MK 0 5 3

700,001-800,000 MK 3 2 3

More than 800,000 MK 7 0 3 Total 100 100 100

Count 29 42 71 Question G14: What is your current gross monthly income?

42

Results show that up to 70% of the graduates were earning up to MK 300,000 as their gross

monthly income. This is probably within the salary range of an entry level civil servant, thus it

might be acceptable. However, the group of respondents (20 percent) that were earning less than

MK 100,000 per month as their gross salary should be a cause for concern as they might be the

ones accounting for the relatively high labour turnover rate reported in the previous table. This

could have a negative impact on service quality standards in the tourism industry in Malawi.

Table 32: Kind of fringe/other benefit(s) by study programme (percent; multiple responses: only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Kind of fringe/other benefit(s)

Housing (subsidy, rent allowance) 25 26 25

Transportation (car/transport allowance) 25 18 21

Health (medical aid, insurances) 39 51 46

Education and training (staff development, family study rebate) 18 31 25

Utility (Electricity, Water, TV subscription, etc.) 4 10 7

None 32 21 25

Other 7 3 4 Total 150 159 155

Count 28 39 67 Question G15: What kind of fringe/other benefit(s) do you receive? Multiple answers possible

The results show that 75 % of the respondents indicated that they did not receive any housing-

related fringe benefits. This is not a surprising finding considering that most employers in Malawi

do not provide housing or housing allowance/subsidy to junior and intermediate level staff.

Although it was expected that employees in the tourism sector would be provided with transport

to and from work, the table above shows that 80 percent of the respondents did not have

car/transport allowance as a benefit. This finding might be explained by the fact that 50% of

employed graduates were in sectors other than tourism. Additionally, the majority of those who

were in the tourism sector were employed by relatively small or medium enterprises which might

not have had the capacity or the willingness to offer this benefit.

It can further be seen that 58% of employed graduates were not beneficiaries of medical aid

insurance cover. Bearing in mind the fact that most of the graduates received net monthly pays of

MK 216,750 or less, it is safe to speculate that most of them find it difficult to subscribe to

43

medical aid schemes even when the facilities are available at their work place. Moreover, it is

likely that those who were willing to join the schemes did not have the opportunity to do so as

they are employed by small and medium tourism enterprises who do not offer such benefits to

their employees.

Approximately 78 percent of the respondents indicated that staff development or family study

rebate was not among the benefits offered by their employers. Again, this could be due to the

fact that most of the graduates are either employed by small and medium sized enterprises or are

self employed. In Malawi, only large organizations such as parastatals and hotel chains offer such

benefits.

Results show that less than 7 percent of the employed graduates had utility allowances as part of

their fringe benefits. This is not a surprising finding considering that most employers in Malawi,

both Government and private, do not provide such fringe benefits to their employees.

In the table above it can be seen that approximately 25 percent of those in employment did not

receive any form of fringe benefits. This result implies that remuneration packages for the

graduates are indeed low. This could explain the relatively high rate of employee turnover

observed in Table 27 above.

Table 33: Working hours per week by study programme (percent: only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Working hours per week

Up to 10 hours per week 7 5 6

11 to 20 hours per week 10 5 7




More than 50 hours per week 17 20 19 Total 100 100 100

Count 29 41 70 Question G4: How many hours on average do you work per week?

Cumulatively, about 21% of the graduates work less than the standard 40 hours per week. This

could be explained by a proportion of the respondents who reported to have been working part-

time and, therefore, they could be earning less than what they should earn. This could have a

44

negative implication on their degree of job satisfaction. Furthermore, about 18% of the

respondents worked more than 50 hours per week which is much more than the hours they

should work. This again could have a negative impact on their job satisfaction as it means less

time for leisure and family.

Table 34: Size of the company/firm/organisation by study programme (percent: only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Size of the company/firm/organisation

Up to 10 employees 21 14 17

11-50 employees 18 33 27

51-100 employees 14 16 15

101-250 employees 11 7 8

251-1000 employees 18 26 23

More than 1000 employees 18 5 10 Total 100 100 100

Count 28 43 71 Question G16: How many employees work in your company / organisation? Please estimate the number

Results reveal that up to 68 percent of the graduates were employed in small and medium

enterprises. Furthermore, this could imply that there were few opportunities for upward mobility

in the graduates’ careers since most them had been employed in SMEs.

45

Table 35: Comparison of salaries across employment sectors

Type of employer

Gross monthly

salary (MK)

Government Parastatal

Private

company

Self-

employed

Non-

governmental

organisation

(NGO) Other

Total

Less than

100,000 1 0 8 2 3 0 14

100,001-200,000 4 1 19 3 1 1 29

200,001-300,00 3 1 4 0 0 0 8

300,001-400,000 0 1 7 0 0 0 8

400,001-500,000 0 2 3 0 2 0 7

500,001-600,000 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

600,001-700,000 0 1 0 0 0 1 2

700,001-800,000 1 1 0 0 0 0 2

More than

800,000 0 1 0 0 1 0 2

Total 10 8 41 5 7 2 73

The table above shows that even though the private sector employs most of the graduates that

the Faculty produces, it only offers them low to intermediate pay checks. The Government

(inclusive of parastatals) offers some of the highest remunerations. The wage differentials

between the two sectors could be due to the fact that the graduates usually start off at relatively

low ranks in the private sector but intermediate to senior ranks in the government.

46

Table 36: Characteristics of employment and work by study programme

(arithmetic mean)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Characteristics of employment and work

Possibilities to realise own ideas 4.0 4.0 4.0

High salary 4.3 2.9 3.4

Interesting work tasks 3.9 3.5 3.6

Clear and regulated work tasks 4.0 3.4 3.6

Possibilities for applying acquired competencies 3.9 3.8 3.8

Job security 3.6 3.7 3.6

Social status and recognition 3.6 3.4 3.5

Good work atmosphere 3.6 3.5 3.6

Possibilities of further professional advancement 3.6 3.5 3.5

Possibility for providing social influence 3.8 3.6 3.7

To have a challenging job 3.7 3.7 3.7

Good career advancement prospects 3.8 3.7 3.7

Possibilities to do something useful for the society 3.9 3.8 3.9

Good conditions for managing both work-related and family-related issues 3.5 3.5 3.5

Sufficient time for leisure activities 3.5 3.0 3.2 Count 27 41 68 Question J1: To what extent do the following aspects apply to your current job situation? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

Except for job security, it can be seen from the table above that hospitality management

graduates scored all the variables lowly as compared to tourism graduates. This could be because

most hospitality management graduates start with entry-level positions that are usually

associated with low pay checks, especially in small and medium sized hospitality establishments.

On the other hand, most tourism graduates had been employed in allied service sectors where

they started in middle-level positions with relatively better conditions of employment. However,

it should be noted that in terms of absolute counts, hospitality management respondents were

by far more (41) than tourism respondents (27) and thus the spread of the latter’s responses

could have been minimal.

47

Table 37: Job satisfaction by study programme (percent) Tourism Hospitality Management Total Job satisfaction

Not at all 0 7 4

Somewhat 4 19 13



To a very high extent 15 14 14 Total 100 100 100

Count 27 42 69 Question J2: To what extent are you satisfied are you with your current job situation? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

Cumulatively, 82 percent of the respondents indicated that, at least to some extent, they are satisfied with their jobs. However, results show that respondents who had graduated from the hospitality management programme were relatively less satisfied as compared to their tourism counterparts. This could be because entry-level hospitality jobs are usually associated with low prestige, low pay checks, and long working hours and demanding work environments as seen under the characteristics of work section above.

