A tracer Study of University of Nairobi Graduates, 1991 – 1998;
Paper Prepared for CODESRIA’s 10TH General Assembly on "Africa in the New Millennium", Kampala, Uganda, 8-12 December 2002.
Gerald Kimani
geraldkimani2001@yahoo.com
Abstract
Over the last two decades. Kenyan education system has been characterized by a very rapid expansion. At higher education level the number of public universities has increased from one in 1980 to six in 2000.The rapid expansion of university education has created problems of overcrowding and strain of available resources. There has also been a deterioration in the quality of education as a result of scarce resources. The economy has further been unable to absorb majority of the high level manpower produced by the universities. This has led to high unemployment rate among the graduates due to a mismatch between available job opportunities and university output.of graduates Concern has been raised on the content, relevance and performance of the University of Education in meeting the changing needs of the Kenya society.
ln an attempt to respond to the concerns raised the Association of African Universities (AAU) in 1999 -.2001 sponsored a tracer study to investigate University of Nairobi’s graduates of 1991-1998.The study assessed graduates perception of the study conditions and provisions while at university, transition from higher education to employment and the extent to which the job held was appropriate to the level of education studied. The study further assessed the extent to which graduates used knowledge attitudes and skills acquired during the study at the university in their present jobs Of the 1640 graduates traced 580 graduates filled a self administered questionnaire .A few graduates were orally interviewed
Analysis of the results indicated an average rating of the various aspects of study provisions and conditions. Overall irrespective of gender, scope and coverage of courses, teaching quality of lecturers and testing and grading system were rated higher compared to other aspects. University graduates who completed in early years of 1991-93.spent less time to get employed compared to those who graduated after 1993.Most of the graduates (72%) considered the job held to be appropriate to the level of of education attained. Overall use of knowledge and skills acquired during the study was highly rated by 90%of the graduates. However one very significant skill where graduates felt inadequate was computer applications .Respondents felt this skill was very crucial to everyday life and should be incorporated in all university programs.
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Over the last two decades Kenyan education system has been characterized by a very rapid expansion. At higher education levels the number of public universities has increased from one in 1980 to in 2000.
In terms of enrollment in 1963/64 academic year there were 571 students at the University College, Nairobi. The number increased to 3404 students in 1970/71 while in 1983/84 the number rose to 9044. With the establishment of three more public universities, in 1980s the enrollment increased sharply to 20817 students by 1987/88 academic year. Presently, more than 40,000 students are enrolled in the six public universities in the country.
The rapid expansion of university education has created many problems. Some of the problems include:
- Overcrowding and strain in available facilities as a result of double intakes in 1987/88 and 1990/91 in order to eliminate the backlog and accommodate both 7-4-2-3 and 8-4-4 school system candidates.
- Deterioration of the quality education as a result of resource scarcity, overworked academic staff, lack of physical facilities, equipment, library facilities etc.
- Frequent closures of public universities which have lengthened the duration of academic programmes completion beyond the normal time and
- The inability of economy to absorb high level manpower produced by universities2.
From the 1990’s, Kenya like most other African countries has been experiencing financial difficulties due to poor economic performance. The economy has been unable to grow at a rate that would create enough jobs for the growing labour force from universities and other education and training institutions. The country’s political and development programmes have been unable to focus on areas with greatest employment creation potential. Indeed since 1994, there has been a major programme of retrenchment of workers from the civil service (which was a major employer of university graduates) due to economic stagnation. This has led to high unemployment rate among graduates due to mismatch between available job opportunities and number of graduates produced by the universities.
A major area of concern on the university education to the parents, educational administrators and public has been the relevance and quality provided to graduates. There has been a lack of clear relationship between the university education and the potential employment opportunities. In a Graduate Labour Market study done in 1994, a former university graduate summarized the feelings of other graduates by stating:
"I feel most of courses on campus are irrelevant.
Admissions have been politicized and interfered with and
general standards are on the decline ... The sheer numbers
at the university and lack of enough and appropriate
facilities made the training inadequate3".
A report commissioned by the World Bank on Cost and Financing of Tertiary Education (1995) acknowledged that most academic programmes in the public universities need review. The report stated:
"Academic programmes in the universities need review.
