Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to assess the efforts of vocational providers in improving the public image of vocational education (VE) to attract better trainees to the system. Design/methodology/approach – The cross-sectional survey method was employed on 228 subjects (42 employers and 186 vocationally graduated employees) from polytechnic colleges (PTCs) in Addis Ababa city. The PTCs were purposefully selected, as they represent the highest level in the sub-sector of the country while samples were drawn with random sampling techniques. A questionnaire with five-point Likert scale items was used to collect data, while cross-tabulation, a chi-square test and an independent sample t-test were applied for the analysis. Findings – Although the VE providers practice pre-enrolment promotional activities without the use of career guidance and counselling services, the study found an inadequate involvement of VE council members, rather better used previous graduates to promote VE and resistance of the industries to implement cooperative training (CT) with no significant difference between employers and graduates. Originality/value – This study is the first cross-sectional survey to examine the views of vocational graduates and employers about the efforts of vocational providers to improve the public image of VE in Ethiopia. It also presents the means of addressing unemployment problems in Africa while maintaining the effectiveness of vocational providers by creating strong partnerships with industries. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited
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