4.0.5 To determine the relevance of the knowledge, skills and attitudes

acquired by FoT&HM graduates to their current jobs.

a) Relationship between study and employment Respondents were asked to rate the importance of the skills acquired during their course of study in their current jobs on a scale of 1-5 (1 representing not at all useful and 5 useful to a very high extent). The table below shows the outcomes. Table 38: Utilisation of acquired knowledge and skills in the job by study

programme (percent; arithmetic mean: only employed graduates) Tourism Hospitality Management Total Utilisation of knowledge and skills acquired during course of study in current job

Not at all 4 0 1

Somewhat 7 5 6



To a very high extent 46 33 38 Total 100 100 100

Count 28 43 71 Question I1: To what extent are the knowledge and skills you acquired during your course of study utilised in your current job? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

48

Results show that a majority of the respondents (79%) indicated that, at least to a high extent, the

skills and knowledge that they acquired during their studies were relevant to their current employment.

This is a positive finding as it could imply that the curricula for the two programs are customised to

the tourism’s industry needs. Further to that, since close to half of the respondents are working

outside an industry for which they were trained (Refer to Table 26), it could imply that even in the

allied services sectors the skills and knowledge acquired are relevant.

b) Appropriateness to their job

In this section, respondents were asked to state whether their field of study was appropriate to their current job. Table 39: Appropriateness of field of study for the job by study programme (percent:

only employed graduates) Tourism Hospitality Management Total Appropriateness of field of study for the job

Exclusively own field 33 31 32

Own and/or related field 56 45 49

A completely different field 7 12 10

No particular field 4 12 9 Total 100 100 100

Count 27 42 69 Question I2: In your opinion, what field of study is most appropriate for your current job?

Results show that about 49 percent of the respondents indicated that their own field of study was the

most appropriate for their current job. This could be explained by the finding that around half of the

respondents are working in the tourism sector (Refer to Table 26). About 32 percent of the

respondents indicated that their own field or a related field of study was most appropriate for their

current job. This could be explained by a good number of respondents that have jobs in tourism’s

allied sectors such as customer service, banking, marketing and general management. More

importantly, this could be an indication that the two programmes curricula are relevant to the

demands of the industry.

49

c) Work requirements

Table 40: Required competencies by study programme (arithmetic mean: only employed graduates)

Tourism Hospitality Management Total Required competencies by study programme

Mastery of my field/subject specific knowledge 4.0 4.2 4.1

Ability to develop new ideas and solutions 4.5 4.5 4.5

Ability to adapt to changing conditions 4.6 4.5 4.5

Analytical thinking 4.6 4.6 4.6

Ability to question my and others’ ideas 4.5 4.5 4.5

Ability to work efficiently towards a goal 4.7 4.7 4.7

Ability to organise my work processes efficiently 4.8 4.7 4.8

Ability to work productively with others 4.9 4.8 4.8

Ability to work under pressure 4.8 4.7 4.7 Count 28 46 74 Question H1: To what extent are the following skills / competencies required in your current job? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all' to 5 = 'To a very high extent'

Results show that all the skills/competencies given were rated as, almost to a high extent, important to

the respondents’ current jobs. Team work skills, ability to work well under pressure, the ability to

organise wok processes efficiently were rated as highly required (4.8/5; 4.7/5; 4.8/5) in the

respondents’ current job. This finding is not surprising considering that job tasks in the tourism

industry are usually carried out by teams working in demanding work environments. This could be a

signal to the Faculty to strengthen the management course combination of the two programmes so

students can be equipped with the said skills/competencies. It is interesting to note that mastery of

field/subject specific knowledge was the lowliest rated skill. This could be explained by the fact that

close to half of the respondents are working in sectors outside the tourism industry or in allied sectors

where specific field or subject knowledge would not be primarily important.

50

d) Usefulness of studies Table 41: Evaluation of the usefulness of studies by study programme (percent)

i. Tourism Hospitality Management Total

ii. Usefulness for finding a satisfying job after finishing your studies

High 59 57 58

Medium 13 26 21

Low 28 17 22

Usefulness for fulfilling your present professional tasks, if applicable

High 71 74 73

Medium 11 7 8

Low 18 19 18

Usefulness for your future professional development/career

High 79 78 78

Medium 0 15 9

Low 21 7 13

Usefulness for the development of your personality

High 84 84 84

Medium 0 9 5

Low 16 7 10

Usefulness for the economic development of your country

High 88 87 87

Medium 9 4 6

Low 3 9 6 iii.

Count 33 47 80 iv.

Question I6: Altogether: How do you rate the usefulness of your studies? Scale of answers from 1 = 'Not at all useful' to 5 = 'Very useful'

Results show that the respondents rated the usefulness of their studies generally highly among all the

variables given. The respondents highly rated their degree programmes on their usefulness for the

development of their country. This could be explained by the fact that Malawi Government has

identified tourism as one of the sectors that can be used to diversify and grow the economy of the

country. Eighty four (84) percent of the respondents from both study programmes indicated that the

study programmes were useful in that, to a high extent, they had helped them in the development of

their personalities.

Surprisingly, the usefulness of the programmes in helping the respondents to find jobs was rated the

lowest, with 59% (tourism) and 57% (hospitality management) of the respondents indicating that, to a

high extent, the programmes had helped them find a job after graduation. This finding should be

understood in context: close to half of the respondents are working in sectors that are seemingly

outside the tourism industry. However, most of these sectors, for instance banking and

telecommunications, are closely related to tourism, a fact that some of the graduates might not have

understood.

51

4.0.6 To measure the level of employer satisfaction with FoT&HM’s graduates

a) Characteristics of Respondents

Table 42: Category of business

Percentage

Category of business

Accommodation, food and beverages 46

Other 54

Total 100

Count 24

Question A4: Category of business

The study population consisted of organisations that have had employed the Faculty of Tourism

and Hospitality Management graduates from cohorts 2011 to 2015. A total of 27 employers

responded to the questionnaire representing more than 59% of the 46 who were targeted. An

exception was made to two organisations who had engaged graduates on an internship basis only.

Employers in the Tourism and Hospitality sector dominated in the participation of the survey

with 46% whilst other sectors like education, banking, police, agriculture, army, and health shared

the remaining 54%. This outcome could be attributed to the diverse nature of courses offered in

the two programs in the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management that are applicable not

only in the tourism sector, but could be applicable in other sectors as well.

b) Recruitment criteria

Table 40 below show interesting responses regarding the main recruitment criteria employed by

the responding organisations. Results show that the most highly valued recruitment criterion was

the level of qualification (85%). In Malawi and other countries around the world, level of

qualification defines skills, competencies and knowledge that a person acquires. Such being the

case, the Faculty might consider improving the skills and knowledge set taught to students on the

two programmes so that the two qualifications truly reflect the capabilities of the graduates.

The importance of communication skills (69%) over specialisation (62%) indicates how

fundamental communication skills are to the tourism and hospitality industry and related sectors.