There are non-existent mechanisms for quality assessment
and assurance of existing programmes. Most programmes
have not evolved with changes in technology and
In the University of Nairobi, no reliable data exist on the employment of its graduates nor have the view of students and employers been ascertained as to the relevance and usefulness of programmes offered. This study attempted to fill this gap.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
A major objective of the University of Nairobi has been to train and prepare high level manpower needed for the development of the country. In line with this objective, this study was conducted to:
- assess graduate’s perception of the study conditions and provisions while at the university.
- examine the transition from higher education to employment from graduate’s perception.
- identify the present job status of the graduates and the extent to which their jobs are appropriate to their level of education.
- determine the extent to which graduates use knowledge, attitudes and skills acquired during their study at the university in their present jobs.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
(a) Population and Sampling
The target population for this study comprised of 3300 graduates of Bachelor of Education (Arts), Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Commerce degree programmes who completed their studies from 1991 to 1998. Due to inconsistencies in placement/employment records no sampling was done. However the study targeted to get at least 50% of the graduates from each cohort.
(b) Strategies for Tracing Graduates
Tracing of the graduates was labour intensive. It involved studying the records of graduates at their former university, Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and the employers. Records from the employers were particularly useful for those who completed their studies from 1995 to 1998. They were however less useful for those who completed their studies between 1991 to 1994 due to factors such as transfers and change of names.
Snowball technique was by far the most useful method of tracing the graduates. After graduates were traced by the above mentioned method, they were mailed a letter requesting their assistance in locating other graduates from their year or other cohorts. Each letter included a form containing space for thirty of the graduates names, institution they were working for, telephone of work place and residence. From the 80 responses received about 950 graduates were located through this method. In total 1640 graduates were traced.
(c) Instruments for Data Collection
Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire. The questionnaire collected data on graduates social-biographical data, course of study at the university, transition from university to employment and current employment status. It also contained items on assessment of work and employment and further training/education undertaken since graduation among other items. The questionnaire was adapted from the one developed by Harald Schomburg at the Centre for Higher Education and Work, University of Kassel, Germany.
(d) Data collection and analysis procedures
Questionnaires were sent to 1400 graduates. Some 240 other questionnaires were administered directly to the respondents. In total 580 questionnaires were returned. Of the returned questionnaires 69 were not properly filled. These were discarded and not included in data analysis. The return rate of the questionnaires was 35.4%.
After collection of the data, a codebook was developed. Data was coded and entered into SPSS data files. Results for each question was cross-tabulated against year of graduation, course undertaken at the university and gender.
RESULTS
Characteristics of the Graduates
Of the 511 graduates studied, their age ranged from 24 to 55 years. About 63% of the graduates were between 25 and 35 years. The bulk of these graduates studied science and commerce course and were admitted to university direct from school unlike education graduates. In terms of gender, 74% of the respondents were men and 26% women. Based on actual number of students admitted over the period 1991 - 1998 there was gender balance in the study. Among the 499 respondents who responded to the item on marital status, 43% were single and 57% were married. Nearly all education graduates (91%) were married. The large number of married education graduates was attributed to the fact that all of them joined Bachelor of Education programme at mature age. Out of 263 graduates who indicated the number of children they had, 84% had between one and four children. About 16% of the 263 graduates had more than five children. For education graduates 86% had more than two children.
Data on the religion indicated that majority of the graduates were Protestants (53%) followed by Catholics (42%). About 4% of the 494 respondents who responded to the item on religion were Moslems while other religions (e.g. Hindu, Heathens etc.) had about 1%. About 15% of the graduates held administrative positions within their religious organizations.
