Employment Challenges: Key Influential Factors in the Higher Education-To-Work Transition Experiences of Graduates in Sebeta Town, Oromia Region

Abstract

Transitioning from school to work is a critical period in young people’s lives, marking their entry into the labor market and the pursuit of economic independence. However, in Ethiopia, a growing number of higher education graduates, coupled with limited job growth, have made this transition nonlinear, challenging, and increasingly complex. This study aimed to explore the key factors influencing the entry of higher education institution graduates to work and their success of transition to work in Sebeta Town, Oromia Region. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to enhance the depth and breadth of the research findings. A total of 146 survey respondents were selected from 378 higher education institution (HEI) graduates, using Taro's (1967) formula at a 95% confidence interval. Participants for the qualitative approach were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection utilized a multi-source approach, incorporating primary data and secondary data sources. The findings reveal that graduates' transition to work is influenced by multiple structural and institutional factors, such as the nexus between education and the labor market, collaboration among key sectors, the competency and integrity of service providers, ethnicity and cultural proximity, and access to finance and infrastructural facilities. Furthermore, individual-level factors, including job preferences, entrepreneurial mindsets, and social networking, contributed to difficulties in the transition to work. The key factors identified are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are interwoven and mutually reinforcing. The findings suggest a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder approach to address the complex and contextual nature of the key factors influencing the education-to-work transitions of graduates.