Hannah Jane Aninon

CHAPTER I THE PRO1LEM AD ITS BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION Priority of every graduate after having completed a college degree is to look for possible employment. This is their next ultimate goal in life to sustain a living or support the needs of the family as part of Filipino culture. A large percentage of Criminology graduates opt to join the PNP and perform law enforcement functions. However, because of the rigid screening of applicants for PNP members, which includes physical and metal examinations, not all graduates are able to fulfill their dreams. Some engaged themselves in business while others land in employment where their knowledge and skills are inapplicable (Aina 2017). According to Lina (2019), after graduation is the time where fresh graduates confront with the realities beyond the academic world and become an active jobseeker, but will face the harsh statistics that only 35 to 40% will land a job and barely 10% will start a career related to the degree earned and the rest will join the unemployed status. In the practice of criminal justice of which 63.8% are employed, the most common job 15 months after graduation is welfare and housing associate professional while the police officer, legal associate professional, prison service officer and probation officer are also among the top ten jobs (AGCAS, 2020). Criminology as one of the most popular degrees of choice because of its distinct and various field of profession of licensed criminologist from the most common law enforcer or police officer and the allied career like investigator, forensic science technicians, security guard dispatcher, academician or professor; and non-passer board exam security officer, personal body guard and bouncer. But employment of the graduates of criminology is not certain. Only four of every 10 graduates will land a job within the year of their graduation, a recent study reveals. A study conducted by Dr. Roberto Padua and Dr. Juliet Daguay of Mindanao Polytechnic State College reveals that lack of jobs has forced 41 percent of males and 50 percent of females to become idle after graduation. Only 40 percent of the total graduates are likely to land jobs within the year of their graduation. The other 40 percent will not be able to find employment until next year while the remaining 20 percent will probably become unemployed for the next two years. On the average, a graduate has to wait for 18 months before being employed. (Alipato Publications, 2022). Many people are becoming fascinated to careers in criminal justice and criminology, because not only it was their dream, but they are also being influenced by the popular shows such as CSI, Criminal minds and Law and Order (Roufa, 2017). But there are some Criminology Graduates from i-Link College of Science and Technology that are not yet employed and having a hard time to find a job and to apply for the career they want to be. There are Criminology graduates that was graduated from- that are not yet employed until now is still waiting for the opportunity to be part of the career they dreamed of. That is why this study was conducted because the researcher wants to determine the challenges encountered by the unemployed Criminology graduates. The researchers are eager to know the reason behind their unemployment and how they overcome it. Purpose of the study Philippines as a developing country have been facing challenges for decades with structurally high unemployment and underemployment rates. The increasing population and labor force growth continues to outperform formal job creation. The jobs are not really created as fast as the universities handling out of the college diploma (De Ocampo, et..al., 2012). In response to these certain phenomena, researchers conducted this study entitled “life-world of unemployment: the challenges of criminology graduates” to expound the challenges and coping strategies of unemployed criminology graduates. The purpose of the study is to explore the life experiences of unemployed criminology graduates of I-link College of Science and Technology Inc. Midsayap, Cotabato. This study may give insights to criminology students about their employment status after graduation. Hence, this study will provide inspirations and motivation to the unemployed criminology graduates. Moreover, the result of this study will provide an outline for the Criminology Department of i-Link College of Science and Technology, Inc. for improvement to address the needs of every criminology graduate to land a job. Objectives of the study The researchers of this study seek to know the lived experience of the unemployed Criminology graduates. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions; 1. What are the lived experiences of the unemployed Criminology graduates? 2. What are the challenges encountered by the unemployed Criminology graduates? Significance of the Study The results of the study may be beneficial to the following: Criminology Graduates. The result of this study may help them create a plan to carry out the tasks and overcome the challenges of their chosen career. Narratives of the unemployed Criminology graduates will help them identify their own potentials as well as the areas to be developed to qualify the demands of the law enforcement agencies. Criminology graduating students. The result of this study will provide an information to the Criminology graduating students about the challenges encountered by the unemployed Criminology graduates through this they will be able to prepare themselves on how to overcome it. School Administrators. This study may provide data for faculty development to assist them in the effective planning for the implementation of curriculum. This may help school administrators to craft or design programs, seminars, and trainings for the holistic development of Criminology graduates. Future Researchers. The result of this study may serve as their guide in conducting studies related to the experiences of the unemployed Criminology graduates. Future writers may help solve the issues that have been raised. Literature Review According to Refugia (2021) the criminology graduates unemployment rate is one of the current issues being discussed by higher education scholars. College students spend their time and money in order to receive educational advantages unavailable to high school graduates. So, if they face unemployment, they are more vulnerable to unfavorable economic conditions because they have already spent their resources pursuing higher education. Career paths in criminology are difficult even though they require effort and training, particularly in the areas of crime detection and reporting, preventing crime, and other enforcement activities. Furthermore, the primary reasons for unemployment are: a lack of expert qualification, a lack of employment opportunities