Employment Profile of Special Needs Education Graduates in Bahirdar Town
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Date
2017-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the employment profile of special needs education
graduates in Bahirdar Town, Amhara Region. The study employed a mixed methods approach. The
population of the study ware 30 special needs education graduates; In view of that, the researcher
took all the available population as a sample of the study for questionnaires; from those graduates 5
special needs education graduates were selected for interview by purposive sampling technique; 6
organization managers and 4 special needs supervisors for interview selected by purposive sampling
technique. The findings revealed that most of special needs education graduates are placed in
schools (36.7%), university (13.3%), NGOs (13.3%), education offices (16.7%) and other sectors
(20%). Nevertheless, the majority are not interested in their job placement because their work is not
related with their field of study. The roles of special needs education graduates are Braille teacher
(6.7%), sign language interpreter (13.3%), special needs education instructor (13.3%), itinerant
teacher (10.0%), child labor (3.3%), teacher for children with intellectual disability (16.7%) and the
remaining (33.3%) have other unrelated roles. Hence this study shows that the majority of special
needs education graduates are not assigned in the appropriate place. Although there are various
kinds of organizations in Bahirdar town with different predisposition which are involved in helping
out people with special needs, they do not employ special needs education graduates. Special needs
education graduates also face difficulties related to job searching, job placements and lack of job
opportunities. These problems can be solved by creating awareness on the employers about the field,
avoiding placement of other graduates in a place where special need graduates deserved and
developing a complete job description of the field. To assign special needs education graduates in the
right position, the ministry of education should set clear job descriptions and address it for
employers like educational sectors, NGOs, special need centers, inclusive schools and non
educational sectors
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Employment Profile of Special Needs Education