Skills mismatch drives graduate unemployment – Higher Education Ministry
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday June 9, 2026 14:00
Appearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Government Assurances, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher Education, Professor Richard Tabulawa, said that though progress has been made in the tertiary education sector, several challenges continue to hinder the ministry's ability to fully deliver on its mandate and achieve the objectives of the Botswana Tertiary Education Policy (BTEP).
Tabulawa identified graduate unemployment as one of the ministry's most pressing concerns, attributing it largely to a disconnect between the skills produced by tertiary institutions and those required by industry.
'A major challenge is the mismatch between graduate skills and labour market needs. We end up with unemployment because there is this mismatch between the demand side and the supply side,' he said.
He explained that unemployment cannot be viewed solely as a failure of the education system, arguing that both the supply of skills and the availability of jobs play a role.
Responding to concerns raised by Tati East Member of Parliament, Tlhabologo Furniture, who suggested that industries were failing to absorb graduates rather than graduates lacking relevant skills, Tabulawa said the issue was more complex.
'You can't just look at one side and ignore the other. Industry must create jobs to absorb graduates, but graduates must also possess relevant skills. It is a two-way process,' he said.
Tabulawa pointed to sectors such as plumbing, carpentry, and other technical trades, where many jobs continue to be filled by foreign nationals despite unemployment amongst local youth.
'The jobs are there. In many cases, we do not have enough skilled people, or the skills available are not good enough to meet market demands,' he said.
To address the challenge, the ministry is strengthening collaboration between academia and industry through stakeholder fora, university-industry partnerships, and initiatives to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills relevance.
Tabulawa said the ministry faces a range of other challenges affecting service delivery, including inadequate funding for student sponsorship programmes, infrastructure limitations, weak ICT systems, internet connectivity issues in some institutions, and the need to strengthen quality assurance compliance across tertiary institutions.
He also highlighted human resource challenges that emerged following the 2024 government rationalisation exercise, including litigation arising from disparities in allowances and conditions of service, shortages of staff accommodation and student housing, and insufficient infrastructure to support institutional growth.
Meanwhile, Parliament also raised concerns over salary disparities amongst academic staff at public universities, particularly at the University of Botswana (UB).
Tlokweng MP Phenyo Segokgo questioned why University of Botswana employees frequently experience salary-related disputes and why they lag behind their counterparts at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) and the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in salary increments and promotions, to mention but a few.
In response, Tabulawa said the institutions operate under separate legislation and governance structures, resulting in differing salary scales and employment conditions.
He revealed that the government is working on a Higher Education Act that will consolidate the country's tertiary education framework and standardise salaries, promotions, and appointments across institutions.
'There is no reason why a professor at one university should be treated differently from a professor at another. We need a single definition of what a professor is within our higher education system,' he said.
On student allowances, Tabulawa welcomed Furniture's proposal for incremental increases, saying the ministry had already adopted a phased approach due to financial constraints.
He acknowledged that student allowances remain inadequate but said government must balance improvements with available resources. Despite the challenges, Tabulawa said the ministry continues to pursue reforms aimed at improving sector performance.