in their area of knowledge, an absence of political associations, and a lack of relational abilities. Challenges encountered by unemployed Criminology graduates Getting a career is common as the next chapter of life among the fresh graduates after earning their degree and it is not a surprise that they will encounter challenges and problems since it is their first exposure to a working environment (Heang, et. al, 2019). The Burning Glass (2018) reports that 43% of the recent college graduates are underemployed in their first job out of college. Of those, two-thirds are still underemployed after five years, and just over half remain so after ten years. By contrast, just one in ten graduates who land a first job appropriate to their skill level slip into underemployment after five years. On the other hand, Anderson (2021) cites the survey administered by Cengage showing half among graduates decided not to apply to entry-level positions because they felt they were not qualified, and nearly one-fifth of recent graduates of two- and four-year institutions said that their college education did not provide the skills necessary for their first job. In a survey conducted by Monster India, 58 % among fresh graduates found their first job within the span of three months and 66 % among new graduates are not prepared for their first employment (Pant, 2018). Similarly, in another study of Monster.com, over one third of the Malaysian fresh graduates quit their first job in less than a year because majority stated the lack of industry knowledge and experience affecting confidence in the given role (Human Resource Online, 2017). This may imply that formal education provided by universities may not be enough to prepare its students in the career world. The statistics and scenarios of unemployment and underemployment are unsurprising (Cooper, 2018) because graduates develop and expand the skills for better jobs later on. However, Porter (2012) stressed that most of the college graduates struggle in finding jobs due to a lack of practical and professional skills. For instance, Magnaye (2020) stressed the students’ self-perception on their need to develop soft skills such as self-confidence, creativity, independence and resourcefulness. This was further argued that students entering undergraduate programs also need further improvements in academic and social-emotional preparedness (Magnaye, 2020). In another study cited by Campos (2017) that around 65 percent of college graduates in the Philippines does not have the right skills and trainings to qualify for their chosen jobs. Due to the lack of skills, graduates find it difficult to land a job as employers no longer provide trainings like they used to be in the past (Kasriel, 2018). I. Qualifications sets by the agency/institution applied for Many might believe that having a college diploma would guarantee them a job that is align to their chosen course but studies showed that the unemployment and underemployment rates of college graduates got structurally high. The jobs are not really created as fast as the universities handling out of the college diploma. This puts pressure to graduates of any courses like Criminology to compete in seeking jobs together with the growth of the population of young graduates. (De Ocampo et al. 2012). Aside from qualifications, there are several other factors that prevent criminologists from joining law enforcement agencies. Republic Act (RA) 8551, Section 14, amends Republic Act (RA) 6975, Section 30. The general qualification for initial consultation specific profession prerequisites contains citizenship, physical test formal baccalaureate degree, and qualifications set by the commission; never have been put on administrative leave from military recruitment; never been convicted and sentenced committed or crime moral turpitude, as well as age, height, and weight criteria (Herz & Van Rens 2011). The excellent salary and benefits of the agency/institution are significant factors for the BS Criminology graduates to apply and stay in their first chosen career. Moreover, the majority of the graduates tend to choose the Tri-bureaus (PNP, BJMP, and BFP) as their career path; hence, graduates spend at least 2-3 years to qualify themselves and complete the requirements set by the agencies. The majority of graduates choose to review and pass the Criminologist Licensure Examination before looking for a job (Anderson 2021) To a student in the beginning years of his studies, a criminology graduate has more chances of getting employed. A criminology graduate may become a police officer or assigned as jail officer, port police personnel, firefighter, and drug enforcement agent. Others may work as hotel and resort in-house security, security officer in department stores, security consultant, civilian investigators, local traffic enforcer and criminology instructor. Despite all these possibilities, there are criminology graduates who may have jobs not related to their chosen course which have molded, prepared, and enhanced their ability (Burning Glass 2018). Large numbers of Criminology graduates are taking the Criminology Licensure Examination in order to become licensed criminologists. They are unable to work in law enforcers such as the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and, most particularly, the Philippine National Police if they do not pass the licensure examination (PNP). (Ruiz et al., 2014). Every year, thousands of criminology graduates all over the Philippines try their best effort to attend classes to make sure that they will be able to pass the Criminology Licensure Examination and become licensed criminologists. The eligibility needed for a criminologist to be qualified for a law enforcement job like the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and more particularly in the Philippine National Police (PNP), makes success a hindrance (Campos 2017). In the field of criminology, however, graduates may encounter difficulty to be hired in the PNP, which is under the administrative control of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) because of the stringent provisions under Title IV-B (Qualifications Upgrading), Section 14, of the Republic Act (RA) 8551, which amended section 30 of Republic Act 6975. The general qualifications for appointment specify possession of minimum qualification which include citizenship, physical test, formal baccalaureate degree, and eligibility set by the commission; have never been dishonorably discharged from military employment; never been convicted of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude, as well as age, height and weight requirements. All these may also contribute as factors which may hinder a criminologist from becoming members of law enforcement agencies. II. Financial Problem As an unemployed criminology graduate, not having a steady career