Assessment of Study Conditions and Provisions
The graduates’ responses toward various aspects of the study provisions and conditions by field of study are presented in Table 1. Analysis of the results indicate an average rating of various aspects of study provisions and conditions. Overall, irrespective of the area of study, scope and coverage of courses (68%), teaching quality of lectures (65%) and contacts with fellow students were the most highly rated aspects. Other
Table 1: Assessment of Study Provisions and Study Conditions (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Assistance/advice for your final examination
Opportunity of out of class contacts with teaching staff
Academic advice offered
Chances to participate in research projects
Teaching quality of lectures
Adequacy of teaching staff
Quality of teaching staff
Scope and coverage of courses
Testing/grading system in examinations
Structure of degree program
Provision of supervised practical work experience
Contacts with fellow students
Chance for students to have an influence on university policies
Availability of technical equipment (e.g. P.C, Measuring instrument etc)
Quality of equipment of laboratories/workshops (if applicable)
Supply of learning materials
Supply of teaching materials
Equipment and stocking of libraries
Accomodation facilities on the campus
Catering facilities on the campus
Quality of the buildings
Quality opportunities for co-curricular activities
Counselling services
Games facilities
Recreational facilities
66
39
60
30
69
55
46
71
65
67
54
59
24
18
20
57
49
34
26
17
23
11
7
11
13
65
27
29
21
77
77
58
72
71
61
35
72
17
42
52
47
49
54
39
21
51
45
37
51
45
34
15
36
30
47
45
25
60
48
54
22
64
17
10
17
29
28
36
46
24
39
38
17
38
22
56
27
42
27
65
59
43
68
61
61
37
65
20
23
30
45
42
41
36
21
37
30
20
32
26
Count (n)
(184)
(163)
(164)
(511)
Question 3: How do you rate the study provision and study conditions you experienced? Scale 1 = very good 5= very bad.
well-rated aspects were testing/grading system in examinations (61%), structure of degree programme (61%), adequacy of teaching staff and assistance/advice offered during final examinations (56%). These findings indicate that generally graduates were satisfied with the academic aspects of their degree programme.
Results on the supportive and physical facilities provided at the university indicate that they were lowly rated by the graduates. Counselling services (20%), catering facilities on the campus (21%),availability of technical equipment such as personal computers, and measuring instruments etc. (23%) and recreational facilities (26%) were some of the lowly rated aspects of study provisions and conditions at the university. Graduates of education rated these aspects lower compared to those of science and commerce.
The main reason for low rating of supportive and physical facilities was due to rapid expansion of enrollment of students at national universities without corresponding increase in personnel and physical facilities in the 1990’s. The Government gave in to public pressure to enroll more students in public universities after they met the minimum admission requirements. However physical facilities and support services were not increased at the corresponding rate of student enrollment. This led to a mismatch between available supportive and physical facilities and the rising number of student population. The results of this was deterioration of supportive services and available physical facilities.
When graduates were categorized by year of graduation (Table 2) no major difference between the results described above and the results observed were noted. However graduates who completed from 1991 - 1993 rated more aspects of study conditions and provisions higher than those who completed after 1993. This perhaps was due to the fact that
Table 9: Assessment of Study Provisions and Study Conditions (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Year of Bachelor’s degree completion
1991-1993
1994-1996
1997-1999
Assistance/advice for your final examination
Opportunity of out of class contacts with teaching staff
Academic advice offered
Chances to participate in research projects
Teaching quality of lectures
Adequacy of teaching staff
Quality of teaching staff
Scope and coverage of courses
Testing/grading system in examinations
Structure of degree program
Provision of supervised practical work experience
Contacts with fellow students
Chance for students to have an influence on university policies
Availability of technical equipment (e.g. P.C, Measuring instrument etc)
Quality of equipment of laboratories/workshops (if applicable)
Supply of learning materials
Supply of teaching materials
Equipment and stocking of libraries
Accomodation facilities on the campus
Catering facilities on the campus
Quality of the buildings
Quality opportunities for co-curricular activities
Counselling services
Games facilities
Recreational facilities
50
26
52
22
60
52
44
73
61
61
39
63
22
21
25
59
48
43
48
34
45
23
11
25
25
63
32
39
26
66
59
42
65
64
61
43
58
20
16
22
40
41
38
27
14
27
22
16
26
17
51
23
40
33
67
64
45
66
59
61
29
74
18
33
41
40
40
43
39
18
41
45
30
45
37
56
27
42
27
65
59
43
68
61
61
37
65
20
23
30
45
42
41
36
21
37
30
20
32
26
Count (n)
(128)
(207)
(176)
(511)
Question 3: How do you rate the study provision and study conditions you experienced? Scale from 1 = very good to 5 = very bad.
enrollment of students at the University of Nairobi was lower in early 1990’s compared to that of after 1995.
