Analysis of employment factors for university graduates in Kazakhstan
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.22(2).2024.53
-
Article InfoVolume 22 2024, Issue #2, pp. 683-695
- Cited by
- 329 Views
-
67 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Having a university degree provides only a slight advantage over those without higher education, making other factors crucial in determining a graduate’s employment prospects. This study aims to analyze the factors that affect the employment of university graduates and define opportunities for public administration and university management in Kazakhstan. A logistic regression model based on primary data was used to examine the impact of the availability of practical experience and jobs in their specialty, social connections, technology development, and entrepreneurship on the likelihood of employment. The survey was conducted in 2022 and involved 300 graduates of the 2020–2021 academic year from all regions of Kazakhstan. Findings show that personal connections (F3) and technology and entrepreneurship (F4) positively impact graduates’ job prospects. However, lack of experience (F1) and the limited number of job offers (F2) reduce employment likelihood. If a graduate responds with 3 points for F1, 7 for F2, 7 for F3, and 1 for F4, they are less likely to secure a job in their specialty within a year of graduation. The main practical value of this study is that university career centers can use this model to predict the likelihood of graduates being employed. Providing a sophisticated online platform and different analytics-driven career services, open access to administrative data on the labor market, and new programs for students’ job experience and entrepreneurship will prepare university graduates for a dynamic labor market and reduce the mismatch between education and employment needs.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)E24, I25, J60
-
References70
-
Tables2
-
Figures1
-
- Figure 1. Classification graph
-
- Тable 1. Logistic regression model
- Table 2. Model classification
-
- Adler, P. S., & Kwon, S.-W. (2002). Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. The Academy of Management Review, 27(1), 17-40.
- Alaref, J., Brodmann, S., & Premand, P. (2020). The medium-term impact of entrepreneurship education on labor market outcomes: Experimental evidence from university graduates in Tunisia. Labor Economics, 62, Article 101787.
- Al-Mutairi, A., Naser, K., & Saeid, M. (2014). Employability factors of business graduates in Kuwait: Evidence from an emerging country. The International Journal of Business and Management, 9(10), 49-60.
- Benson, V., Morgan, S., & Filippaios, F. (2014). Social career management: Social media and employability skills gap. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 519-525.
- Boisjoly, J., Duncan, G. J., & Smeeding, T. (1998). The shifting burdens of involuntary job losses from 1968 to 1992. Industrial Relations, 37(2), 207-231.
- Brown, C., Haltiwanger, J., & Lane, J. (2006). Economic turbulence: Is a volatile economy good for America? Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Brown, P., Hesketh, A., & Williams, S. (2004). The mismanagement of talent: Employability and jobs in the knowledge economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Buhai, I. S., & van der Leij, M. J. (2023). A social network analysis of occupational segregation. Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, 147, Article 104593.
- Calvó-Armengol, A., & Jackson, M.O. (2004). The effects of social networks on employment and inequality. The American Economic Review, 94(3), 426-454.
- Chen, S., & Zhang, M. (2020). Research on cultivation and development of graduate students’ innovation and entrepreneurship consciousness. Higher Education Studies, 10(2), 45-52.
- Chen, Y. (2017). Graduate employability: The perspective of social network learning. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(6), 2567-2580.
- CIPD. (2015). How much trouble is Europe really in?
- Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334.
- Doskeyeva, G. Z., Kuzembekova, R. A., Umirzakov, S. Y., Beimisheva, A. S., & Salimbayeva, R. A. (2024). How can dual education in technical and vocational institutions improve students’ academic achievements and mitigate youth unemployment in Kazakhstan. Community College Journal of Research and Practice.
- Dustmann, C., Glitz, A., Schönberg, U., & Brücker, H. (2016). Referral-based job search networks. The Review of Economic Studies, 83(2), 514-546.
- Egov.kz. (2023, March 27). Employment in Kazakhstan.
- Eliason, M., Hensvik, L., Kramarz, F., & Skans, O. N. (2023). Social connections and the sorting of workers to firms. Journal of Econometrics, 233(2), 468-506.
- English, P., de Villiers Scheepers, M. J., Fleischman, D., Burgess, J., & Crimmins, G. (2021). Developing professional networks: The missing link to graduate employability. Education + Training, 63(4), 647-661.
- Feldman, D. C., & Leana, R. C. (2000). A study of reemployment challenges after downsizing: What ever happened to laid-off executives? Organizational Dynamics, 29(1), 64-75.
- Fernandez, R. M., Castilla, E. J., & Moore, P. (2000). Social capital at work: Networks and employment at a phone center. American Journal of Sociology, 105(5), 1288-1356.