can negatively impact the graduate’s financial future. You've graduated from college with a good-looking degree, and you're feeling on top of the world, willing to pick and to choose your dream career. However, the reality is that you are one of many people doing the same thing. While you may believe that you are the best fit for a particular role, thousands of other people may feel the same way. We're all sick of hearing about the global economic crisis, sluggish economic growth, and rising unemployment. Unfortunately, this is the scenario that new graduates face when looking for work. (Luby 2021). The majority of the unemployed in the Philippines are college grads, with approximately 400,000 people joining the work force each year. The country's jobless rate is 5.2 percent. In comparison to our Asia Pacific neighbors, Malaysia has 3.4 percent (March 2019), Indonesia has 5.34 percent (August 2018), Thailand has 1 percent (April 2019), and Singapore has 2.1 percent (September 2018). It was 4.4 percent in South Korea (January 2019), 3.73 percent in Taiwan (April 2019), 3.83 points higher in China (June 2018), and 3.10 percent in Vietnam (January 2019). One of its barriers for Criminology graduates to land a job related to their courses was taking and passing the Criminology Licensure Examination (Cepeda, C. 2020). Applying in the Law enforcement agency is costly, deterring many criminology graduates from applying because of a lack of funds. In order to provide the requirements in the Law Enforcement Agency criminology graduates need to find a part time job. Some of the them are applying for loan so that they can afford to comply all the requirements needed for applying in a Law enforcement agency without thinking for the consequence that they will be drowned to debt if in case they will not be accepted in the agency they apply to. (Snyder 2013) III. Few Job Opportunity Criminology graduates in rural areas have disadvantages in terms of low job opportunities, income inequality, and women find it difficult to find employment compared to men because in a Law enforcement agency there is low quota compared to men. In the field of Criminology courses there are few job opportunities and the poverty of the criminology graduates lead to a tendency that cannot afford to migrate to the bigger cities. The phenomenon of migration of criminology graduates from rural to urban areas in search of job opportunities is nothing new especially if in the place they are staying in has no job hiring for the criminology courses. (Hussain et al., 2015) The ratio of job vacancies to job seekers for criminology graduates has improved but is still low. There are still a number of graduates who are unemployed (Xiaoya and Tay, 2016). Tåhlin and Westerman (2020) explained that the recruitment criteria vary according to the individual skill level. Specifically, they are asked to emphasize the importance of education and work experience as the basis for their decision-making. Today, criminology graduates are finding it more and more difficult to obtain a career in their desired field of study due to the negative influences on the labor market, the emotional effects of unemployment, and the financial instability. IV. Lack of skills Unemployment and underemployment statistics and scenarios are unexpected (Cooper, 2018). Criminology graduates broaden and hone their abilities in preparation for better opportunities later in life. However, Because of a lack of technical and practical skills, most criminology graduates find it difficult to find work (Campos, 2017). It is stated that roughly 65 percent of Filipino college graduates lack the necessary training and education. As a result of the review, they eligible for their preferred jobs, it was discovered that general employability needed to be improved, as approximately 65 percent of graduates were not able to find work in the job they required. It demonstrates gaps in required skills for success at work. Graduates are finding it difficult to find work due to a lack of skills, as business owners no longer provide instruction as they used to (Kasriel, 2018). For the criminology graduates’ applicants, the quality of training they received in school fell short of what the agency demanded, so they supplemented their learning goals by attending additional training after graduating from college. The training program include ongoing career path directions and career development seminars. Likewise, seminars or training are motivated to support criminology graduates to develop soft skills and other necessary employability skills. Program admission requirements may be set as part of program quality assurance according to qualifications given by multiple agencies. (Refuga 2020) V. Family Concerns As a result, there is no doubt about the demand for criminology graduates. Criminology-related careers, like any other regional office or industry, meet strict looking to hire standards, which necessitate preparation. Family concerns consistently rated first among the reasons for non-employment in the Refugia (2021) study, with a frequency count of 15, guided by health-related concerns. Similarly, the study of Ruiz et al. (n.d.) demonstrated that unemployed graduates attempted to join law enforcement but were unable to do so due to health or family concerns. It implies that majority of BS Criminology graduates are unemployed because they need to identify some family issues after graduation. VI. Job Hunting Many people use newspapers and journals when they search for jobs. However, these days many publications advertise jobs online. It is quicker and cheaper to access recruitment pages online rather than look for jobs in print version (Barrar, 2010). People may also make use of employment agencies that are regularly in touch with prospective employers. They may resort to letting the employers know that they are willing to take on lower paying or less popular, jobs so as to get their foot in the door. This marks them as people who are prepared to work hard to advance in the company (Barrar, 2010). Sometimes volunteering to work in an official or in other term is “striker “is helpful in a criminology graduates to be qualify in the Law Enforcement agency they want to work with. Voluntary working to some high officials shows them that you are hardworking, energetic, dedicated and not happy to sit idly around while unemployed. Volunteering also structures people’s time and maintains essential skills. Volunteering helps also people to feel motivated, and valued (Hansen, 2005). Many people are becoming fascinated to careers in criminal justice and criminology, because not only it was their dream, but they are also being influenced by the popular shows such as CSI, Criminal minds and Law and Order (Roufa, 2017).But there are some Criminology Graduates from i-Link College of Science and Technology that are not