Collaboration with Employers is Key to Increasing Employability for African Talent

  • Honoris survey of African Employers representing over 10,000 individuals reveals the continued need for skills alignment with education providers
  • The latest Honoris Student Employability Report reveals the average Employability Rate rising to 85% from 83%
  • Over 800 Employer Partners support the transformation of human capital through the pan-African Honoris network
  • Its career services welcomed 200+ speed hiring events, 14,000 career fair attendees, 800+ webinars, and 47,000 students on online platforms

24 May 2024 – Building on its inaugural report Honoris United Universities launched the annual Honoris Student Employability Report for 2023, examining the perspectives of industry leaders and its response in providing future-ready graduates.

The report this year examines the needs of employers, by engaging a diverse selection of 100 corporate partners for their views. In the findings, 68% of respondents reported that sourcing talent is a significant challenge, particularly pronounced in the IT and Business & Finance sectors. The identified labor shortages underscore the need for curriculum alignment with industry demands. 90% of employers reported that cognitive skills, such as analytical and creative thinking, are the most crucial in their hiring strategies, closely followed by self-efficacy measures, such as resilience, curiosity, and lifelong learning.

Honoris institutions invest in strategic industry partnerships and collaborations that promote mutually beneficial learning. On average, Honoris graduates secured jobs within less than three months of graduating, while 35% of working adult students received a promotion or salary increase within 6 months. The pioneering pan-African platform holds over 800 partnerships across 10 industries, the top five being IT; Communication Services; Industrials; Financials; and Healthcare. Multinational corporations operating within Africa make up 25% of these, illustrating the shifting landscape of employment opportunities for African graduates.

Honoris Group CEO, Dr. Jonathan Louw, said “Bridging the skills gap through industry experience and academic integration includes co-designed training programs and expanded professional horizons for our graduates. This year’s report delves into how we have invested in the creative industry, implemented inclusive strategies for entrepreneurship, and worked to close the gender gap on key empowerment measures such as access to jobs, pay, and leadership. Our report concludes with a vision of building Africa’s future through talent development and impactful employer partnerships.”