University extra-curricular activities and employability: A graduate tracer study on ENACTUS program graduates from Kenya universities

Extra-curricular activities do not involve grading or credit awards towards student’s academic performance. This makes them ‘inconsequential’ to many students or parents whose concern is the final degree and see them as an opportunity cost or as zero sum activity further aggravated by universities rarely or never funding them. Participation in extra-curricular activities depends on students’ motivation and goal achievement through the activity. Depth and width of benefits from the self-regulated learning is driven by student’s readiness to gain from the activity and super ordinated goals on future use of the skills and competencies. This paper documents a graduate tracer study conducted on a group of students (all under full-time mode of study) who had participated in Entrepreneurial Actions in Us (ENACTUS) program as an extra-curricular activity in the Kenyan universities. The study hypothesized a positive relationship between extra-curricular activities and employability. It aimed to unearthed skills gained from ENACTUS projects and how they have contributed to graduates’ success in employability. It also looked into the uptake of self-employment by graduates and how extra-curricular activities can help. Finally, quality and relevance of training received and how it can be improved were assessed. Mixed research methodology was used. Snowball and purposive sampling method was used to get graduates who participated in ENACTUS project activities. Questionnaires were used to collect data in Google form format. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed. From this study, extra-curricular activities through ENACTUS program in Kenya are giving skills which are ultimately assisting graduates to gain employability. Most of the graduates with these skills gain employability within the first 6 months. There is a paradigm shift in employability as some of the graduates are engaging in self-employment and most of those in formal employment are concurrently also engaging in self-employed activities. The study recommends change on educational policy to make extra-curricular activities prestigious by recognizing them as tools enhancing employability. Additionally, flexibility on the curricula should be encouraged to enhance relevant skills development especially in the fast-moving world as a result of technology and artificial intelligence. Recognition and appreciation of faculty advisors should also be put in practiced for 360° motivation for sense of belonging and achievement. The study also recommends flexibility on graduates for identification of opportunities and use locally available resources to solve problems. This will enable them have social enterprises and therefore bridge gaps of unemployment.