yet employed and having a hard time to find a job and to apply for the career they want to be. There are Criminology graduates that was graduated from- that are not yet employed until now is still waiting for the opportunity to be part of the career they dreamed of. That is why this study was conducted because the researcher wants to determine the challenges encountered by the unemployed Criminology graduates. The researchers are eager to know the reason behind their unemployment and how they overcome it. VII Job competition `In setting realistic goals, consider reasonable timelines to make it happen and learn more about things how to live with the future through bringing all these dreams into certainty with self-motivated passion and perseverance. Joining Philippine National Police is a choice among non-criminology graduates (Laguador, 2013). In 2013, dismissed PNP Chief PDG Allan LM Purisima said a statement which seemed to undermine the competencies of Criminology graduates. In his view, graduates of Criminology “…are just fit to become workers at the crime laboratory”.The same newspaper article quoted him as saying, “he wants graduates of education, psychology, social work, mass communications and other professionals to become police officers. He expressed belief that teachers, psychologists, social workers, journalists, and other professionals could serve the PNP better than criminology graduates (Felipe,2013). In recent years, the lack of employment opportunities for nursing professionals in the hospitals led them to seek employment in the PNP. As such, Criminologists faced stiff competition against nursing professionals and graduates. P/Supt. Elmer Soria reported that in 2011, 106 out of 800 applicants turned out to be nursing graduates and registered nurses. Forty-three of them, mostly women, were hired.Recent observations, as further confirmed by Mojares et al. (2015) confirm this scenario in the recruitment and placement of new police trainees. Sta. Teresa (2010) described this phenomenon as a “creeping invasion by no criminology graduates” in the PNP. Theoretical Framework There are several theoretical frameworks, depending on the researcher’s goals and purposes that guide qualitative research in order to analyze data in education. For instance, the researcher might want to describe behavior, understand beliefs or explain phenomena. To explore these themes, the researcher should observe the subject in the field to be studied. Therefore, he or she should follow one or more theoretical frameworks. In this paper, phenomenography theory, developed by Marton (1986) as a qualitative research theoretical framework, is presented. Phenomenography theory is the empirical study of the different ways in which people think of the world. In other words, its aim is to discover the qualitatively different ways in which people experience, conceptualize, realize and understand various aspects of phenomena in the world around them (Martin et al., 1992). In phenomenographic theory, it studies how people experience unemployment and how they cope up with all the challenges they encounter. There are various ways in which people experience or understand a given phenomenon, because different people experience a phenomenon in different ways. Phenomenographers seek to identify the multiple conceptions that people have for a particular phenomenon.  This is related to the study because the Criminology graduates are not yet employed because they want to apply in the work they choose to be but the problem is it has a lot of qualification that they have to comply first. There are a lot of factors why they cannot apply to the career they desire because they have to meet all the requirements needed in order to be part of the career they want. Definition of Terms Challenges. Refers to the difficulties and hindering factors encountered by unemployed Criminology graduates in their job applications. Criminology. This refers to the bachelor’s degree course of Criminology graduates who wanted to have a career in the field of law enforcement. Family. This refers to the relative concerns in terms of challenges and experiences encountered by Criminology graduates Few Job Opportunity. This is refer to the job vacancy available for the Criminology graduates. Financial. This refers to the expenses or finances problem of Criminology graduates during seeking a job. Job Hunting. Refers to the career or work that the Criminology graduates looking for. Lack of skills. This is refer to the skills that the criminology graduates need to improve in order to find a job. Life-world. This refers to the lived experiences of unemployed Criminology graduates throughout their job applications. Qualifications. This refers to the requirements and application of Criminology graduates during their job application. Unemployment. This refers to the employment status of Criminology graduates who are seeking a job that is align to their profession. Scope and Limitations The respondents of this study are the unemployed Criminology Graduates of I-link College of Science and Technology Inc., Midsayap, Cotabato in the year-. This study is limited to the knowing challenges encountered by the unemployed Criminology Graduates regarding their unemployment status. The study will employ purposive sampling in identifying the respondents. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY Research Design The study will employ qualitative research design which will focus on describing, understanding, and interpreting the meaning behind the challenges encountered by the unemployed Criminology graduates. The data of this study constitute descriptions, narrations and stories of Criminology graduates regarding their unemployment status. The qualitative research method provides researchers an opportunity to understand how one or more individuals experience a phenomenon. (Bruke 2014). The qualitative study accounts the lived experience of the unemployed criminology graduates in a specific setting. Sampling Design The purposive random sampling method will used to select the research participants (RP). The purposive random sampling technique (often referred as judgment sampling) is a premeditated choice of respondents, who possess qualities of being a key informant – one or two persons who can willingly share the required information based on their knowledge and experience (Tongco, 2007). A primary data source nominates potential additional sources of data who would be able to take part in research studies using this sampling method. As a result, from 2014 to 2018, the researchers will only include unemployed Criminology graduates from I-link College of Science and Technology. Data Sources This research will be based on the challenges encountered by Unemployed Criminology graduates, which will be collected from the participants through interview. The participants of this