An Empirical Study of University Education and Graduate Employability in Tanzania

Few would challenge the proposition that employability skills are fundamental for success in the workplace. Yet much evidence suggests the skills mismatch and hiring talent is of great concern to employers around the globe. When it comes to ‘hard’ data with reference to employability skills in the Tanzanian context, there is a dearth of empirically verifiable statistics from an academic standpoint. The study takes up this challenge to investigate perceptions of 314 graduates on the role of university education in preparing them for the world of employment. Findings have shown a different perspective regarding the quality and employability of Tanzanian graduates. Graduates were appreciative of their university education and were confident that they can meet the requirements of the labour market. However, they acknowledged their theoretical knowledge has little value until they can apply it for practical purposes thus implying their participation in society and ability to cope with changes and recover from problems and challenges brought about by the world of work will be limited. The study urges Tanzania to cautiously devise and execute a plan for developing skills for employability within the education system and ultimately build world class-education systems which will enhance employment prospects for graduates.