About 42 percent of the respondents indicated that they specifically considered prior experience

in recruiting their employees. This could be an advantageous finding for the Faculty considering

that most of its graduates enter the job market with no prior industry experience except for

internships. However, the Faculty might consider finding out why a significant proportion of the

employers do not consider prior experience as an important recruitment criterion. This could

52

help the Faculty understand whether the employers have in-house training programmes to help

new recruits learn on the job, for instance. Such an understanding could help the Faculty explore

the possibility of offering executive or continuous professional training programmes to

organizations. Of least importance among the recruitment criteria was grade of qualification

(12%).

Table 43: Recruitment criteria

Percentage

Recruitment criteria

Specialisation

Yes 62

No 38

Total 100

Level of qualification

Yes 85

No 15

Total 100

Grade of qualification

Yes 12

No 88

Total 100

Prior experience

Yes 42

No 58

Total 100

Communication skills

Yes 69

No 31

Total 100

Other criteria

Yes 15

No 85

Total 100

N = 26

Question B2: What are the major criteria for recruiting graduates? (Multiple responses apply)

c) Skills relevance

Employers were asked to rate relevance of skills of FoTHM graduates in their organizations on a

scale of 1 to 5 (1 being not relevant through to 5 very relevant). Rating the relevance of skills by

employers was crucial in many ways but most importantly it helped to identify the strengths of

the Faculty’s graduates in the industry. The table below shows consolidated ratings of the

graduates’ skills and competencies as assessed by the employers.

53

Table 44: Relevance of skills of graduate employees

Mean

Relevance of skills of graduate employees

Theoretical and Practical skills

Theoretical skills. 3.81

Practical skills 3.81

Cognitive skills

Analytical and problem solving skills 3.72

Numeracy skills 3.92

Decision making 3.81

Developing new ideas and solutions 3.85

Financial management skills 3.58

Innovativeness (creativity). 3.89

Personal management skills

Ability to acquire new knowledge. 4.19

Ability to work independently. 3.93

Instrumental skills

Communication skills: oral and written expression. 4.19

Report presentation skills. 4.08

Language skills. 3.85

Computer literacy/using travel/hospitality software. 3.85

Interpersonal skills

Team working. 4.42

Leadership. 4.08

Negotiation skills. 4.12

Managerial skills. 4.08

Question C1: Please rate the relevance of skills of Mzuzu University graduate employees in your

organization. (1 = Not relevant, 2 = Slightly relevant 3 = Not sure 4 = Relevant 5 = Very

relevant).

According to the table above, employers rated almost all skills relevant in their organisations.

However, it was interesting to note that interpersonal and instrumental skills were the most

highly rated with an overall mean of 4. This is a signal to the Faculty that the said skills are very

important to the industry. It is also worthy to note that quality of service is to a very large extent

influenced by instrumental skills. By highlighting the prominence of instrumental skills,

employers were indirectly acknowledging the role it plays towards efficiency and productivity in

their respective organizations. Therefore, the FoTHM should strive to strengthen its curricula in

the said skill sets so that students are fully equipped with such skills at graduation.

The employers rated the relevance of theoretical and practical skills (3.8) below personal

management, instrumental and interpersonal skills (4). Perhaps this was the case because

seemingly lower level skills (practical skills) were highly available on the job market than higher

54

level ones (instrumental skills, for instance). It would still be necessary, however, for the Faculty

to seek reasons as to why industry feels this way.

d) Satisfaction with FoTHM graduate skills

Respondents were asked to rate how satisfied they were with FoTHM graduates’ skills.

Table 45: Satisfaction with FoTHM graduate skills

Mean

Theoretical and practical skills

Satisfied with theoretical skills. 3.74

Satisfied with practical skills. 3.81

Cognitive skills

Satisfied with analytical skills. 3.50

Satisfied with numerical skills. 3.58

Satisfied with decision making skills. 3.42

Satisfied with ability to develop new ideas and solutions.

3.59

Satisfied with financial management skills. 3.08

Satisfied with innovative skills. 3.38

Personal management

Satisfied with ability to acquire new knowledge. 4.00

Satisfied with ability to work independently. 4.00

Instrumental

Satisfied with communication skills. 4.04

Report writing and presentation skills. 3.96

Satisfied with languages skills. 3.92

Satisfied with computer literacy 3.81

Interpersonal

Satisfied with team work spirit. 4.19

Satisfied with leadership skills. 3.78

Satisfied with negotiation skills. 3.8

Satisfied with managerial skills. 3.81

Ability to manage time. 3.74

Question C2: Rate the levels of satisfaction with the following skills of recent Mzuzu University

graduates. (1 = Very Dissatisfied, 2 =. Dissatisfied, 3 = Not Decided, 4 = Satisfied, 5 = Very

Satisfied)

Results in the table above show that employers rated the graduates’ given skills above the average

mark (2.5). It was found out that personal management skills were the most highly rated with an

overall mean of at least 4. This finding speaks well of the two programmes which apparently

enhance creativity and fast-learner abilities on the part of the graduates. The high rating on the

interpersonal skills could be explained by the preparation that the graduates go through as

55

students especially through management courses mainly offered in the final two years of their

studies.

Relatively, the graduates were rated just above average in terms of cognitive skills. The graduates

received their lowest rating in financial management, with a mean mark of 3.08. This is an

undesirable finding especially considering the fact that revenue management, which is falls under

financial management, is a crucial and one of the most sought-after skills in private-sector

tourism organizations. Such being the case, it could be very important if the Faculty re-assessed

its financial management skill-set offering in the two programmes of study.

Most important to note, the respondent organizations rated the graduates they had employed not

very high above average in terms of theoretical and practical skills, giving them a mean mark of

3.8 in the said skills set. It has been revealed that, as earlier on indicated in this report, the

graduates of the two programmes felt that the training facilities used in their training was not

adequate and modern. This could be the reason why the graduates’ practical skills have not been

highly rated by the employers as their uptake of practical skills while in the University had been

limited by the limited equipment available.

e) Overall satisfaction

Table 46: Level of satisfaction demonstrated by Mzuzu University graduates’

performance

Overall job performance.

Job specific skills.

Problem solving skills.

Individual and team work skills.

Leadership skills.

Time management.

Industry knowledge.

Mean rating

3.93 3.77 3.54 4.12 3.59 3.78 3.52

Count 27 26 26 26 27 27 27

Question C3: Please check the box which best indicates your level of satisfaction demonstrated

by Mzuzu University graduates’ performance for each of the following: (1 = Very Dissatisfied, 2

=. Dissatisfied, 3 = Not Decided, 4 = Satisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied)

The table above shows that the employers were satisfied to a significant level with the overall job

performance of the graduates, giving them a mean rating of 3.93 out of 5. However, in a

competitive job market where the Faculty’s graduates could be competing against the graduates

of other institutions for job opportunities, this rating is not desirable. Thus, it is incumbent upon

56

the Faculty and Mzuzu University at large to engage the employers and find ways through which

the graduates’ skills sets can be improved so as to ultimately improve the employers’ satisfaction.

It can be seen from the table that individual and team work skills were the skills set with the

highest rating. Industry knowledge skill set received the lowest rating, at 3.52 out of the possible

5. This is an undesirable finding as it could imply that the graduates are not well acquainted with

their specific subject knowledge.