study are the unemployed criminology graduates of i-Link College of Science and Technology that was graduated in the year 2014 and 2018. The primary data will be gathered from the audio recorded during interview, reading through the text and taking initial notes, and generally looking through the data to become acquainted with it before analyzing the individual items, and interpreting to obtain the appropriate amount of information. The primary data for this phenomenological study will come from the responses of the conversational partners. Data will be analyzed and interpreted in order to provide a valid and reliable source of information for the development of this study and future studies. The secondary data will be obtained from varieties of published, printed sources, including literature, surveys, and compilations from computerized databases and information systems (Cook, 2011). Research Tools The researchers will use the semi-structured interview guide questions to collect the data for the study's objectives. A semi-structured interview guide questions will provide a more adaptable framework for delving into issues as they arise (Denicolo et al., 2016). Semi-structured guide may be composed of both open-ended and close-ended interview question. In this type of interview, the researchers will prepare a list of questions but would not necessarily ask them all, or touch on them in any particular order. Instead, researchers will use these questions to guide the conversation. In some cases, the researchers will prepare only a list of general topics to be addressed. Interview guide is divided into three (3) parts. Part I deals with the personal information of the respondents based on their age, sex, and length of employment experience. Part II contains the main questions regarding the challenges of the unemployed Criminology graduates. Part III contains the coping strategies regarding the experiences and challenges encountered by the unemployed criminology graduates. Role of the Researchers The researcher has several roles to consider in qualitative research. The researcher's role is to attempt to access the respondents' thoughts and feelings by asking questions about data or experiences that may be very personal to them. The researcher's main responsibility is to protect the participants and their data (Sutton and Austin, 2015). In conducting this study, the researchers will going to explore and discover facts from the personal experiences of the respondents to come up probable solutions to existing problems, listen very closely to what the respondents are going to share to obtain the best responses needed in this study, establish critical reading of the various information from credible sources, facilitate the interview and data analysis, and gather data that are accurate, complete, reliable, timely and relevant. Data Gathering Procedures Before conducting this study, the researchers will follow the health protocol to make sure the safety of the subject and the researcher after that the researcher will send a letter request to the college dean to seek permission. The approved letter will be presented to the participants as well as the informed consent form. The participants will sign the informed consent form to signify their voluntary participation in the conduct of this study. After which, the researchers will individually interview the participants at their agreed time and place but before conducting the interview, the participants will be given 15 minutes to review the questions and prepare himself/herself. Lastly, the researcher will conduct the formal interview. The participants can answer the interview guide using their native language to freely express their ideas and share their experiences. Their answers will be recorded, transcribed and translated to English language for the analysis and interpretation of the data. Data Analysis This study will use the thematic data analysis in analyzing the data. This method will be used to find, understand, describe and present the personal experiences, challenges and coping strategies of the unemployed Criminology graduates. This method has a six-(6) step process: first familiarization, second coding, third generating themes, fourth reviewing themes, fifth defining and naming themes, and lastly writing up. Trustworthiness of the study Trustworthiness of the study will be established through credibility, dependability, conformability, and reliability. Credibility of this study will be operationalized through face to face interview. The researcher will also examine sufficient references to support the findings and interpretations. Dependability, on the other hand, will be achieved in this study through logical, traceable and clear documentation of the research process. Also, the researchers will make sure that the findings and interpretations of this study are clearly derived from the primary sources of data to obtain conformability. Further, the researchers will state the theoretical lens, methodology and analysis to present how and why the decisions were made. Lastly, this study will establish reliability by using recording devices and transcribing the digital files. (Nowell et al., 2017). To the best of the researchers’ ability, this study will be made out of their effort and intellectual capability. Assistance from others in conducting this study will be duly acknowledged. Ethical considerations Ethical consideration is a set of values and standards that guides research designs and Practices. Researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from the respondents. In this study, the researchers will respect and protect the rights of the respondents, enhance research validity and maintain scientific integrity. The researchers will make sure the participation of the respondents is voluntary, informed and safe for research subjects. (Bhandari, 2021). CHAPTER III RESULT AND DISCUSSION This chapter presents the statistical analysis of data and the corresponding interpretation and discussion of findings based on the order of the statement of the problem and the assumptions in the study. This study explored how the graduates of I-Link College of Science and Technology in the year-, experience unemployment. The objective of the researcher is to determine the reason of unemployment of Criminology graduates. The subject of the study was the 8 unemployed Criminology Graduates. The outcomes are a summit of the understudies' voices and shared profound point of view into their lived encounters. Demographics of Participants The results of this qualitative study are based on interviews of 10 Criminology graduates from i-Link College of Science and Technology in the year-. All Criminology graduates voluntarily participated in the study. Each participant experienced the challenges of unemployment. Participants interviewed for this study are all