Determinants of Time to First Job Acquisition Among 2022 Graduates of East Africa University, Qardho, Somalia

Background: Many students perceive a university degree as adequate for attaining a job. However, the shift from university to employment is a greater challenge and emerges as a primary issue that graduates encounter after completing their university degrees. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the median time to first job acquisition among 2022 graduates of East Africa University (Qardho-Campus), identify predictive factors influencing job acquisition and highlight challenges students faced during their job search. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out using a two-year follow-up survey collected from 2022 graduates of East Africa University, Qardho, Somalia. A total of 59 graduates participated, providing data on demographic details, academic background, employment status, and job search strategies. The data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.3 and analyzed using R Programming version 4.4.0. Non-parametric methods, including Kaplan-Meier curves, were used to estimate the median time to first job. Semi-parametric models, such as Cox proportional hazard regression were employed to determine predictive factors that influence the time to first job acquisition. Bivariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify significant factors influencing time to first job. Results: Out of the total of students, 40(67.8%) secured their first job and 19(32.2%) were censored. The median time to first job acquisition among 2022 graduates of East Africa University was estimated to be 10 months. Gender, age, internship participation, and the number of positions applied for were predictive factors influencing the time to first job acquisition. Female graduates had a hazard ratio of 0.5342 (p = 0.0375, 95% CI: 0.2897─0.7014), indicating that females were 46.6% less likely to secure their first job compared to male graduates at any given time. In accordance with the challenges faced by the students, 15(25.4) students responded facing corruption in the hiring process, 14(23.7) students lacked relevant work experience, 12(20.3) students experienced a lack of job openings, 8(13.6) students encountered nepotism or favouritism, 6(10.2) students were not shortlisted for written exams or interviews, and 4(6.8) students faced poor networking or connections. Conclusion: The median time to first job acquisition among 2022 graduates of East Africa University was 10 months. Gender, age, internship participation, and the number of positions applied for were identified as significant predictive factors influencing the time to first job acquisition. Students faced several challenges during their job search, with the most common issue being corruption in the hiring process, lack of relevant work experience, and a shortage of job openings, all of which contributed to delays in securing employment.