Analysis of the Determinants of Graduates Employability

Abstract

Having a university degree does not guarantee employment, hence finding and then keeping a job, especially for young people is a major issue in most economies. In the segment of Higher education institutions (HEI) everywhere around the globe pressure is growing to produce employable graduates. The objective of this paper is to determine the basic factors that affect the employability of students before graduation. Research is based upon the sample consisted of the students of Faculty of Economics – Skopje, who are in their final year of studies. The questionnaire distributed includes well designed and structured questions, so that it provided solid foundation for information to be obtained related to their demographic, economic characteristics, as well as their average grade, and their opinion about their future goals. Most of the information is based on the stu dent’s own perception, so student self-perceived employability is considered. The basic research findings indicate the fact that there is a significant positive relationship between employability after graduation and the realization of some form of employment during the study. The results confirms the basic hypothesis that those students who during their studies have achieved integration in the labor market, are significantly more likely to be employed immediately after graduation. The level of income in the student's family also has a statistically significant positive correlation on their likelihood of employment after graduation.