Need assessment by employers

Demographic characteristics of the respondents

The need assessment covered 19 employer respondents. All the respondents were male and were
from governmental organizations. About 37% of the respondents had less than 10 years working
experience while the remaining had more than 10 years services. With regard to educational
background, 74% of the respondents had bachelor degree and 26% had master degree, from
different social and natural science field of studies. Thus, the respondents had good experience
and relevant educational background to provide pertinent and quality information about the
relevance, market and other issues of the proposed programs.

Variables Description Frequency Percent

Educational Bachelor of science 14 74
background Master of science 5 26
Female 0 0
Sex
Male 19 100
Economics, Business Management, Management 6 32
Field of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension 5 26
specialization Plant Science, Agronomy 3 16
Animal Science, Zoology 3 16
Land Resources Management 2 11
Employment Permanent 18 94.74
status Temporary 1 5.26
Less than 10 years 7 37
Service year 10- 20 years 8 42
Above 20 years 4 21

Available of manpower in the proposed programs

Educational programs open when it is believed and assured that there is shortage of trained
manpower in the area. Consequently, the respondents of the selected employers were asked
whether there are sufficient trained human resources in the proposed programs. More than 80%
replied that there is not enough skilled manpower in all the new programs such as Agricultural
Economics, Environmental Economics and Food Economics and Policy at both undergraduate
and postgraduate levels. Therefore, the new programs will address the shortage of trained human
resources in the specified area of studies.

Programs Enough manpower No enough manpower

Agricultural Economics 16 84
Environmental Economics 5 95
Food Economics and Policy 21 79
Problems and challenges employers faced
Employers were asked to specify the major problems that hinder employees to discharge their
duties and responsibilities in their respective organizations. According to the response, the major
problem that limited their growth and successful accomplishment of objectives was limited
capacity of the employees and was followed by lack of skilled manpower. High turnover and
lack of awareness were also among the problems that constrained development of organization.

Problems Freq. Percent

Limited capacity and training 10 53
Limited skilled manpower 4 21
High turnover 1 5
Lack of awareness 2 10
Nothing 2 10

Alternative solutions to solve lack of trained manpower

From the above, it is clear understood that there is not sufficient manpower in the areas, and the
potential employers are suffering from limited training and capacity building options, lack of
skilled manpower and lack of awareness. Accordingly, they were asked to suggest alternative
remedies for the lack of trained human resources in the areas, and they mentioned provision of
scholarship opportunity for employees in the areas, recruitment of new graduates, and arranging
training and long term capacity buildings as alternative solutions to solve lack of trained
manpower in the areas. Hence, opening of these programs can definitely serve as solution for
some of the sensible problems of governmental and non-governmental organization.
Agricultural Environmental Food economics
Alternative solutions economics economics and policy
Freq. Percent Freq. Percent Freq. Percent
Recruiting new graduates 7 37 2 11 2 11
Producing skilled manpower 1 5 2 11 2 11
Providing scholarship opportunity 2 11 3 16 3 16
Not related answer 3 16 1 5 1 5
Not responded 6 32 11 58 11 58

Readiness of employers for the new programs

Programs should open considering the market for the prospective graduates. The sampled
employers are potential to recruit the graduates. For this fact, they were asked whether they are
ready to train employees in the new programs and/or recruit graduates from the proposed
programs. Majority of the respondents were ready to train employees and also recruit graduates
from the new programs. The selected employers will on average recruit up to 4 graduates from
the proposed programs. Thus, market for the prospective graduates from the programs is not an
important issue because there is enough market in the country.
 Readiness to train Readiness to recruit
Programs
Yes No No response Yes No No response
BSc. in Agricultural Economics 47 32 21 89 11 0
MSc. in Agricultural Economics 74 21 5 89 5 6
PhD in Agricultural Economics 58 26 16 37 47 16
MSc. in Environmental Economics 53 26 21 53 26 21
PhD in Environmental Economics 47 32 21 21 21 58
MSc. in Food Economics and Policy 37 37 26 42 37 21
MSc. in Food Economics and Policy 32 42 26 21 58 21

Time relevance for opening the programs

Time is an essential element in launching a program because opening a program is nonetheless
unless it has time relevance. Consequently, the sample respondents were requested to express
their views on opening the proposed programs with alternative options such as timely, late and
early. Majorities of the respondents believed that opening the proposed programs are currently
timely though some responded late especially for BSc. in Agricultural Economics and MSc. in
Food Economics and Policy. Thus, the new programs (both undergraduate and postgraduate) are
timely to open.

Timing for opening the programs Timely Late Early No response

BSc. in Agricultural Economics 32 53 5 10
MSc. in Agricultural Economics 37 42 11 10
PhD in Agricultural Economics 63 11 5 21
MSc. in Environmental Economics 42 32 0 26
PhD in Environmental Economics 58 5 5 32
MSc. in Food Economics and Policy 47 47 0 6
MSc. in Food Economics and Policy 58 16 11 15

Relevance of the programs with policy and development endeavors in Ethiopia

Educational programs should have significant contribution to the development and policy
endeavors of the country. Accordingly, the selected employer respondents were asked whether
the proposed programs have appropriateness (and also relationship) to meet the objectives of the
development policies of Ethiopia. The results show that the programs are strongly and closely
related to the development strategies of Ethiopia. Thus, the proposed programs are relevant and
also helped governmental and non-governmental organizations to meet their objectives.

Programs Strongest related Partly related Not related

Agricultural Economics 95 5 0
Environmental Economics 100 0 0
Food Economics and Policy 68 21 11
Instructional delivery methods
There are different pedagogical and instructional delivery methods, for example, full time face-
to-face, part-time research-based, distance learning and mixed learning programs. The
respondents were asked their choice in the various delivery methods and majorities were
preferred mixed learning program for BSc. in Agricultural Economics, MSc. in Food Economics
and Policy, PhD in Environmental Economics and PhD in Food Economics and Policy; full time
mode of delivery for MSc. in Agricultural Economics; and part time research based learning
program for MSc. in Environmental Economics. Some of the reasons mentioned for full time
mode delivery might be quality of education and graduate competence. Family issues and poor
infrastructure facilities might be causes for the preference of non-full time face-to-face learning
programs. Thus, depending on internal and external factors, there is still a room entertain our
students in different learning programs and is likely to open in alternative delivery modes.

Programs Full face to face Research based Distance Mixed

BSc. in Agricultural
Economics 16 16 5 63
MSc. in Agricultural
Economics 53 16 21 10
PhD in Agricultural
Economics 21 37 5 37
MSc. in Environmental
Economics 11 42 26 21
PhD in Environmental
Economics 26 32 5 37
MSc. in Food Economics
and Policy 11 32 21 36
PhD. in Food Economics
and Policy 26 16 5 53

Knowledge, skills and attitudes expected from the programs

The data is not clear

Involvement in the area, competence,

The data is not clear