Abstract:
Graduate employability emerged in the twentieth century with the systematic
development of higher education institutes (HEI). The study was conducted at the
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura aiming
to trace the graduate employability in two attempts. Both Bachelors/ Honours degree
holders eligible for the general convocation of 2017 were counted in. During the first
phase, an interviewee-administered questionnaire was used and in the second phase,
telephone conversations were used referring to the database developed earlier. Out of
808, 522 and 463 students have responded in both attempts. The number of employed
graduates after six months of final examination was 22% (193) and increased up to
44% (214) in one year. The level of employability was increased by 24% of honors
degree holders and 19% of general degree holders. The majority were working in the
private sector. While the majority work on temporary basis (55% and 64%),
engagement of permanent jobs has increased by 7%. The education sector earned the
largest contribution (39%). 49% of the English medium graduates were employed at
first 6 months, and 76% after twelve months. Gender, the language of study and the
type of degree (General/ Honors) seemed the significant factors for graduate
employability. Relativeness of the first job with the field of education and reaching a
graduate-level job was neglected. Capability to obtain work and entering the world of
work is considered a vital skill. We propose HEI to track graduate employability to
assure the quality of our education systems.