Generally, the mean ratings for the various variables given under this section were not

encouraging as they were mostly below 4. The Faculty needs to engage the employers further so

as to understand the context of this level of employers’ satisfaction with its graduates. Further to

that, it is necessary that the Faculty should revisit its curricula in lieu of this level of employer

satisfaction.

57

5. CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0.1 Conclusion

The outcomes of the tracer study and employer satisfaction survey have provided a unique

opportunity for the Faculty to evaluate the effectiveness with which it has delivered against its

core objectives of producing highly skilled and versatile graduates who are expected to operate in

a complex and diverse environment, equipped with transferable management skills and key

attributes.

Whereas attainment of these objectives was seemingly quite ambitious against the backdrop of

inappropriate and inadequate infrastructure, limited teaching and learning resources and thin staff

compliment, the evaluation of the programmes by the graduates and the employers has generally

been generous and favourable providing useful leads to anchor future improvements.

5.0.2 Recommendations

The empirical evidence has confirmed the usefulness of the Faculty’s teaching model of achieving

a delicate balance between academic training and vocational orientation in its delivery, but has

further highlighted areas needing urgent attention such as:

Strengthening students’ basic practical skills

Exposing students to commonly used industry software packages

Strengthening transferable management skills since the expectations of employers

particularly in small and medium enterprises demand high levels of applied skills and

competences in management areas such as financial management

Reviewing the curriculum to strengthen students’ interpersonal and leadership skills as

these two skill sets were rated highly and relevant by employers.

Reviewing the curriculum to strengthen students’ understanding of multi-cultural

diversity in the tourism industry through guest lectures, foreign language training, student

exchange programmes and field trips.

Engaging with the industry so as to improve industry’s awareness and understanding of

the nature of study programmes offered by the Faculty.

Investigating the reasons for the low uptake of graduates in SMEs and, together with

industry and the Government agencies responsible explore possible solutions to improve

the uptake.

Reviewing the curriculum so as to ensure that students are not only equipped with the

right skill and knowledge sets, but also with the attitude appropriate for the tourism

industry.

Investigating the reasons for relatively low proportion of graduates being involved in

entrepreneurship and explore possible solutions.

Establishing a Faculty-housed student career support function.

In view of the salient observations above, the current Skills Development Project which is

supporting MZUNI’s Institutional Improvement Plan, will to some extent, address graduates’

concerns pertaining to appropriate and adequate purpose-built infrastructure, teaching and

learning resources and human capital development. The SDP support will lead to training of staff

at technician (8), masters (10) and doctoral (7) level. Drawing from the findings of this study,

however, the Faculty will have to further strengthen the following areas of its curricula:

Information and communications technology specialists.

58

Facilities management specialists.

General management areas such financial management and human resources

management.

5.0.3 Lessons Learnt

The posting of data manually and use of SPSS proved somewhat cumbersome and prone

to higher levels of error. It is therefore recommended that MZUNI and the Faculty

should resort to use QTAFI software package for ease of data processing and enhanced

accuracy in data capture.

Furthermore, some staff members who have been involved in this tracer study should

form a core team of any future University-wide tracer study exercises.

It is recommended that the Faculty should set up a robust but flexible data base system

for its graduates for ease of tracing graduates for future tracer study exercises. The

Faculty should sensitise its students on the necessity to participate in future tracer study

exercises and therefore every effort should be made to encourage students to regularly

update the Faculty of their progress in industry.

Owing to challenges in the use of Internet and the inefficiency of the postal system in

Malawi, it is important to allow for enough time between sending of questionnaires and

collection of the same in subsequent studies.

59

APPENDIX A: GRADUATE TRACER STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE

MZUZU UNIVERSITY

2016

Graduate Survey

Survey of Tourism and Hospitality Management Graduatesof the Year

2011 - 2015

60

Dear Graduates,

As head of the research group, I kindly request your participation in a survey of graduates who completed their tourism and hospitality management studies at Mzuzu University.

We would like to find out what happened to you after you completed your studies. Did you find a job or are you still looking for a job, did your studies prepare you well for the workplace, and do you use the knowledge and skills you have learned during your studies?

Mainly, the improvement of the study programmes and more specific, the revision of the curricular, are the core objectives of the graduate survey.

Your information will be treated with strict confidentiality. The results will be published in such a way that identification of individual persons is excluded.

On your request we will send you a printed version of the report with the main results of the survey.

Please return the completed questionnaire as soon as possible to the address mentioned below.

Thank you very much in advance for your kind support.

Felix Bello, PhD Project Leader – MZUNI Tracer Study Team

Send the questionnaire to:

Name: Dr Felix Bello, PhD

Postal address: Department of Tourism, Mzuzu University, Private Bag 201, Mzuzu 2

Phone: 0998892052

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Explanatory Notes

How long does it take to fill in the questionnaire?

Most of you will need about half an hour. It depends of course on the kind of experiences you have made during the last years.

We have developed a high standardized questionnaire, which mainly expect from you to mark boxes which refer to relevant answers. With this approach we hope that we have made it easy for you to answer the questions.

How to answer the questions?

Please answer all questions applicable to you. In some cases, you will note that the questionnaire suggests you to disregard some questions not applicable to you (e.g. Please continue with question B7).

Please mark the most appropriate answer like this .

Your help to improve the survey is welcome

This questionnaire is used in different TEVET/Higher Education institutions with a wide range of different fields of study. We could not take into consideration every specific detail of study and work, which might be relevant for the survey. Therefore we would appreciate your comments and additional information.

Overview of the content of the questionnaire

A Vocational education/training before your study at the Mzuzu University ......................................62

B The course of studies at the Mzuzu University .................................................................................... 5

C Internship and work experiences during course of studies at the Mzuzu University ........................64

D Evaluation of study conditions and study provisions at the Mzuzu University ................................... 8

E Competencies and satisfaction with study ........................................................................................... 9

F After Graduation from the Mzuzu University .....................................................................................10

G Employment and Work ....................................................................................................................713

H Work requirements ............................................................................................................................76

I Relationship between study and employment .................................................................................768

J Work orientation and job satisfaction ................................................................................................79

K Further education after the study at Mzuzu University .....................................................................80

L Further vocational/professional training ............................................................................................81

M Individual background .......................................................................................................................82

N Migration and regional mobility ........................................................................................................84

O Further comments and recommendations ........................................................................................88

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Mzuzu University Graduate Survey 2016

A Vocational education/training before your study at Mzuzu University

Please provide us with details about your vocational education/training before your study at Mzuzu University.

A1 Did you attend any vocational training and/or post-secondary school courses before your study atMzuzu University?

1 @ Yes

2 @ No (Please continue with question A3)

A2 Please specify the vocational training and/or /post-secondary school courses.

1 ................................................................................................................................................................

A3 Were you employed before your study at Mzuzu University

1 @ Yes

2 @ No (Please continue with question B1)

A4 How long were you employed before your study at Mzuzu University

1 @ Up to 1 year

2 @ More than 1 year to 2 years

3 @ More than 2 years to 3 years

4 @ More than 3 years to 4 years

5 @ More than 4 years

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B The course of studies at Mzuzu University

In this section please refer in your answers only to the studies that you finished at Mzuzu University.

