Vocational Education and TVET Graduate Employability in Addis Ababa: Mediating Roles of Labour Market Conditions and Personal Attributes

This mixed-methods study examined how vocational education affects employability among Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students in Addis Ababa, focusing on the mediating roles of labour market conditions and personal attributes. A survey of 240 final-year TVET students was complemented by qualitative interviews with instructors and industry stakeholders. Questionnaire measures demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach’s α ≈ 0.82) and positive overall scores on vocational training, market conditions, personal skills, and employability. Regression analyses (Hayes PROCESS Model 4) revealed no significant direct effect of vocational education on perceived employability (β≈0.00, p>.05) or on perceptions of labour market conditions (β≈0.06, p>.05). Personal attributes likewise had no significant impacton employability (β≈0.01, p≈.92). In contrast, favourable labour market conditions strongly predicted higher employability (β≈0.97, p<.001). Mediation tests confirmed that neither labour market conditions nor personal attributes mediated the vocational education–employability relationship, since vocational training failed to significantly influence either mediator. These findings indicate that systemic factors in the local economy largely determine TVET graduate outcomes, beyond the content or quality of training or individual traits. We conclude that enhancing employment prospects for TVET graduates requires strengthening industry–school linkages, aligning curricula with market demand, and expanding work-based learning and job-placement support.