Employability of University Graduates: A Study on the Graduates of Dhaka University

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This paper aims to find out the employment status and employability patterns of three batches of Dhaka University alumni.

Methodology:  The study was conducted through a questionnaire survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and some parametric and non-parametric tests to compare employability of male-female and across different faculties.  

Findings: The findings provided a detailed picture of graduate employment status. The employment rate is found to be much lower compared to national aggregates revealed from past studies. Moreover, the employed graduates are found to be somewhat under-employed in terms of salary, academic knowledge and qualifications. Although female graduates are found to have lower employment rate, their employments are perceived to have better fit with their academic knowledge and qualifications. Graduates of certain faculties such as Business Studies and Pharmacy showed higher employment rate compared to others whereas graduates of faculties which cater very specific technical knowledge such as law, Pharmacy and Biological Sciences portray lower level of under-employment.

Implications: Faculty members and university administration may use the findings of the study (low employment rate, and prevalence of underemployment) to negotiate the need for curriculum update and inclusion of employability skills in the curriculum and pedagogy.

Limitations and Future direction: Further, detailed research on the graduates of different faculties can pin-point what positive actions can be taken for disadvantaged students. This research is based only on data collected from recent graduates, further longitudinal research will shed light on how graduate employability has changed over time. Also inclusion of the employers’ point of views is important for getting a comprehensive view of the scenario.