B1 When did you did you complete your study?

1 @ 2011

2 @ 2012

3 @ 2014

4 @ 2015

B2 Which qualification did you achieve at Mzuzu University

1 @ Certificate

2 @ Diploma

3 @ Bachelor

4 @ Master

5 @ Doctorate

B3 What was the name of the study programme at Mzuzu University Education institution?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

B4 How many months did you study at Mzuzu University institution?

1 @ Up to 6 months

2 @ 7 months to 12 months



5 @ 25 months and more

B5 What was the mode of your study?

1 @ Full-time

2 @ Part-time

2 @ Full-time and part-time

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B6 On average, how many hours per week did you spend attending courses / classes during the course of your study?

1 @ Up to 10 hours

2 @ 11 to 19 hours

3 @ 20 to 29 hours

4 @ 30 to 39 hours

5 @ 40 to 49 hours

6 @ 50 hours and more

B7 On average, how many hours per week did you spend on study activities outside of courses/classes during the course of your study?

1 @ Up to 10 hours

2 @ 11 to 19 hours

3 @ 20 to 29 hours

4 @ 30 to 39 hours

5 @ 40 to 49 hours

6 @ 50 hours and more

C Internships/practical attachments and work experiences during course of studies at Mzuzu University

C1 Did you do any internships/practical attachmentsduring your course of studies (this does not refer to team projects, practical courses etc.)?

1 @ Yes

2 @ No (Please continue with question C5)

C2 How many mandatory internships/practical attachments did you do in total during your course of studies?

1 @ One mandatory internship/practical attachment

2 @ Two mandatory internships/practical attachments

3 @ Three mandatory internships/practical attachments

4 @ Four and more mandatory internships/practical attachments

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C3 How many voluntary internships/practical attachmentsdid you do in total during your course of studies?

1 @ One voluntary internship/practical attachment

2 @ Two voluntary internships/practical attachments

3 @ Three voluntary internships/practical attachments

4 @ Four and more voluntary internships/practical attachments

C4 How many months did these internships/practical attachments last?

1 @ Up to months

2 @ Three months

3 @ Four months

4 @ Five months

5 @ Six months

C5 Were you employed during your study? Please include full-time as well as part-time work; excluded are internships.

1 @ Yes

2 @ No Please continue with question D1

C6 For how many months were you employed during your study? Please include full-time as well as part-time work; excluded are internships/practical attachments.

1 @ Less than 1 month

2 @ 1 to 6 moths

3 @ 7 to 12 months

4 @ 13 to 24 months

5 @ More than 24 months

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D Evaluation of study conditions and study provisions at Mzuzu University

D1 How would you rate the study conditions and provisions you experienced at Mzuzu University?

Very Very

bad good

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Quality of classroom learning

2 @ @ @ @ @ Student recreational facilities on campus, facilities

3 @ @ @ @ @ Availability of learning materials (e.g. books, internet access)

4 @ @ @ @ @ Opportunity for consultation with teaching staff

5 @ @ @ @ @ Quality of teaching of instructors assessment

6 @ @ @ @ @ Relevance of grading system

7 @ @ @ @ @ Internship/practical attachment programme

8 @ @ @ @ @ Contract with fellow students

9 @ @ @ @ @ Chances for students to have an influence on Mzuzu University

10 @ @ @ @ @ Availability of technical equipment (e.g. lab equipment, computer lab)

11 @ @ @ @ @ Quality of technical equipment

12 @ @ @ @ @ Availability of teaching materials

13 @ @ @ @ @ Quality of buildings

14 @ @ @ @ @ Stocking of the library with relevant materials

D2 How do you rate the following elements related to employment and work in your study course/training?

Very Very

bad good

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Professional advice and guidance provided by teaching staff

2 @ @ @ @ @ Support of internship/ practical attachment search

3 @ @ @ @ @ Practice-oriented teaching contents

4 @ @ @ @ @ Practical experiences of teaching staff

5 @ @ @ @ @ Mandatory internships/practical attachments, if any

6 @ @ @ @ @ Support of employment/job search

7 @ @ @ @ @ Preparation for work

8 @ @ @ @ @ Individual occupational advice in your field

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E Competencies and satisfaction with the course of study

E1 To what extent did you acquire the following skills / competencies upon completion of studies?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Mastery of my field/subject specific knowledge

2 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to develop new ideas and solutions

3 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to adapt to changing conditions

4 @ @ @ @ @ Analytical thinking

5 @ @ @ @ @ Willingness to question my and others ideas

6 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to work efficiently towards a goal

7 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to organise my work processes efficiently

8 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to work productively with others

9 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to perform well under pressure

E2 Looking back, if you were free to choose again to what extent would you choosethe same field of study/training?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Would you probably choosethe same field of study/training?

E3 Looking back, if you were free to choose again to what extent would you choosethe same Mzuzu University?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Would you probably choosethe same Mzuzu University?

E4 In retrospective, to what extent are you satisfied with your studies in general?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Satisfaction with the study in general

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F After Graduation from the Mzuzu University

F1 What applied to your situation in the first six months after graduating? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Self-employed

2 @ Occasional job (just to earn money)

3 @ Internship/practical attachment

4 @ Further academic/professional education (higher education)

5 @ Further vocational education/training

6 @ Household work

7 @ Not employed, but searching for a job

8 @ Other (please specify): ...........................................................................................................................................

F2 When did you start your first job after you completed your studies?

1 @ At the time of completion of studies

2 @ Less than 1 month after completion of studies

3 @ 1 month to less than 3 months after completion of studies

4 @ 3 months to less than 6 months after completion of studies



7 @ More than one year after completion of studies

8 @ I was never employed since I completed my studies

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F3 How did you search for the first job after you completed your studies? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Replied to job advertisements/announcements (e.g. newspaper, internet, notice)

2 @ With help of parents and relatives

3 @ With help of personal contacts, friends and fellow students etc.

4 @ Speculative application – independent contact to employers

5 @ Through internships/practical attachments during my course of study

6 @ Through internships/practical attachments after completion of my course of study

7 @ Through (side) jobs during the study and after completion of my course of study

8 @ I was contacted by an employer

9 @ Job fair

10 @ Through the public job centre (labour offices)

11 @ Through private job agencies

12 @ Through internet or social media (e.g. FACEBOOK)

13 @ Through teaching staff at Mzuzu University

14 @ Not applicable, I have not searched for employment


F4 If you did not search for employment: what were your reasons? Multiple

answers possible

1 @ I continued studying

2 @ I continued a job I had prior to studying

3 @ I found a job without searching

4 @ I became self-employed / a freelancer

5 @ Not applicable, I searched for employment


If you did not search for employment, please continue with question G1

F5 When did you start searching for a job?

1 @ Prior to completion of study

2 @ Around the time of completion of study

3 @ After completion of study

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F6 How long did you search for your first job? Include also job search period before completion of study.

1 @ Up to 1 month

2 @ 2 to 3 months

3 @ 4to 6 months

4 @ 7to 9 months

5 @ 10months to 12 months


F7 What was the most successful method for finding your first job? Choose only one answer

1 @ Replied to job advertisements/announcements (e.g. newspaper, internet, notice)

2 @ With help of parents and relatives

3 @ With help of personal contacts, friends and fellow students etc.

