The ideal environmental assessment practitioner: an empirical approach to identifying key knowledge areas and employability skills

Graduate unemployment is a pressing concern in South Africa. The shrinking economy and selective hiring practices accentuated the importance of employability skills (ES), prompting universities to incorporate them into curricula as Graduate Attributes (GAs). Despite Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) training environmental impact assessment (EIA) professionals for 25 years, the specific knowledge and skill requirements for such graduates are unknown. The Environmental Assessment Practitioners’ Association of South Africa (EAPASA) accredits university programmes, focusing on general knowledge areas (KAs), but neglecting ESs. Addressing this gap, this study investigated the KAs, ES and emotional intelligence skills (EI) required of graduates. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from online job recruitment platforms and practising environmental professionals through questionnaires. Using SPSS, ranked lists of KAs, ES and EI skills were generated. Using NVivo, the rankings were verified, and missing skills identified. The findings highlighted 22 KAs and 16 ES, with EIA and environmental law being most in demand. Interpersonal and communication skills ranked highest among ES, while the ability to work independently and willingness to travel emergered as essential EI attributes. These results confirmed the expected competencies, while highlighting the need for better alignment between graduate training, academic curricula, and industry expectations.