Assessing Employability and Career Pathways of Business Graduates: Evidence from Tracer Study at Pokhara University, Nepal

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the post-graduation experiences of the business graduates of the School of Business at Pokhara University, Nepal, focusing on the employment situation, continuation in further education and attitudes to the success of their academic programmes in preparing them for the labour market. Following human capital theory, the study used descriptive cross-sectional approach. A total of 181 business graduates selected using stratified random sampling were surveyed through a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire developed by the University Grants Commission, Nepal was adapted for the survey and the data was analyzed using IBM SPSS-26. The majority of the sample were employed and a significant number were engaged in further studies. The majority of the working graduates had obtained jobs within six months of their graduation and the private sector was the primary area of employment, with the full-time employment being more prevalent. Students who had completed their postgraduate have better employment than those who had completed undergraduate only. Overall, the feedback on the soft skills acquired during their education was favorable. Their experiences towards practical aspects of their education, however, were comparatively low. The findings suggest to revise the curriculum, increase internships, invest in infrastructure and enhance the career-counselling service.