No major difference was observed between male and female assessment of the various aspects of study conditions and provisions (Table 3). While graduates assessment of academic aspects of their degree programme was very similar, some differences were noted in supportive services and facilities. Generally female graduates rated the supportive services and facilities lower compared to that of the male graduates. It would appear that supportive services and physical facilities for female students were not given equal attention compared to those of male graduates.
Employment of Graduates
Results on employment position of graduates immediately after completion of their degree programme is presented in Table 4. Overall 47% of the 453 graduates who responded to this item were employed immediately after completion of the degree programme. About 49% were not employed and were seeking employment. Some 2% of the respondents were not employed and did not intend to be employed. The year of completion was an important factor in the employment of graduates. Majority of the graduates (72%) who completed in the 1991-1993 were employed or had been employed earlier than completion date. Among those who completed in 1997 - 1998 only 15% were employed immediately. The number of those who were unemployed immediately after graduation depended on the year of completion of degree programme. It increased from early years of 1990’s to the latter years of the 1990’s
Table 3: Assessment of Study Provisions and Study Conditions (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Gender
Male
Female
Total
Assistance/advice for your final examination
Opportunity of out of class contacts with teaching staff
Academic advice offered
Chances to participate in research projects
Teaching quality of lectures
Adequacy of teaching staff
Quality of teaching staff
Scope and coverage of courses
Testing/grading system in examinations
Structure of degree program
Provision of supervised practical work experience
Contacts with fellow students
Chance for students to have an influence on university policies
Availability of technical equipment (e.g. P.C, Measuring instrument etc)
Quality of equipment of laboratories/workshops (if applicable)
Supply of learning materials
Supply of teaching materials
Equipment and stocking of libraries
Accomodation facilities on the campus
Catering facilities on the campus
Quality of the buildings
Quality opportunities for co-curricular activities
Counselling services
Games facilities
Recreational facilities
55
25
42
26
65
60
41
67
63
63
35
67
19
25
31
45
41
42
39
23
40
33
22
35
29
56
32
42
30
64
56
49
69
56
56
44
59
22
17
24
45
45
37
27
14
27
21
12
23
18
56
27
42
27
65
59
43
68
61
61
37
65
20
23
29
45
42
41
36
20
36
30
19
32
26
Count (n)
(377)
(131)
(508)
Question 3: How do you rate the study provision and study conditions you experienced? Scale 1 = very good 5= very bad.
Table 4: Career after Graduation (percent)
Year of Bachelor’s degree completion
1991-1993
1994-1996
1997-1999
Employed
Professional training
Advanced academic study
Not employed, seeking employment
Not employed and not intending to be employed
Other
72
0
0
25
1
2
59
1
1
38
2
0
15
2
0
80
3
1
47
1
0
49
2
1
Total
Count (n)
100
(114)
100
(184)
100
(155)
100
(453)
Question 4: What was your career status at the time of graduation?
Factors Important in the Employment of Graduates
Factors that were important in the employment of graduates are indicated in Table 5. The three most important factors were field of study (76%), subject area/specialization and personality (50%). The first two factors are interrelated. Personality is perhaps important in private sector but not a major consideration in public sector. In employment of graduate teachers for example, personality is hardly considered. However field of study and subject/areas of specialization are a major consideration in their employment Personality of the individual graduate was important among science and commerce graduates as indicated in Table 5. Other Factors moderately identified as important were grades attained at the university (47%),reputation of the university (44%) and reputation of the department (33%) at the university where one graduated from. Other factors were identified by less than 30% of the respondents. Government policy on employment which used to be a major factor is no longer considered very important by the graduates.
Employment Status
The graduates employment status is presented in Table 6. From the Table it is evident that majority of the graduates (84%) main activity was employment. About 9% of the graduates were involved in further
Table 5: Recruitment Criteria of the Employer (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Field of study
Main focus of subject area/specialization
Theme of thesis/projects, if applicable
Grades at the university
Reputation of the university
Reputation of the department
Previous work experience
Personality
Experiences abroad
My own world view, religion etc.
Government employment policy
Contact/personal connections
Religion of ones origin/place of birth
Secondary school attended/old boys/girls
association.