unemployed. Each participant was interviewed face to face using the in-depth interview. It is a personal interview that is carried out with one respondent at a time. This is purely a conversational method and invites opportunities to get details in depth from the respondent. It gives a better opportunity to read the body language of the respondents and match the responses. Thus, the findings of this study – the individual graduates ‘experiences on the associated factors for the increasing graduate unemployment in i-Link College of Science and Technology are interviewed with 2 questions and each question has 3 sub-questions or follow up questions. These questions have been developed from what the existing literature has identified as being the principal issues around unemployment and to map the graduates’ experiences to demonstrate their attitude towards unemployment. Table 1: Demographic characteristics of graduates Pseudonyms Gender Study Group Layla Female Interview Gusion Male Interview Miya Female Interview Aldous Male Interview Lolita Female Interview Granger Male Interview Alucard Male Interview Zilong Male Interview Freya Female Interview Sun Male Interview Table 1 presents the demographic characteristics of graduates. Six out of 10 participants were males and four were females. The year of graduation ranged from-. All the participants were selected from the Criminology graduates of i-Link College of Science and Technology, Inc. Lived Experience of Unemployed Criminology Graduates Themes emerged from the study Themes Core Ideas Disappointment He feels pity and disappointed to himself of being unemployed since he is a criminology graduates but has a job not related to criminology. She is not happy for being jobless since she graduated criminology He feels sad since he didn’t reach his dream He is happy to have extra income but he didn’t satisfy and sometimes he felt insulted for being unemployed since he graduated bachelor’s degree He didn’t achieve his goal since he failed the board exam Struggle He is struggling to concur review and His business. He struggles to find a par time job due to pandemic I have no work and have no source of income. Table 1. Lived Experience of the Participants. Disappointment The first theme formulated was Disappointment. The majority felt that they had become a burden to their families. This consensus was made because the graduates sensed that they were at an age where they felt they should be independent and providers in their respective families. The graduates reported that they lived in disappointment as they felt guardians wasted their money by investing in their education. Commenting on the issue Layla was quoted as saying: “Siguro sa part ko as criminology graduate, hindi Basta basta. Hindi hindi talaga ako masaya kasi syempre wala akong trabaho and then nag expect ako pag graduate ko na maka hanap na ako ng trabaho and then di pala talaga basta basta”. “In my part as a Criminology graduate, I am not happy because I thought if I graduate it will be easy to find a job but then I realized it’s not”. Few of the participants emphasized that unemployment has brought them disappointment because they thought that after graduation, they can easily find a job or they can easily apply for their dream job. “Sa ngayon, sa ganyang trabaho po syempre as a criminology graduate po, parang hindi ka masyadong masaya sa ginagawa mo kasi iba yung pangarap mo kaysa sa ginagawa mo, kaya mas hindi talaga, hindi man natin sabihin na hindi ka nasiyahan pero hindi karin kampante sa ganyang trabaho kaysa sa pangarap mong maging trabaho”. “In my situation right now, I am not happy because I am a Criminology graduate but my ambition is not what I am now”. According to Refugia (2021) the criminology graduates unemployment rate is one of the current issues being discussed by higher education scholars. College students spend their time and money in order to receive educational advantages unavailable to high school graduates. So, if they face unemployment, they are more vulnerable to unfavorable economic conditions because they have already spent their resources pursuing higher education. Struggle Participants described a struggle from others to work and be financially independent, which were assumed to be requirements of a productive member of society making a meaningful contribution. Everyday comments and questions, such as “what do you do for work?” and “aren’t you working yet?” were received as pejoratively implying that all individuals should be in paid employment, and that spending any period of time without it was unacceptable. This assumption was reinforced in interactions with friends, family and the welfare system, whereby participants felt pressured to apply for or accept any job, even those misaligned with their skills, interests and career goals. These interactions (particularly prominent within short-term unemployment experiences) also portrayed work solely as a means of earning money and economically contributing to society, marginalizing its psychosocial functions (e.g., providing a sense of purpose) which were valuable to participants. “Siguro sa ngayon, dahil hindi ako naka pasa sa board exam, so kahit saan po tayo mag apply ng ahensiya ng gobyerno e wala tayong eligibility na hinahawakan so mahirap tayo maka pasok sa paghahanap ng trabaho lalong lalo na sa gobyerno”. “Because I am not a board passer, I was not able to apply at any Government Agency because I have no eligibility”. “Nakakapagod na wala kang trabaho tapos naka try din ako mag apply sa AFP pero na bagsak ako sa PFT nabagsak ako kaya yun nakaka pagod siya”. “Being unemployed is very hard, I tried to apply in the Army but unfortunately I did not pass sa PFT, so I feel very disappointed”. “Oo napakahirap talaga grabi sa pag process palang parang mag surrender kana kaya ngayon naga ipon pa ako para sa pag apply, sideline sideline muna”. “Yes it is very hard because there so much requirements that needs to comply. The processing is not easy, that is why I am saving now so that I have money to be use when I apply later”. In another study cited by Campos (2017) that around 65 percent of college graduates in the Philippines does not have the right skills and trainings to qualify for their chosen jobs. Due to the lack of skills, graduates find it difficult to land a job as employers no longer provide trainings like they used to be in the past (Kasriel, 2018). Challenges Encountered by the Unemployed Criminology Graduates Table 2. Challenges encountered by the respondents. Themes Core Ideas Rejection Being rejected to work because they are expected to pursue the tri- bureau. He tried to apply but unfortunately he failed. She was nervous to apply because she is afraid to be rejected. Desperation He took different part time job to support his needs She tried to apply to jobs unrelated to her course but she failed Rejection