Demographic Dynamics and Graduate Employability

Abstract

The 2016/17 data from the Ministry of Education shows that there were 788,033 students enrolled in all programs both in government and non-government higher education institutions. In the same academic year, a total of 141,700 students graduated from government and non-government higher education institutions. One of the main purpose of higher education institutions is to produce competent graduates who have appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes in diverse fields of study. Thus, the employability of these graduates in the labour market has been the interest of many stakeholders. Employability is a multi-dimensional concept. Some authors suggest that we must distinguish between factors relevant to obtaining a job and factors relevant to the preparation for work. In view of this, a preliminary study was carried out to see the employment/unemployment status of graduates from five selected public higher education institutions of Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were: (a) to investigate the factors that the graduates consider as important in enhancing employment in the labor market; and (b) to explore the relevance of students' areas of specialty and the labor market demand. In order to address the objectives of the study, the following research questions were raised: (a) What was the reported employment/unemployment status of graduates from selected public HEIs? (b) What factors were considered as important in enhancing employment in the labor market? and (c) How relevant are HEIs programs in relation to labor market demands? In order to answer these basic questions, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in conducting the study. Primary and secondary sources were used to collect data. The primary sources included graduates, instructors, and policy makers from the Ministry of Education. The secondary sources were documents from the sample HEIs, CSA, and other relevant publications. Both questionnaires and interview protocols were used to collect data. The results indicated that a number of graduates were employed in public and private institutions, few of the graduates were self-employed and a small number of graduates were looking for jobs that they were interested in. The majority of the respondents indicated that their pre-employment training was fairly relevant. Despite the positive responses given by respondents, higher education institutions need to work in close collaboration with the employers to make the programs more relevant.