4 @ Speculative application – independent contact to employers

5 @ Through internships/practical attachments during my course of study

6 @ Through internships/practical attachments after completion of my course of study

7 @ Through (side) jobs during the study and after completion of my course of study

8 @ I was contacted by an employer

9 @ Job fair

10 @ Through the public job centre (labour offices)

11 @ Through private job agencies

12 @ Through internet or social media (e.g. FACEBOOK)

13 @ Through teaching staff at Mzuzu University

14 @ Not applicable, I did not find a job until now


F8 How many employers have you approached for the first employment after completion of your study programme?

1 @ None

2 @ 1 employer

3 @ 2 to 4employers

4 @ 5 to 10employers

5 @ 11 to 20employers

6 @ More than 20 employers

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F9 From how many employers did you receive acknowledgements?

1 @ None

2 @ From 1 employer

3 @ From 2 to 4 employers



6 @ From more than 20 employers

F10 From how many employers did you receive calls for interviews?

1 @ None

2 @ From 1 employer




6 @ From more than 20 employers

G Employment and Work

G1 What applies to your current situation? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Paid employment (e.g. wage, salary)

2 @ Self-employed

3 @ Occasional job (just to earn money)

4 @ Internship/practical attachment

5 @ Further academic/professional education (higher education)

6 @ Further vocational education/training

7 @ Household work (family care)

8 @ Not employed, but searching for a job


G2 Since completing your study programme at Mzuzu Universitydid you spend time abroad for study or work?

1 @ Yes, I worked abroad

2 @ Yes, I continued study/training abroad

3 @ No

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G3 How many jobs (including your current one) have you had altogether after completing your study?

1 @ No job, I have never been employed since completion of studies

2 @ One job

3 @ Two jobs

4 @ Three jobs

5 @ More than three jobs

If you are currently unemployed,please continue with question I6

G4 How many hours on average do you work per week?

1 @ Up to 10 hours per week

2 @ 11 to 20 hours per week




6 @ More than 50 hours per week

G5 Are you permanently employed?

1 @ Yes

2 @ No

3 @ Not applicable

G6 How long did it take you to find your current job after completing your studies?

1 @ Up to 1 month

2 @ 2 to 3 months

3 @ 4 to 6 months

4 @ 7 to 9 months

5 @ 10 to 12 months


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G7 How long have you been working in your current job?

1 @ Up to 1 month

2 @ 2 to 3 months

3 @ 4 to 6 months

4 @ 7 to 9 months

5 @ 10 to 12 months


G8 In which districtof Malawi are you employed?

Central Region

1 @ Dedza

2 @ Dowa

3 @ Kasungu

4 @ Lilongwe

5 @ Mchinji

6 @ Nkhotakota

7 @ Ntcheu

8 @ Ntchisi

9 @ Salima

Northern Region

10 @ Chitipa

11 @ Karonga

12 @ Likoma

13 @ Mzimba

14 @ Nkhata Bay

15 @ Rumphi

Southern Region

16 @ Balaka

17 @ Blantyre

18 @ Chikwawa

19 @ Chiradzulu

20 @ Machinga

21 @ Mangochi

22 @ Mulanje

23 @ Mwanza

24 @ Nsanje

25 @ Thyolo

26 @ Phalombe

27 @ Zomba

28 @ Neno

29 @ Not applicable, I'm employed abroad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Region,_Malawi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedza_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowa_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasungu_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilongwe_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mchinji_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkhotakota_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntcheu_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ntchisi_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salima_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Region,_Malawi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitipa_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karonga_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likoma_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mzimba_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nkhata_Bay_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumphi_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Region,_Malawi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balaka_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blantyre_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chikwawa_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiradzulu_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinga_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangochi_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulanje_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mwanza_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nsanje_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyolo_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phalombe_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zomba_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neno_District


74 | P a g e

G9 What type of employer do you work for?

1 @ Public/government

2 @ Parastatal

3 @ Private company

4 @ Self-employed

5 @ Non-governmental organisation (NGO)

6 @ Other

G10 In which economic sector are you currently employed (e.g. fishery, primary education, textile industry)?

1

banking Tourism Education Others Specify

................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................

G11 What is the name of your employer?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

G12 What is your occupation/job title? (e.g. secondary school teacher, builder)

1

................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................

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G13 Outline your three main duties/work tasks/responsibilities.

1

................................................................................................................................................................

2

................................................................................................................................................................

3

................................................................................................................................................................

G14 What is your current gross monthly income?

1 @ Less than 100,000 Malawian Kwacha

2 @ 100,001 - 200,000Malawian Kwacha

3 @ 200,001 - 300,000 Malawian Kwacha

4 @ 300,001 - 400,000 Malawian Kwacha

5 @ 400,001 - 500,000 Malawian Kwacha

6 @ 500,001 - 600,000 Malawian Kwacha

7 @ 600,001 - 700,000 Malawian Kwacha

8 @ 700,001 - 800,000 Malawian Kwacha

9 @ More than 800.000Malawian Kwacha

G15 What kind of fringe/other benefit(s) do you receive? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Housing (subsidy, rent allowance)

2 @ Transportation (car/transport allowance)

3 @ Health (medical aid, insurances)

4 @ Education and training (staff development, family study rebate)

5 @ Utility (e.g. water, electricity, TV subscription)

6 @ None


G16 How many employees work in your company / organisation? Please estimate the number.

1 @ Up to 10 employees

2 @ 11 to 50 employees



5 @ 251to 1000 employees

6 @ More than 1000 employees

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H Work requirements

H1 To what extent are the following skills / competencies required in your current job?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Mastery of my field/subject specific knowledge

2 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to develop new ideas and solutions

3 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to adapt to changing conditions

4 @ @ @ @ @ Analytical thinking

5 @ @ @ @ @ Willingness to question my and others’ ideas

6 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to work efficiently towards a goal

7 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to organise my work processes efficiently

8 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to work productively with others

9 @ @ @ @ @ Ability to perform well under pressure

I Relationship between study and employment

I1 To what extent are the knowledge and skills you acquired during your course of study utilised in your current job?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Utilisation of knowledge and skills acquired during course of study in current job?

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I2 In your opinion, what field of study is most appropriate for your current job?

1 @ Exclusively own field

2 @ Own or a related field

3 @ A completely different field

4 @ No particular field

I3 In your opinion, which qualification/degree level matches bestfor your current job?

1 @ PhD

2 @ Masters

3 @ Honours

4 @ BSc

5 @ Diploma

6 @ Certificate

I4 To what extent is your current job appropriateto your course of study?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Appropriateness of current job to course of study

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I5 If your job is not closelyrelated to your course of study, why did you choose this job? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Not applicable, my job is close related to my course of study

2 @ My current job is only a temporary stepping stone, I am still searching for professional orientation

3 @ I have not found an appropriate job (yet)

4 @ I receive a higher salary in my current job

5 @ My current job offers more security

6 @ My interests have changed

7 @ My current job allows a flexible time schedule

8 @ My current job allows me to work in a favoured geographical place

9 @ My current job allows me to take into consideration the interests of my family/children


I6 Altogether: How do you rate the usefulness of your studies?

Not at all Very

useful useful

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ for finding a satisfying job after finishing your studies?

