Staff Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GRADUATES in Namibia spend an average of 13 months searching for their first job after completing their studies, according to the 2024 National Graduate Survey, which provides data on graduates\u2019 transition into the labour market and the alignment of higher education programmes with workplace needs, while helping institutions improve programmes and address skills mismatches and government assess higher education interventions and guide workforce planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputy Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Dr Sylvia Demas, said the survey is more than a collection of statistics, describing it as a diagnostic tool that provides evidence for improving Namibia\u2019s higher education system and informing national planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demas said the survey provides feedback that can help Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) improve curricula and teaching, assess the relevance of skills and programmes, and support data-driven policy and institutional decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey found that 77% of employed graduates rated their course or programme content as highly useful, while 72% highlighted the importance of practical teaching and learning orientations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also found that 78% of graduates reported a high degree of alignment between their field of study and their current area of work, providing an indication of how effectively skills acquired during tertiary education translate into the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe National Graduate Survey provides information to improve curriculum. We have seen where the students are saying with the relevance or not relevance. So this helps us to improve curriculum in teaching,\u201d Demas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She added that the survey helps confirm skills relevance and programme quality, provides credible evidence for policy and institutional decision-making, and enables the evaluation of government policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey covered graduates from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 cohorts of 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey also recorded differences in employment outcomes between male and female graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demas said male graduates recorded the highest employment rate at 72%, comprising 68% salaried graduates and 4% self-employed graduates, compared with 62% of female graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women accounted for 70% of survey respondents, while men accounted for 30%. Female representation was highest at distance-learning institutions, with women making up 83% of IOL respondents and 90% of NAMCOL respondents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NUST recorded the smallest gender difference, with 56% female and 44% male respondents, while women accounted for 69% of UNAM respondents and 74% of IUM respondents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey also found a difference in average earnings. Male graduates recorded an average gross monthly income of N$19,310, compared with N$17,071 for female graduates, although the median monthly income for both groups was N$17,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Men were also more represented in the highest income bracket, with 9% earning more than N$40,000 per month compared with 6% of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey found that 14% of male graduates reported additional income sources beyond their main jobs, compared with 10% of female graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among self-employed graduates, 29% of men reported forming a partnership or company with others, compared with 6% of women. Women were more likely to work from home, at 58%, compared with 44% of men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Male graduates also reported higher rates of considering employment outside Namibia, at 29%, compared with 21% of female graduates, while 13% of men were actively seeking employment abroad compared with 8% of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these differences, job satisfaction was broadly similar, with 55% of male graduates and 53% of female graduates reporting high job satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey indicates that gender had little influence on graduates\u2019 assessments of institutional study conditions and teaching quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NCHE said the findings can be used by higher education institutions to evaluate programme effectiveness, revise curricula and address skills mismatches, while also providing government with evidence to assess higher education interventions and guide workforce planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report specifically identifies the Minimum Standards for Higher Education Institutions, Subsidised Tertiary Education and the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Policy among the government interventions that can be evaluated using graduate survey findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photo: Ministry of Education Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Staff Reporter GRADUATES in Namibia spend an average of 13 months searching for their first job after completing their studies, according to the 2024 National Graduate Survey, which provides data on graduates\u2019 transition into the labour market and the alignment of higher education programmes with workplace needs, while helping institutions improve programmes and address skills …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":401612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-401611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n