Staff Reporter
THE 2024 National Graduate Survey has found that 65% of graduates secured employment within two to four years of completing their studies, while qualification level remains a significant factor in employment prospects and earnings.
Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp delivered the keynote address at the official launch of the report by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) at Protea Hotel Windhoek Fürstenhof.
The launch brought together representatives from government, higher education institutions, industry, academia, as well as students and graduates.
The survey covered graduates from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 cohorts of five institutions: the University of Namibia (UNAM), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), International University of Management (IUM), Institute for Open Learning (IOL) and Namibia College of Open Learning (NAMCOL).
According to the report, 61% of graduates were employed, while 4% were self-employed. Between 33% and 34% remained unemployed.
The findings provide insight into graduate employability, further studies, skills relevance and the contribution of higher education to Namibia’s socio-economic development.
The graduate unemployment figures also come against a broader national unemployment rate of 36.9%, while youth unemployment stands at 44.4%.
Qualification level was found to have a notable impact on employment prospects. Graduates with certificates or diplomas recorded an unemployment rate of 45%, compared with 31% among Bachelor’s degree holders, while unemployment was lower among those with postgraduate qualifications.
“We need to strengthen career guidance, internships, partnerships and other opportunities that help our graduates move successfully from higher education into the world of work. But we must also recognise that graduate employment is not the responsibility of higher education institutions alone. It is a shared responsibility. Government has a role. Employers have a role. Industry has a role. Institutions have a role. And graduates themselves have a role,” said Anna Imalwa, acting CEO for the Institute for Open Learning.
She also stated that the 38% unemployment figure among Education, Training and Development graduates should therefore not simply be a statistic that we acknowledge and move on from. It should be a call to action.
“The real value of this survey will not be determined by the report alone. It will be determined by what we do with the evidence,” Imalwa suggested in her speech at the launch.
Earnings also increased with higher qualification levels. Diploma holders earned an average gross monthly income of N$13,721, compared with N$16,966 for Bachelor’s degree holders, N$26,561 for Master’s degree holders and N$38,711 for PhD holders.
The public sector remains the main employer of graduates, accounting for 65% of graduate employment. Of this, 54% were employed in the Public Service and 11% in public enterprises, while the private sector accounted for 24%.
Employment outcomes varied considerably across fields of study. Services and Life Sciences recorded the highest employment rate at 86%, followed by Law, Military and Security at 76%, and Health Sciences at 72%.
Agriculture graduates recorded an unemployment rate of 47%, while unemployment among Education graduates increased from 22% in the 2021 survey to 38% in the 2024 survey.
Women accounted for 70% of survey respondents, but the findings also showed a gender income gap. Male graduates earned an average gross monthly salary of N$19,310, compared with N$17,071 for female graduates.
The survey further found that 77% of graduates considered the content of their studies highly useful, while 70% were working in areas appropriate to their qualification level.
However, underemployment remained a concern among graduates with higher qualifications, with 44% of Master’s degree holders and 39% of Honours graduates reporting that they were working in positions below or inappropriate for their level of education.
Press advertisements and social media were identified as the most successful avenues for finding employment, accounting for between 27% and 35% and 20% and 29%, respectively.
While 35% of graduates found employment within 12 months, about two-thirds took longer than six months to secure work.
The report recommends the institutionalisation of graduate internship programmes, the establishment of incubation centres and stronger entrepreneurship support to increase opportunities for direct self-employment.
Photo: IOL
