Tracer Study of Graduates of Universities in Bangladesh

The broad objectives of this particular tracer study (round two) are: to analyze the current economic and labor market outcomes of university graduates and the relevance of university education to the requirements of the labor market in Bangladesh. We surveyed 9753 university graduates of Bangladesh and found that the unemployment rate among university graduates in Bangladesh is 38.6 percent. Thirty-four percent of the graduates get a job within 2 to 3 years of their graduation. The data analyses comprise of descriptive statistics of all the respondents- students, graduates, and employers those we interview. Summary statistics of all variables related to teaching, learning, job searching facilities, the relevance of university degrees to potential employers, and post-employment training facilities, including many others, have been documented. Using simple t distribution, we make an attempt to compare the mean of responses between different groups and provide disaggregated analysis wherever appropriate. We surveyed the employers of the graduates as well. The employers said that overall education qualification and cognitive skills were two key factors in the hiring decision of existing graduate employees. Academic degree (non-technical), personality, level of technical skills (demonstrated skill), communication skill and academic GPA are the top five skills that influence an employer to hire a new graduate.