Graduates’ voices: the link between university graduates’ study and job experiences in East Africa

Abstract

Studies on what programmes graduates studied while at the University, and how this ties in with employment; “Graduate tracer studies”, have now spread worldwide. Such studies help inform and revitalize university programmes thus; they improve quality of higher education and learning since they provide important feedback results for use. In addition, this paper argues that graduate tracer studies also help to analyse how competencies acquired by the graduates during their university study relate to their jobs, and how such can help in understanding of the relevance of university programmes to the job market. Basically, we attempt to answer if and how university training produces competencies applied at work, or if there is a mismatch between training and work? The paper is discussed within the context of two connecting variables; study outcomes at university and the job situation. The paper answers two research questions thus; how is the graduates’ transition to the labour market? and, what competencies are utilised by graduates at work? From a graduate tracer study conducted at Moi University and results analysed from 10 graduate tracer studies done in East Africa, we argue that graduates offer feedback that universities can intrinsically use to improve study programmes including curricula, service and administration, but they importantly, provide results that link study to work environments. There is a strong relationship between the field of study undertaken by graduates and their work. Graduates from Moi University and from East African Universities reported robust competencies acquired from their studies that are important for work. The paper concludes that graduates obtain from university studies, essential competencies that are relevant for work on the job market. The paper informs the East African higher education landscape about how graduate tracer study results are useful, and in specific terms, how universities in the region are training graduates for relevant competencies they use on the job market.