Analysis of supply side factors influencing employability of new graduates: A tracer study of Bahir Dar University graduates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the job placement profiles of the graduates of Bahir Dar University and the relevance of school-related factors to job placement. The study was conducted at Bahir Dar University with participants who were first-degree graduates from the 2015 and 2016 cohorts. Stratified multistage random sampling was used to select respondents. Out of 4208 graduates, 867 graduates were selected to participate in the study. To determine the potential factors for graduate employability in the labour market, both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied.Results revealed that 79% percentof surveyed graduates were gainfully employed, with the majority (93%) having their first job related to their completed course. The time taken to find employment was from 1 to 6 months and the overall average duration of unemployment was 5.08 months. Sixty five percent of graduates reported that they used a public advertisement to find their first job and 58% reported that their employers used examinations to select potential candidates. A 12% variation in employability was explained by CGPA, preferred field of study, the number of companies contacted and time management skills of graduates. Moreover, graduates’ transitional employability has a positive association with cumulative GPA, preferred field of study, and internship practice. It is recommended that sustainable employment of graduates can be secured if the University improves its current curriculum to incorporate more employability skills demanded by the labour market.