Other
Other
73
50
14
28
26
16
26
25
14
18
53
14
12
10
100
100
73
66
9
45
39
35
29
70
13
14
12
28
4
5
100
100
81
82
10
62
60
43
31
56
5
8
3
17
2
4
100
100
76
67
11
47
44
33
29
50
10
12
22
19
6
6
100
100
Count (n)
(140)
(96)
(153)
(389)
Question 9: In your opinion, how important were the following factors in your being employed? Scale from 1=very important to 5=not at all important.
Professional training or advanced academic study. It is possible that some of those graduates who were in full-time employment were simultaneously learning. Among those not employed 6% were seeking employment and 4% did not intend to look for employment. Employment status was highly influenced by the year one graduated.
Majority (99%) of those who completed in 1991-1993 were in employment. The number in employment decreased as we approached the end of 1990’s. This was attributed to the scarcity of job opportunities particular in public sector and poor performance of the economy during the second half of 1990’s.
Table 6: Major Employment Status (percent; multiple responses)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Employed (including self-employed, traineeship, etc.)
Professional training
Advanced academic study
Not employed, but seeking employment
Without employment, and not intending to be employed (e.g. raising children, illnesss)
Other
96
9
1
1
1
4
56
3
6
21
13
2
96
4
1
0
0
4
84
6
3
6
4
3
Total
Count (n)
111
(160)
101
(117)
106
(134)
107
(411)
Question 12a: What is your current employment status? Major activity
Kind of Employer
Most of the graduates studied (61%) were employed in the public sector. Table 7. However, private employers took slightly more than a third
(37%). About 2% indicated that they were self employed or were involved in other activities. Public sector remained the main employer of graduates from the University despite the dwindling economy. When data was categorized by field of study, it was found that 98% of education graduates were employed by the public sector compared to 40% of science and 30% of commerce graduates. About 69% of the commerce and 59% of science graduates were employed in the private sector. Only 2% of the education graduates were employed in that sector.
Table 7: Kind of Employer (percent)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Public employer
Private employer
Self employed
Other
98
2
0
0
40
53
5
3
30
69
1
1
61
37
1
1
Total
Count (n)
100
(170)
100
(78)
100
(149)
100
(397)
Question 17: Please state the kind of your employer? Please tick one item only
Economic Sector Graduates are Employed
The economic sector where graduates were employed or were active in is indicated in Table 7. An analysis of the results in the table indicate that about 39% of the graduates were working in schools. Indeed 81% of the education graduates were working in tertiary education institutions or universities. About 19% of all the graduates were working in banking, finance and insurance industry. Nearly half (45%) of the commerce graduates were working in that sector. Other economic sector had employed less than 10% of the graduates studied. Unlike in the past where government employed most of the graduates, only 6% indicated they were working for government ministries.
Income.
The main source of livelihood for majority of the graduates studied was full time employment. Monthly gross income for the graduates ranged from Kshs. 6500 to Kshs. 3000 (US$84 – 3850). Majority of the graduates (55%) gross monthly salary ranged between Kshs. 15000-Kshs.30000 (US$ 192-385). Generally the gross monthly income for the graduates were quite low and a reflection of earnings from public sector of the economy.
Appropriateness of Position and work to level of Education.
A major objective of this study was to investigate whether the position (appointment) held was appropriate to their level of education The findings of this study revealed that most graduates (72%) were of the view that the position held was appropriate to their level of education (Table 8). Only a small number (4%) indicated that it was not at all. The findings of this study is an indication that courses taken by the graduates studied were relevant to the world of work.
Table 8: Appropriateness of Position and work to Level of Education (percent; arithmetic mean)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Appropriateness of position and work
1 To a great extent
2
3
4
5 Not at all
Arithmetic mean
31
50
14
2
3
2,0
42
32
15
6
5
2,0
27
35
24
10
4
2,3
31
41
18
6
4
2,1
Count (n)
(179)
(84)
(158)
(421)
Question 32: To what extent is your position and work appropriate to your level of education? Scale from 1 = completely appropriate to 5 = not at all appropriate.