- Fosu, R., & Boateng, R.E. (2013). The Scottish university level entrepreneurship education initiative: Lessons for Ghana in dealing with graduate unemployment. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(24), 143-151.
- Graham, L., Williams, L., & Chisoro, C. (2019). Barriers to the labor market for unemployed graduates in South Africa. Journal of Education and Work, 32(4), 360-376.
- Halim, F. W., Syafiqah, N. A., & Mokhtar, D. M. M. (2022). The influence of personality and employability factor on adaptive performance among university students. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(2), 1249-1266.
- Helyer, R., & Lee, D. (2014). The role of work experience in the future employability of higher education graduates. Higher Education Quarterly, 68(3), 348-372.
- Horvath, G., & Zhang, R. (2018). Social network formation and labor market inequality. Economics Letters, 166, 45-49.
- Hosain, M. S., Mustafi, M. A. A., & Parvin, T. (2023). Factors affecting the employability of private university graduates: An exploratory study on Bangladeshi employers. PSU Research Review, 7(3), 163-183.
- Ioannides, M., & Loury, L. (2004). Job information networks, neighborhood effects, and inequality. Journal of Economic Literature, 42(4), 1056-1093.
- Jackson, D. (2024). The relationship between student employment, employability-building activities and graduate outcomes. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 48(1), 14-30.
- Jamaludin, S., Said, R., Ismail, N. W., & Nor, N. M. (2021). Are jobs available in the market? A perspective from the supply side. Sustainability, 13(4), Article 1973.
- Jonbekova, D. (2020). The diploma disease in Central Asia: Students’ views about purpose of university education in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Studies in Higher Education, 45(6), 1183-1196.
- Kalfa, E., & Matloob, P. (2018). Social networks and the labor market mismatch. Journal of Population Economics, 31(3), 877-914.
- Kaliyeva, S. A., Buitek, E. K., & Meldakhanova, M. K. (2020). Analysis of the youth labor market in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the context of global challenges. Economics: The Strategy and Practice, 15(4), 81-88.
- Kangalakova, D., Dzhanegizova, A., Satpayeva, Z., Nurgaliyeva, K., & Kireyeva, A. (2023). Distribution of knowledge through online learning and its impact on the intellectual potential of PhD students. Journal of Distribution Science, 21(4), 47-56.
- Lengyel, B., & Eriksson, R. H. (2017). Co-worker networks, labor mobility and productivity growth in regions. Journal of Economic Geography, 17(3), 635-660.
- Mabungela, M., & Mtiki, V. (2024). Accelerating graduate employability through work-integrated learning. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 9(1), 291-304.
- Molchanovskaya, A. (2021). Rynok truda Kazahstana: Razvitie v usloviyah novoj realnosti. Nacionalnyj doklad [Labor market of Kazakhstan: Development in the new reality. National report]. Astana: Center for Human Resources Development. (In Russian).
- Mseleku, Z. (2022). Youth high unemployment/unemployability in South Africa: The unemployed graduates’ perspectives. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 12(4), 775-790.
- Narayan, D. (1999). Bonds and bridges: Social capital and poverty. Washington DC: World Bank.
- Nwabufo, N., & Mamman, J. S. (2015). Entrepreneurship education: A panacea for curbing graduate unemployment in Nigeria. International Journal of Teaching and Education, 3(3), 68-74.
- Olanrewaju, G., Abdullahi, M., & Kia, N. (2013). Relationship between entrepreneurship and employability among Nigerian tertiary institution graduates. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 9(4), 67-70.
- Omar, F. binti, Rahim, A. R. bin A., & Hafit, N. I. A. (2022). The personal resources influence on Malaysian graduates’ career adaptability via mentoring as a mediator. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 1807-1823.
- Othman, Z., Shan, S. W., Yusoff, I., & Kee, C. P. (2018). Classification techniques for predicting graduate employability. International Journal on Advanced Science, Engineering and Information Technology, 8(4-2), 1712-1720.
- Passaretta, G., & Triventi, M. (2015). Work experience during higher education and post-graduation occupational outcomes: A comparative study on four European countries. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 56(3-4), 232-253.
- Pauw, K., Oosthuizen M., & van der Westhuizen, C. (2008). Graduate unemployment in the face of skills shortages: A labor market paradox. South African Journal of Economics, 76(1), 45-57.
