Secondary School Wood Technology Graduates: What have Industrialists to Say? : A Case Study of Furniture Manufacturing Industries in Southerton Heavy Industrial Area in Harare

Abstract

This article describes the experiences of the researcher in a research conducted at three (3) Furniture Manufacturing companies in Harare. The research questions were: / • What skills do industrialists expect from secondary school graduates? • What can be done to make sure that the graduates receive the right skills if they are not receiving them ? • How can schools and industry work together in the implementation of vocational curricula? A qualitative research methodology of an ethnographic case study paradigm was employed in this study. In depth interviews were conducted with the Human Resources Managers of the three (3) Furniture Manufacturing companies. Participant observations and document analysis were also employed. The main findings of this study were that employers/industrialists are not pleased with the quality of skills possessed by school leavers. They feel that the vocational curricula are not keeping pace with technological changes in industry. They also suggested that they should be involved in curriculum planning so that they can determine the curriculum content as well as how they can assist schools with materials and finance for vocational implementation. It is therefore recommended that industry and curriculum planners work together for the betterment of vocational curriculum implementation.