Job Requirements and use of Qualifications
Provision of relevant skills to graduates is an important consideration in the design and development of a degree programme. It is also taken seriously by employers when considering graduates for employment in their organizations. A list of skills expected to be acquired for various jobs were presented to graduates to indicate the extent to which they had acquired them at the time of graduation. The respondents were further asked to indicate the extent to which they were required for their present jobs. Each skill was to be rated along a scale of 1 to 5 as indicated in the Table 9.
Findings show that graduates had at the time of graduation acquired to a high extent broad general knowledge (83%), cross-disciplinary thinking/knowledge (78%) field-specific theoretical knowledge (66%) and field specific knowledge of methods (59%) to a high extent. However graduates did not find themselves competent in foreign language competency (16%), computer skills (24%) and in understanding complex social, organizational and technical systems (38%). The deficiency in
Table 9: Professional Knowledge and Skills Possessed by Graduates at Time of Graduation (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Broad general knowledge
Cross-displinary thinking/knowledge
Field-specific theoretical knowledge
Field-specific knowledge of methods
Foreign language proficiency
Computer skills
Understanding complex social, organisational and technical systems
Planning, co-ordinating and organizing
Applying rules and regulations
Economic reasoning
Documenting ideas and information’s
80
80
69
66
17
26
42
56
59
55
59
87
81
72
59
18
22
26
48
50
52
57
82
73
60
50
13
23
46
53
47
63
62
83
78
67
59
16
24
38
53
52
57
59
Count (n)
(178)
(141)
(162)
(481)
Question 27a: Please indicate to what extent you had the skills listed below when you graduated. Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.
Foreign language competency was expected, as most organizations do not require it other than competency skills in national languages used for communication. Understanding social, organizational and technical systems usually takes place when one is employed in an organization and not at the time of graduation. The deficiency in computer skills for the graduates at the time of graduation is of great concern as knowledge in this area is indispensable in the current world.
On the issue of skills required in graduates’ work, its worth nothing that nearly all the listed skills on the Table 10 were required to a high extent.
However, foreign language proficiency was not highly required. Comparisons of Table 9 and Table 10 indicated that there was a gap between the skills graduates had at the time of graduation and those required by their current jobs. The University will need to address this issue when revising or in the development of its future new programmes.
Table 10: Required Professional Knowledge and Skills (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Broad general knowledge
Cross-disciplinary thinking/knowledge
Field-specific theoretical knowledge
Field-specific knowledge methods
Foreign language proficiency
Computer skills
Understanding complex social, organizational and technical systems
Planning, Co-ordinating and organising
Applying rules and regulations
Economic reasoning
Documenting ideas and information
95
95
83
77
27
43
70
78
85
79
82
70
88
70
60
20
47
62
77
81
70
87
76
78
83
67
21
67
61
75
82
81
78
83
87
81
70
23
53
65
77
83
78
81
Count (n)
(173)
(79)
(154)
(406)
Question 27b: Please indicate to what extent the skills are required in your current work. Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.
Use of knowledge and skills in current job
Graduates were asked to indicate the extent to which certain elements of their study programme were useful to their current work. The course content of the major subject of study/teaching subject (85%) was found to be the most useful elements of their current work (Table 11). Other very useful elements of their study programme were opportunity for specialization (75%) and variety of courses (73%) offered. Research emphasis (47%) was found to be least useful to their current work according to the graduates’ perceptions. This perhaps is due to the fact that at public universities research is more emphasized at post graduate levels rather than at the undergraduate level.
When asked to indicate how useful their degree course was in preparing them for their present work (83%), (75%) B.Com. and (71%) of B.Sc. graduates indicated that it was to a very great extent. They all appeared to concur in their responses that their degree course was very useful in
Table 11: Usefulness of Degree Course (percent; responses 1 and 2)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Course content of major subject
Course content of minor subject
Variety of courses offered
Opportunity for Specialization
Research emphasis
Practical emphasis of teaching and learning
Work experience (internships etc.)
84
85
85
82
66
91
76
74
57
50
57
41
44
40
91
62
73
77
31
42
39
85
70
73
75
47
65
57
Count (n)
(180)
(85)
(160)
(425)
Question 29a: How useful did the following elements of the study programme prove to your current work? Scale from 1 = very useful to 5 = not at all useful.
preparing them in other spheres of life (78% for responses 1 and 2). There was minimal variation in response to this question.