During unemployment, participants were forced to grapple with the conflict between these sociocultural views and their own personal views of work, contribution, and progress. Participants consistently expressed a desire for work that was aligned with their qualifications, skills and interests, which would give them a sense of purpose, stimulation and help them to progress broader career or life goals (as opposed to simply progressing out of unemployment). Job-seeking was a coping strategy used to alleviate financial stress and regain a sense of purpose, achievement and identity. However, the process of job-seeking was often demoralizing. Receiving rejections or not hearing back from employers represented a constant cycle of hope and disappointment. “Ang possible cause of my current situation siguro dahil mahirap mag apply”. The possible cause of my current situation is probably because it is difficult to apply “Oo, grabe sobrang effort ko mag apply and then kahit saan lang ako nag aapply kung saan saan dito sa PPALMA and then kahit isa wala talaga, hindi talaga ako na appoint”. “Yes, I did all the effort to apply for a job anywhere in PALMA area but unfortunately I am not accepted”. “Oo, financial lang at sinubukan ko mag apply sa ibang job vacacy pero di ako matanggap kasi nga hindi daw business related yung course ko”. “Yes, on my financial needs and I tried to apply at any job vacancies but I am not accepted because my course is not about business”. According to Hiussain (2015) Criminology graduates in rural areas have disadvantages in terms of low job opportunities, income inequality, and women find it difficult to find employment compared to men because in a Law enforcement agency there is low quota compared to men. In the field of Criminology courses there are few job opportunities and the poverty of the criminology graduates lead to a tendency that cannot afford to migrate to the bigger cities. The phenomenon of migration of criminology graduates from rural to urban areas in search of job opportunities is nothing new especially if in the place they are staying in has no job hiring for the criminology courses. Desperation People and work are intimately connected. A career can provide one with a sense of purpose and significance, a sense of determination, a means of social connection, and a source of fulfillment. Work provides one with the means in terms of salary and wages and to contribute to and provide for one’s family and relationship maintenance. While unemployed participants are looking for any way to sustain their daily needs. “Sa ngayon kasi ang aking trabaho ay construction labor tapos hindi siya stable, depende lang din kung may mag hire sa akin sa construction labor yun lang din ang source of income ko ngayon”. “For now, I am working as a construction labor but it is just an on call-job. If they will call me I have an income, if not then I am here in our house jobless”. “Ngayon, wala talaga akong regular na trabaho kasi ang sistema ko ngayon mag sideline lang ako. Nag iipon ako para sa aking mga papers para mag apply”. “For now I have no job but I have sideline and I am saving my incomse for my application to apply at PNP”. “Siguro sa pag sideline sideline ko sa construction labor masaya naman kasi kahit maliit ang income atleast maka tulong sa akin. Siguro hindi lang ako satisfied dahil sabi nila criminology graduate ka board passer ka tapos sabihan ka nila bakit construction labor ka lang. Kaya di parin ako satisfied sa aking ginagawa ngayon dahil kasi sa hirap kaya ko nagawa yun, Diskarte lang”. “In my current situation as sometimes working in a construction I am happy because at least I have income but I am not satisfied with it. Sometimes I feel insulted by other people because I am a criminology graduate and a board passer but I am here working in a construction without stable income and permanent job”. “Ahh sa ngayon wala pa akong regular trabaho naga sideline pa utang ng mga foam mga ganyan kumot, durabox para kahit papano may income ako”. “At this moment I have no regular job but I have a small business it is a consignment of foam, durabox and blanket. At least I have income to survive”. rabaho. Sa bahay lang tinutulungan ko lang ang lola ko ng ano yung sa loob lang ng bahay na trabaho”. nemployed kasi mas gusto ko yung sa PNP talaga hindi yung mga trabaho lang jan na ano gusto ko talaga maabot yung sa PNP talaga kaya yun”. The Burning Glass (2018) reports that 43% of the recent college graduates are underemployed in their first job out of college. Of those, two-thirds are still underemployed after five years, and just over half remain so after ten years. By contrast, just one in ten graduates who land a first job appropriate to their skill level slip into underemployment after five years. Half among graduates decided not to apply to entry-level positions because they felt they were not qualified, and nearly one-fifth of recent graduates of two- and four-year institutions said that their college education did not provide the skills necessary for their first job. Confirmation Theory This study was anchored by phenomenography theory, developed by Marton (1986) as a qualitative research theoretical framework, is presented. Phenomenography theory is the empirical study of the different ways in which people think of the world. In other words, its aim is to discover the qualitatively different ways in which people experience, conceptualize, realize and understand various aspects of phenomena in the world around them (Martin et al., 1992). In phenomenographic theory, it studies how people experience unemployment and how they cope up with all the challenges they encounter. Graduate unemployment is a common phenomenon and many studies have been conducted globally and in developing countries to establish the causes of high unemployment rates. There have also been efforts regarding how the unemployed could be assisted. According to the result of the study the Theoretical framework was accepted because most of the participants are unemployed due to the reason that they are not yet qualified to the job they want to apply to like the Tri-bureaus. CHAPTER IV IMPLICATION A FUTURE DIRECTION Implication The most important aspect of this research is the introspective use of the unemployed graduates’ views, that is, from the unemployed graduates’ perspectives. The unemployed graduates themselves interpreted their own position and described their experiences. For an individual who is used to working and accustomed to the routine of getting up, dressed and going to work place unemployment can be devastating. It can result in a loss of one’s career identity, income, confidence, low self-esteem, housing and lack of career experience. Disappointment According to the respondents they felt disappointed because they are a Criminology Graduate but they are not yet employed. When a Criminology graduates fail to find the jobs that they have been seeking for many years, they will get disappointed. Such a state of hopelessness can only bring a kind of aimlessness, which in turn leads to confusion. It is in this state that all one’s past dreams and goals suddenly disappear. He or she finds it impossible to obtain his or her goals, which may lead to his or her forgetting the whole past and goals in many cases.  