2 @ @ @ @ @ for fulfilling your present professional tasks, if applicable?

3 @ @ @ @ @ for your future professional development/career?

4 @ @ @ @ @ for the development of your personality?

5 @ @ @ @ @ for the economic development of Malawi?

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J Work orientation and job satisfaction

If you are not employed, please continue with question K1

J1 To what extent do the following aspects apply to your current job situation?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Possibilities to realise own ideas

2 @ @ @ @ @ High salary

3 @ @ @ @ @ Interesting work tasks

4 @ @ @ @ @ Clear and regulated work tasks

5 @ @ @ @ @ Possibilities for applying acquired competencies

6 @ @ @ @ @ Job security

7 @ @ @ @ @ Social status and recognition

8 @ @ @ @ @ Good work atmosphere

9 @ @ @ @ @ Possibilities of further professional advancement

10 @ @ @ @ @ Possibility for providing social influence

11 @ @ @ @ @ To have a challenging job

12 @ @ @ @ @ Good career advancement prospects

13 @ @ @ @ @ Possibilities to do something useful for the society

14 @ @ @ @ @ Good conditions for managing both work-related and family-related issues

15 @ @ @ @ @ Sufficient time for leisure activities

J2 To what extent are you satisfied with your current job situation?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Job satisfaction

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K Further education after the study at Mzuzu University

K1 Have you started a further or another course of studiesafter the study at Mzuzu University? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Yes

2 @ No, I have not started a further course of studies(Please continue with question L1)

K2 Did you complete/finish the further or another course of studies? Multiple answers possible

1 @ Yes, I have completed it successfully

2 @ Yes, I have stopped my further course of studies

3 @ No, I am still studying

K3 Please specify the (major-)subject(s) of your further studies.

1

................................................................................................................................................................

K4 Please specify the name of the institution(s) and country of your further studies.

1

Name of institution: ..............................................................................................................................

2

Country: .................................................................................................................................................

K5 Please specify the kind of (expected) degree (certificate, diploma, bachelor, master) of your further studies.

1

...........................................................................................................................................

K6 When did you start your course of further studies?

1 @ @ Month of enrolment in further studies

2 @ @ @ @ Year of enrolment in further studies

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K7 When did you/will youfinish your course of further studies?

1 @ @ Month of graduationfrom further studies

2 @ @ @ @ Year of graduationfrom further studies

K8 To what extent do the following reasons for further studies apply to you?

Not To a very

at all high extent

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Wish to achieve a higher academic or professional degree

2 @ @ @ @ @ Improvement of chances of finding a job

3 @ @ @ @ @ Personal interest in particular subject area

4 @ @ @ @ @ Demanded by my employer

5 @ @ @ @ @ Wish to improve my promotion prospects

6 @ @ @ @ @ The training is important for the development of my country

L Further vocational/professional training

Please also take into account all forms of further vocational education - not only participation in events/courses.

L1 Have you continued professional training after completing your Mzuzu Universitystudies?Multiple answers possible

1 @ Yes

2 @ No, I have not started a professional training (Please continue with question M 1)

L2 Please specify the (major-)subjects/name of the course(s) of your further studies.

1

...............................................................................................................................................................

2

...............................................................................................................................................................

3

...............................................................................................................................................................

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L3 In which topics would you like to receive further professional training if you had the opportunity to participate?

1

...............................................................................................................................................................

2

...............................................................................................................................................................

3

...............................................................................................................................................................

M Individual background

Please provide details about yourself in order to enable us to interpret your work biography as accurately as possible.

M1 What is your sex?

1 @ Male

2 @ Female

M2 When were you born?

1 @ @ Day of birth

2 @ @ Month of birth

3 @ @ @ @ Year of birth

M3 What is your marital status?

1 @ Single

2 @ Married

3 @ Divorced

4 @ Widowed

M4 Which secondary school did you attend last? Please specify the name.

1 ...........................................................................................................................................

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M5 Did you have special needs during your course of study?

1 @ Yes

2 @ No Please continue with question M7

M6 What kind of special needs did you have during your course of study?

1

...........................................................................................................................................

M7 What was your registration number?

1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

@ @

Registration number

M8 What is the highest level of education of your father?

1 @ Without education

2 @ Incomplete primary school

3 @ Complete primary school

4 @ Junior secondary

5 @ Senior secondary

6 @ Diploma

7 @ Higher education degree (like Bachelor, Master, Doctorate)

8 @ Don’t know

9 @ Other

M9 What was the highest level of education of your mother?






6 @ Diploma


8 @ Don’t know

9 @ Other

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M10 If you were raised by a guardian, what was the highest level of education of your guardian?






6 @ Diploma


8 @ Don’t know

9 @ Not applicable, I had no guardian

10 @ Other

N Migration and regional mobility

Please provide us some details about your regional background which help us to interpret your answers.

N1 In which country were you born?

1 @ Malawi

2 @ Other country (please specify): ...........................................................................................

If you were not born in Malawi, please continue with question N3.

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N2 In which district of Malawi were you born?

Central Region

1 @ Dedza

2 @ Dowa

3 @ Kasungu

4 @ Lilongwe

5 @ Mchinji

6 @ Nkhotakota

7 @ Ntcheu

8 @ Ntchisi

9 @ Salima

Northern Region

10 @ Chitipa

11 @ Karonga

12 @ Likoma

13 @ Mzimba

14 @ Nkhata Bay

15 @ Rumphi

Southern Region

16 @ Balaka

17 @ Blantyre

18 @ Chikwawa

19 @ Chiradzulu

20 @ Machinga

21 @ Mangochi

22 @ Mulanje

23 @ Mwanza

24 @ Nsanje

25 @ Thyolo

26 @ Phalombe

27 @ Zomba

28 @ Neno

N3 In which country did you mainly attend secondary education?

1 @ Malawi


N4 What is your nationality?

1 @ Malawian

2 @ Other nationality (please specify): ......................................................................................
































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N5 What is your country of residence?

1 @ Malawi


N6 Are you living in a rural or urban area?

1 @ Rural area

2 @ Urban area

If you are not living in Malawi, please continue with question N8.

N7 In which district of Malawi are you living?

Central Region

1 @ Dedza

2 @ Dowa

3 @ Kasungu

4 @ Lilongwe

5 @ Mchinji

6 @ Nkhotakota

7 @ Ntcheu

8 @ Ntchisi

9 @ Salima

Northern Region

10 @ Chitipa

11 @ Karonga

12 @ Likoma

13 @ Mzimba

14 @ Nkhata Bay

15 @ Rumphi

Southern Region

16 @ Balaka

17 @ Blantyre

18 @ Chikwawa

19 @ Chiradzulu

20 @ Machinga

21 @ Mangochi

22 @ Mulanje

23 @ Mwanza

24 @ Nsanje

25 @ Thyolo

26 @ Phalombe

27 @ Zomba

28 @ Neno
































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N8 If you are not living in the district where you were born, what are the reasons?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

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O Further comments and recommendations

Please share further comments and recommendations about your Mzuzu University/study programme in this part.

O1 What did you like about your study?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

O2 What did you not like about your study?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

O3 Which important changes would you recommend for your Mzuzu University/study programme?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

O4 What comments/suggestions regarding this survey would you like to make?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

O5 What comments/suggestions regarding this questionnaire would you like to make?

