Early careers of arts graduates towards the world of work

Abstract

Employability refers to an individual's ability to achieve, maintain and acquire a new job when needed. Education, skills, and experience may assist in keeping employment. Finding a suitable job for a fresh graduate with inadequate working experience is challenging. Accordingly, this research aims to explore the status of graduate employability, its accomplishments, strengths, challenges, and issues that arise within a short period after being exposed to the world of work. The study was conducted at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka during the period of 2017- 2019. Data was collected using an interviewee-administered questionnaire. 522 students out of 808 in 2017, 788 out of 838 in 2018, and 767 out of 871 in 2019 have responded respectively in each year including both General and Honors BA degree holders. Male student composition was less than 17% in each batch. Of the total sampled, 22% in 2017, 13% in 2018, and 18% in 2019 were employed after the first six months of their final examination. Of the honors degree holders 23% in 2017, 14% in 2018, and 19% in 2019 were employed. The graduates whose medium of instruction was English showed a high employability rate compared to the ones whose medium of instruction was in the local language. The majority (55%, 43%, and 54% in respective years) were employed on a temporary basis six months after the final examination. The majority were employed in the private sector (52%, 53%, and 59%). Medium of study, academic performance, internship training program, and field of study were found to be the decisive factors of graduate employability.

KEYWORDS: State Universities, Employability, Arts Graduates, World of Work, Sri Lanka