Individuals who cannot find their jobs are open to a spectrum of emotions, namely anger, sadness, confusion, stress, and depression, all of which can break a person’s spirit. In cases where finding a job takes longer than originally expected, the individual may not have enough money to meet basic needs. According to Fryer (2019) he pointed out that it is the loss of income that impacts on an individual most negatively because of job loss. Findings of this study indicated that financial impact of losing one’s job is one of the main stress factors associated with unemployment. Unemployment, which can have diverse effects on one’s financial well-being, ultimately leads to economic hardships, which in the end constitute the root cause for human hardship such as failure to support the family financially. The respondents pointed out that it is the loss of income that impacts most negatively to them because of job loss: since money allows people to have control over their lives and provides them with experiences, roles, and the means to socialize. They feel pity to their situation knowing that they are Criminology graduates a four years course but they have a hard time to look for a job. In addition, according to the respondent’s loss of financial income limits their autonomy, which makes it very difficult to attain and plan a satisfying lifestyle that is a prerequisite for the development and maintenance of their well-being. Struggle The findings of the study revealed that staying unemployed for a long period affect the self-belief of graduates. The majority of the graduates indicated that they used to have great aspirations to penetrate the labor market and help their families, but with unemployment longevity the hope is now low. The participants are struggling to apply a job since most of the establishments are looking for a business-related course. Criminology is not a flexible course because it is only applicable to Tri-bureau that is why the participants are struggling to find a job. According to Kinga (2015) evident that there are jobseekers with various levels of qualification, yet they do not have related skills which would equip them to match with the jobs available in the job market. Another scenario is that there are young people looking for jobs in the market, but the employers in the private sector employers prefer the ones with prior job experiences. Employers normally do not want employees who are fresh out of school without prior skills and experience. Therefore, it is obvious that mismatch of demand and supply is significant matter of concern in this context. Rejection They also felt rejected because most of their batchmate are already working in the Tri-bureau while they are still unemployed and finding a way to look for a job. According to the respondents they see themselves as naked in front of society in which they live. They may hide themselves from other community members because they do not have a positive sense of identity and status. They are embarrassed of it being known that they do not work and they believe that they are stigmatized for being unemployed. Searching for a job in spite of having a college diploma is not easy for the participants. They had good favorable and unfavorable experiences in this process. Furthermore, although unemployment evoked negative emotions, most unemployed college graduates have been positively transformed by the experiences of being rejected by the company. Therefore, listening to the lived experiences of unemployed college graduates can motivate not just them, but other students that in the future will experience looking for a job. According to Bourgeois and Leary (2019) posited that rejection poses a threat to people's individual identities. This may put further stress on the student if they feel their value as a person, or at least as an employable member of the co-op workforce. People who experience rejection have been shown to display a decline in self-esteem. Desperation Since some of the participants are not yet a board passer and some are waiting for quotas they find an alternative way to survive and to earn money. Some of them are working as a construction worker, some are selling good and barbecue and some are helping their parents in the farm to at least have a source of income. According to Zhangazha (2012) noted that due to unemployment, graduates in Criminology have found themselves driving taxis and working at fast food outlets, something they never imagined. Some graduates are opting for self-help projects such as cross border trading and exchanging foreign currency at the parallel market. This concurs with the findings of the study, a few graduates 5/20 were involved in the informal sector where many were cross border traders who bought and sold goods such perfumes, cellphones and clothes from neighboring countries such as Botswana, South Africa and Mozambique. The respondents have encountered many challenges and adjustments in looking for a job. While others look for employment due financial constraints but only temporarily. Some are trying to save money so that they can pursue their goal which is to be a part of the PNP someday. Finally, the respondents emphasized as they reflected about their journey, they’ve realized it is best to that prepare oneself and choosing the right track based on their interest. Future Direction Based on the findings of this study about the lived experience of unemployed Criminology graduates the following are the recommendation: 1. The Criminology students may focus on their academic while they are studying so that they will pass the board exam in the future. 2. The family should support the financial needs of the applicant in order to comply all the requirements for applying. 3. While subgroups of participants based on gender, age and duration of unemployment were explored for marked differences in thematic content, these analyses were only intended to provide further contextualization of participants’ experiences (as is a focus of phenomenological approaches), and caution must be taken not to interpret. 4. The unemployed criminology graduates should try to work in any related field like Security Guard in order to have an experience that will be used in the future. 5. Future studies may benefit from integration of a relational perspective to career development. Participants’ narratives are full of references to their lived experiences within the context of important relationships.