Abstract
the second quarter of 2023, the national youth unemployment rate was 45,3% and the graduate unemployment rate was at 9.6%. Although tertiary education is an important factor in employability it is clear that a tertiary qualification in itself is not sufficient to enter the job market or to guarantee a positive career trajectory. Graduate programmes play a key role in providing entry to employment, serving as a bridge between training and employment, providing work experience and aiding in the development of professional identity. It is therefore of critical importance to better understand the challenges that graduates experience when entering the work environment and the extent to which graduate programmes help or hinder their professional development and employability. This study was aimed at exploring the lived experience of participants who were part of graduate programmes and to consider how the inclusion of career coaching in the design of graduate programmes can aid the development of graduates’ professional identities. Based on the empirical findings a framework was designed to guide the development of graduate programmes with the specific consideration of the role that career coaching can play in such programmes. Through conducting a qualitative study rich data emerged through utilising semi-structured interviews that were analysed thematically. Three thematic clusters were identified, namely: challenges experienced by graduates upon entering the work environment; the impact of graduate programmes; and factors contributing to the impact of graduate programmes. A key factor that contributes to the impact of graduate programmes on young professionals is the extent and level of support that graduates receive from others. Based on this finding it is argued that the inclusion of career coaching in graduate programmes could play a significant role in the development of graduates, in particular, in terms of their professional identity. The development framework for the graduate programme design that is presented provides a clear indication of the role that career coaching could play within graduate programmes.