1

................................................................................................................................................................

O6 How do you rate the following aspects of this questionnaire?

Very Very

bad good

1 2 3 4 5

1 @ @ @ @ @ Length of the questionnaire

2 @ @ @ @ @ Clearness of the questions

3 @ @ @ @ @ Understandable phrasing

4 @ @ @ @ @ Relevance of the questions to improve the TEVET/Higher Education programme

5 @ @ @ @ @ Relevance of the questions to inform about the labour market situation of graduates

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O7 How many minutes did you need to fill in this questionnaire?

@ @ @ @ Minutes needed to fill in the questionnaire

Thank you very much for your help.

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APPENDIX B: EMPLOYER SATISFACTION SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

MZUZU UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management

EMPLOYER SATISFACTION SURVEY

2016

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Dear Sir/Madam,

Mzuzu University is conducting an employer satisfaction survey. The results of the study will assist the

University in assessing it programmes and to develop tailor made training programmes on tourism and

hospitality management in order to meet the demands of the job market.

Your organisation has been randomly selected from the list of tourism and hospitality industry

establishments employing Mzuzu University tourism and hospitality management graduates to

participate in the survey. Mzuzu University would like to assure you that the results of the study will only

be used for the stated purpose, and that the names of respondents will be kept strictly confidential.

Your participation in the study is therefore greatly appreciated.

In case of the need for any clarification, please contact the undersigned.

Please return the completed questionnaire as soon as possible to the address mentioned below.

Thank you very much in advance for your kind support.

Felix Bello, PhD

Project Leader – MZUNI Employer Satisfaction Survey

Send the questionnaire to:

Name: Dr. Felix Bello, PhD

Postal address:Department of Tourism, Mzuzu University, Private Bag 201, Mzuzu 2

Phone:0998 892 052 or 0992679164

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

PART A: ORGANISATION INFORMATION

A1 Name of Organisation

A2 Name and Contact details of the

Respondent (Phone, emails)

A3 Position of respondent in the

organization



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A4 Category of Business 1. Accommodation, Food and Beverages

2. Transport

3. Travel services and attractions

4. Other [Specify]

PART B: GRADUATE EMPLOYEMENT

B1 Do you employ or have you ever employed graduates from MZUNI?

1 Yes

2 No

B2 What are the Major Criteria for Recruiting Graduates? (Multiple responses apply)

1 Specialisation

2 Level of qualification

3 Grade of qualification

4 Prior experience

5 Communication Skills

6 Other (specify)

PART C: SKILLS RELEVANCE

C1. Please rate the relevance of skillsof Mzuzu University graduate employees in your organisation

(1 = Not relevant, 2 = Slightly relevant 3 = Not sure 4 = Relevant 5 = Very relevant).

Category Rating

1 2 3 4 5

C1.1 Practical and theoretical

1. Theoretical skills

2. Practical skills

C1.2 Cognitive skills

1. Analysis and problem solving

2. Numeracy skills

3. Decision making skills

4. Developing new ideas and solutions

5. Financial management

6. Innovativeness (creativity)

C1.3 Personal management skills

1. Ability to acquire new knowledge

2. Ability to work independently

C1.4 Instrumental skills

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1. Communication skills: oral and written expression

2. Skills in writing and presenting reports

3. Languages

4. Computer literacy/ using travel/hospitality software

C1.5 Interpersonal skills

1. Team working

2. Leadership

3. Negotiation skills

4. Managerial skills

5. Time management

C2. Rate the levels of satisfactionwith the following skills of recent Mzuzu University graduates

(1 = Very Dissatisfied, 2 =. Dissatisfied, 3 = Not Decided, 4 = Satisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied).

Category Rating

1 2 3 4 5

C2.1 Practical and theoretical

1. Theoretical skills

2. Practical skills

C2.2 Cognitive skills

1. Analysis and problem solving

2. Numeracy skills

3. Decision making skills

4. Developing new ideas and solutions

5. Financial management

6. Innovativeness (creativity)

C2.3 Personal management skills

1. Ability to acquire new knowledge

2. Ability to work independently

C2.4 Instrumental skills

1. Communication skills: oral and written expression

2. Skills in writing and presenting reports

3. Languages

4. Computer literacy: using travel/hospitality software

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C2.5 Interpersonal skills

1. Team working

2. Leadership

3. Negotiation skills

4. Managerial skills

5. Time management

C3. Please check the box which best indicates your level of satisfactiondemonstrated by Mzuzu

University graduates’ performance for each of the following:(1 = Very Dissatisfied, 2 =. Dissatisfied, 3 =

Not Decided, 4 = Satisfied, 5 = Very Satisfied)

Area Rating

1 2 3 4 5

C3.1Overall job performance

C3.2Job specific skills

C3.3Problem solving skills

C3.4Individual and teamwork skills

C3.5Leadership skills

C3.6Time management

C3.7Industry knowledge

C4. From your experience, how long does it take a fresh graduate

from Mzuzu University to become effective on the job

regardless of probation period?

_______Months

PART D. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF MZUNI GRADUATES

D1 What do you observe as the general strengths and weaknesses of MZUNI graduates in your organization?

Strengths Weaknesses

1

2

3

4

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D1 What do you observe as the general strengths and weaknesses of MZUNI graduates in your organization?

Strengths Weaknesses

5

6

PART E: MZUNI CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW

E1 Have you or has anyone in this organization ever participated in MZUNI Curriculum Development meetings?

1 Yes

2 No

E2 Have you or has anyone in this organization ever participated in MZUNI Curriculum Review meetings?

1 Yes

2 No

E3

If Yes, when was the last time you or anyone in this organization participated in Curriculum

Review OR Development at MZUNI?

Year ________________

E4 What were your contributions for inclusion in the Curricula Development?

E5 Were your contributions taken seriously and incorporated in the curricula?

1 Yes

2 No

E6 Looking at your present professional experiences, which changes would you suggest

(technical emphasis, mode of teaching and learning, curriculum etc.) in programmes offered

by MZUNI

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E7 Looking at the current situation in Malawi and the region with regards to the tourism sector, which programmes would you advise MZUNI to offer?

E8 What competencies/skills would you like to see in a graduate from MZUNI?

E9 Does your organisation collaborate with MZUNI?

1 Yes

2 No

E10 If Yes, to E9 above, in what areas do you collaborate with MZUNI?

E11 If No, to E9 above, what could be the possible areas of collaboration with MZUNI?

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PART F: CONCLUSION

F1. Would you consider recruiting more Mzuzu University graduates in future?

1 Yes

2 No

F2.Any other comments

Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey. We rely on your feedback to improve and

grow tourism in Malawi. Your input is greatly appreciated.

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APPENDIX C: PERSONAL INFORMATION FORM

MZUZU UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

2016 TRACER STUDY

PERSONAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME

REGISTRATION NUMBER

DEGREE

REGISTRATION NUMBER

YEAR OF GRADUATION

NAME OF EMPLOYER AND ADDRESS (If employed)

CURRENT POSITION

HOME OR PHYSICAL ADDRESS

TELEPHONE NUMBER

MOBILE NUMBER

EMAIL ADDRESS

Send this form to: [email protected]


faculty of tourism and hospitality … consultancy and outreach..... 9 iv. governance and management...

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