A new report by the Ministry of Education reveals only 58 percent of university graduates get jobs in Ethiopia.
As many as 42 percent of university grads are unemployed after graduating, the same source said.
It is a shocking revelation in a country where hundreds of thousands of people graduate from public universities and private colleges. The youth unemployment rate is over 23 percent, according to the Ethiopian Statistics Service (ESS).
When presenting their quarterly performance report for the year 2015 (EC) to the Parliament this week, Mezgebu Biazen, director of strategic affairs at the Ministry of Education, stated that only 58 percent of graduates from the ministry’s 47 overseen universities were employable.
At least 160,000 students enroll in universities each year, with a comparable number graduating, according to Mezgebu. Nevertheless, given the size of the new graduates, this employment figure remains well below expectations.
Since the government’s objective is not to provide a degree certificate, “we estimated that at least 80 percent of university graduates can find work,” Mezgebu said, adding that it is vital to make every effort to generate better job possibilities for fresh graduates.
The employment rate of graduates from private universities was left out by the ministry. Even while there are recent graduates in some professions, many businesses are worried about a lack of trained professionals. Given that the government is already Ethiopia’s largest employer; the country’s weak private sector participation in job creation necessitates a stronger response from the government.
According to sources close to The Reporter, the competitiveness and talent of recent graduates has suffered as a result of the increased use of agents who demand payment in some institutions’ recruitment processes. Science majors have it tougher than their social science counterparts when it comes to finding work after graduation.
“I graduated in construction management two years ago. Yet I did not find a company willing to hire me,” said Daniel Mekonnen, a graduate of one of the public universities in the country.
The study from the Ministry also showed that the standard of education has been deteriorated for several reasons. The Ministry of Education reports that there is only one secondary school with high-speed Internet access.
About 50 percent of seventh and eighth grade teachers are adequately qualified to teach their students, 29 percent of school administrators are licensed, and only 34 percent of directors of high schools are qualified for their positions.