- Pilav-Velic, A., Selimovic, J., & Jahic, H. (2020). Personal innovativeness and employability: How personal traits affect employer attractiveness. In M. H. Bilgin, H. Danis, E. Demir, & U. Tony-Okeke (Eds.), Eurasian Business Perspectives. Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics (vol. 15/2, pp. 23-32). Cham: Springer.
- Podolny, J. M., & Baron, J. N. (1997). Resources and relationships: Social networks and mobility in the workplace. American Sociological Review, 62(5), 673-693.
- Polsky, D. (1999). Changing consequences of job separation in the United States. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 52(4), 565-580.
- Portes, A. (1998). Social capital: Its origins and applications in modern sociology. Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 1-24.
- Rahaman, H., & Podder, P. K. (2023). Entrepreneurship as a career: A solution to unemployment in Bangladesh. Jahangirnagar University Journal of Business Research, 23, 111-126.
- Reddy, R. M. C. (2019). Employability in higher education: problems and prospectives. South Asian Research Journal of Business and Management, 1(3), 112-117.
- Rosenbaum, J. E., DeLuca, S., Miller, S. R., & Roy, K. (1999). Pathways into work: Short- and long-term effects of personal and institutional ties. Sociology of Education, 72(3), 179-196.
- Schmutte, I. M. (2016). How do social networks affect labor markets. IZA World of Labor, 304-304.
- Sedlan-König, L., Hocenski, M., & Turjak, S. (2018). Graduates are from Venus, employers are from Mars: A Croatian study on employability. Poslovna Izvrsnost, 12(2), 9-23.
- Sekerbayeva, A., Tamenova, S., Tarman, B., Demir, S., Baizyldayeva, U., & Yussupova, S. (2023). The moderating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and locus of control on the effect of the university environment and program on entrepreneurial intention and attitudes. European Journal of Educational Research, 12(3), 1539-1554.
- Serikbayeva, A. (2023, May 3). 60% vypusknikov vuzov rabotayut v Kazakhstane ne po spetsialnosti [60% of university graduates work in Kazakhstan outside their specialty]. Kazakhstan Truth. (In Russian).
- Shui, Y. (2018). Reflections and explorations on the employment of college graduates. Proceedings of the 2018 4th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2018).
- Smajlov, A. (2021, December 16). Kazahstancy chashche ishchut rabotu cherez znakomyh, chem v centrah zanyatosti [Kazakhstanis more often look for work through friends than in employment centers]. Almaty.kz. (In Russian).
- Smith, V. (2010). Review article: Enhancing employability: Human, cultural, and social capital in an era of turbulent unpredictability. Human Relations, 63(2), 279-300.
- Souto-Otero, M., & Białowolski, P. (2021). Graduate employability in Europe: The role of human capital, institutional reputation and network ties in European graduate labor markets. Journal of Education and Work, 34(5-6), 611-631.
- Stone, W., Gray, M., & Hughes, J. (2003). Social capital at work: How family, friends and civic ties relate to labor market outcomes. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
- Suarta, I. M., Suwintana, I. K., Sudhana, IGP. F. P., & Hariyanti, N. K. D. (2017). Employability skills required by the 21st century workplace: A literature review of labor market demand. Proceedings of the International Conference on Technology and Vocational Teachers (ICTVT 2017).
- Sullivan, S. E., & Baruch, Y. (2009). Advances in career theory and research: A critical review and agenda for future exploration. Journal of Management, 35(6), 1542-1571.
- Teijeiro, M., Rungo, P., & Freire, M. J. (2013). Graduate competencies and employability: The impact of matching firms’ needs and personal attainments. Economics of Education Review, 34, 286-295.
- Thi Quynh Lan, M. (2022). Competencies contributing to graduates’ employability. VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, 38(3), 1-14.
- U.S. Department of Labor. (2010). Job openings and labor turnover survey. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Varshavskaya, E., & Podverbnykh, U. (2021). Job search strategies of recent university graduates: Prevalence and effectiveness. Education + Training, 63(1), 135-149.
- Woolcock, M. (2000). Why should we care about social capital? Canberra Bulletin of Public Administration, (98), 17-19.
- World Bank. (2024). Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate) – Kazakhstan.
- Yatich, H. K. (2022). Promoting entrepreneurship to reduce graduate unemployment: Service-learning in higher education institutions, Kenya. In I. Katono (Ed.), Promoting Entrepreneurship to Reduce Graduate Unemployment (pp. 25-44). IGI Global.
- Zhang, X.-R. (2018). Analysis of affecting factors of graduate education and employment. Proceedings of the 4th Annual International Conference on Management, Economics and Social Development (ICMESD 2018)