Overall assessment of the extent of the use of knowledge and skills acquired during graduates’ studies is indicated in the Table 12. Of the surveyed graduates 72% said that they used knowledge and skills acquired to a high or very high extent. Only 3% of the graduates said they did not use the skills acquired in the course of the studies. These findings are an indication that the courses offered by the University of Nairobi are quite relevant to the work assignment of graduates.
Table 12: Overall assessment of extent of use of knowledge and skills acquired during studies (percent; arithmetic mean)
Education
Field of Study Science
Commerce
Total
Use of knowledge and skills acquired during your course of studies
1 To a greate extent
2
3
4
5 Not at all
Arithmetic mean
32
45
13
8
2
2,0
24
23
32
13
9
2,6
31
48
17
3
1
1,9
30
42
18
7
3
2,1
Count (n)
(178)
(88)
(160)
(426)
Question 31: When you look at your current work tasks altogether: to what extent do you use the knowledge and skills acquired during your course of studies? Scale from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all.
Conclusions and Recommendations
An analysis of the results on the study provisions and conditions indicate an average rating of most of the aspects studied. Indeed seven of the twenty-five aspects were rated as good or very good by 50% or more, of the graduates. Due to rapid expansion of the enrollment of students at the University of Nairobi and other public university without corresponding increase in facilities in the 1990s’, most of the facilities have been strained and run down. Buildings and facilities that the Government had started to put up in early 1990s’ in public universities to cater for the expansion of student enrollment were abandoned half-way due to lack of resources. There is an urgent need for the University of Nairobi to rehabilitate its run down facilities and complete the buildings that were abandoned half-way, in the 1990s’. This will reduce the over-crowding and the strain put on the available facilities. Rehabilitation and completing the incomplete facilities should be given priority to enhance university’s core mission of teaching, research and community service.
Graduates from faculty of education were employed by the time they first enrolled in their degree programme. However graduates from commerce and science took time to get employed. The period taken by most of these graduates ranged from 5 months to 3 years.
The period between graduation and employment depended on the time of graduation. Those who graduated in later years. This state of affairs was attributed to stagnation of the economy and the increase in poverty levels in the country. The public sector, which used to employ majority of public university graduates rarely employs them. Indeed since 1994 there has been a major retrenchment programme for civil servants and university workers. University graduates will in future have to seek other employment avenues particularly in private sector, the informal sector and in self employment. Universities will need to re-orient their academic programmes to this reality.
Results on the skills acquired by the graduates and their use in graduates’ current work was rated quite highly. Of the 11 skills listed for assessment, only 3 were lowly rated by the graduates. Generally at the time of graduation most of the graduates had acquired critical skills required in their current work. However, one very significant skill where graduates felt inadequate was computer application. This skill is now very crucial in performance of most jobs and in every day life. Training in computer studies at the University of Nairobi has not been introduced on a wide scale to all students. This has been due to limitations of computer facilities available. To introduce computer studies for all students a lot of resources will be required. However, this can be done gradually with proper planning. A major project of computerization of teaching and research facilities has been mounted.
Graduates assessment of the usefulness of knowledge and skills acquired at the University were quite high. Major subject of study, area of specialization and variety of course offered were found to be very useful in graduates’ current work. Research emphasis was rated as the least useful element of graduates’ current work. Research emphasis was rated as the least useful element of graduates’ work. Overall about 71% of the graduates indicated that knowledge and skills acquired at the university were very useful in their current work. This was an indication that the courses offered at the University were quite relevant to the work assignment of the graduates.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Republic of Kenya, Economic Surveys (Nairobi: Central Bureau of Statistics, (1998), p. 18.
- Ministry of Education, Cost and Financing of Education in Kenya:
Access, Quality of Equity in Tertiary Education and Training
Institutions. Nairobi: World Bank and Ministry of Education, 1995),
P.1.
- Commission of Higher Education, Graduate Labour Market Study in Kenya. (Nairobi: Commission for Higher Education, 1994), p. 81.
- Ministry of Education and World Bank Report, 1995 p. 72