University of Belize

Research Methods for Social Science

Chapter two
01/02/2016
Barry Patnett
Hugo Lizama
Chloe Mcfadzean
Devanki Williams
Sheila Pook

Chapter 2:
This chapter first provides detailed analysis on the literature available about various
aspects, definitions and theoretical explanations of the employability of universities/ 6 forms
graduates within Belize City; a number of factors affecting the career outcomes of the graduates;
along with the statistical data from The Ministry of Belize in relations to such aspects. According
to (Weligamage & Siengthai, 2003), Unemployment among educated youth underlines the
existing mismatch between the educational system and the demand for labour skills.
(Guantilake et al, 2010), stated that the prolong job search by educated youth was the root
causes of the youth unemployment. He theorized that the job search were prolonged, because
the education system taught little relevance to the job market, leaving youths with high
expectations but without the skills to acquire jobs that met those expectations.

Unemployment among graduates

High rates of unemployment and underemployment among university graduates point to
a mismatch between supply and demand conditions for graduate employment, reflecting a supply
driven education system with relevance to labour market conditions (Weligamage & Siengthai,
2003). As mentioned in many studies and findings, education is a major ingredient in the
stabilizing and developing of a countrys economic and demographic structures. It is at this stage
that a person may be affected negatively or positively- the transition process between college and
later work success in general (Schomburg 2007; Stokes and Wyn 2007). At this stage, obtaining
employment will play a major role at whether or not a person has become self-actualized and has
developed some sort of satisfaction professionally. Some researchers may argue that education

and employment have a cohesive relationship while others argue that education and employment
have an unlike magnetic relationship. This research will focus on the relationship between
degrees obtained compared to what businesses or companies want to employ.
Much research has been done to study the co-relationship and the trends that exists between
higher education and employment (Labour market); one of the trends identifying undergraduate
students being a key ingredient in this relationship. As time has shown and proven to us, we have
been able to see that despite the perseverance in getting higher degrees, we may face the chances
of not being hired immediately after graduation. We may even go a year of being unemployed.
The demand of jobs does not correlate with the availability of jobs in the labour market.
It also goes on to say that the specific degree studied at a tertiary level does have an implication
on whether or not you will be hireable after you have completed tertiary level school. In a study
done by (Hamood & Al-Harthi, 2011), he was able to locate and find previous researches that
were based from countries from all around the world, specifically Egypt and Oman, and
developing countries. All countries of which focused on one implication, whether why or why
not specific university education played a role on employment or unemployment in the labour
market. (Hamood & Al-Harthi, 2011),
Undergraduate students have come to realize that having a prestigious degree will not matter if
there are not jobs available with for the specific skills acquired. This realization can be seen in
the contradiction between students high appreciation for their university degree education and
their low confidence that will be relevant as they seek employment (Hamood K. Al-Harthi,
2011). Students or graduates have to be aware that globalization will have implications on the
obtaining jobs. As the world changes, jobs are becoming more interrelated; that is our jobs may
entail working with international companies and firms. Universities and work forces may need to

focus and study the labor markets to be able to identify what specific skills or degree will be of
demand for future graduates. (Hamood K. Al-Harthi, 2011)
As stated by Shaws argument (2000), there are not enough findings to rely on that states quality
education and training will be sufficient. It also entails that persons should be fully equipped,
whether that endorses the conditions which their competencies and capabilities can be put into
fruitful usage. This can be seen in the study of where Egyptian students shown a lack of
confidence in the specific university degree obtain and the uncertainty in the knowledge obtain
while at school. In various other studies, it also identified that females had a lower chance of
being hired and earning a lesser income than of males (Lyon (1996). In contrast, another
researcher stated that undergraduates that graduate from applied and skills-oriented program had
a higher chance of being hired than those who graduated from a general liberal art programs
(Walters, 2004) (Hamood & Al-Harthi, 2011). Studies also continued to be done accordingly to
demographical regions, specifically the Western and Non-Western Region. Students have been
pursuing careers and degrees based on their patterns and issues affecting their specific countrys
labor market demand (Tomlinson, 2008). Despite all the implications identified by graduate
students, graduates were able to identify the mismatch that occurred between curricular and
employment opportunities while in developing countries, the main focus was to aid graduates
become employable in a competitive global economy (Teichler, 2007).

Examine if certain major increase your chances of getting a job after college.
The unemployment rate of some areas of college degrees are higher than others and continue to
increase. In 2014 researchers Sandra Staklis and Paul Skomsvold stated that in the United States

the unemployment rate began to increase after the economic recession in 2008. Staklis and
Skomsvold studied employment between 1992 to 1993, 1999 to 2000 and 2007-2008 among
bachelor degree graduates after one year. The study explained that some of the college graduates
that did have a job did not have jobs related to what they studied in school. They found out as
well that unemployment differed not only in area of studies but based on ethnicity, race and
gender. However, in the earlier years the unemployment rate was not significant among the races.
Before the recession there were more people in jobs relating to their degree. After the recession
people with degrees in social sciences, humanities, health care, business, and education had an
increase in unemployment (2014). The ones that were not unemployed were in jobs unrelated to
their field of study. With all that one might wonder just how beneficial is college or wonder
which career path to take what should they study, will it be a good choice or will there be job
opportunities in that area. In 2012, Anthony P. Carnevale; Ban Cheah; Jeff Strohl did a research
on Hard Times, College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees Are
Created Equal and the leading question was "Is college worth it?" and they responded "Yes,
extensive research, ours included, finds that a college degree is still worth it." (2012).
The researchers went on to discussed that a person being unemployed will depend on
their major. They also found that the unemployment rate in Arts, Humanities and Liberal Arts,
Social Science and Law and Public policy is higher than in other majors (2012). Based on
(Staklis &Skomsvold) and (Carnevale, Cheah & Strohl, 2012) findings the students attending
college in the Social Science and Humanities department are at a greater risk of being
unemployed after college. In contrast to (Staklis & Skomsvold) research, (Carnevale, Cheah &
Strohl, 2012) found that the unemployment rate of graduates with majors in Education,
Healthcare and Business are moderately lower because those industries are growing (2012). Also

in 2012, Anthony P. Carnevale; Ban Cheah joined up with Tamara Jayasundera to do a research
about The College Advantage: Weathering the Economic Storm. These three also discussed
how the unemployment rate increased after the recession in 2008, they found out that even
though the unemployment rate around graduates with a bachelor degree may seem high school
graduates with just a diploma were the ones that were greatly affected. (Carnevale, Cheah &
Jayasundera, 2012), also noticed that the underemployment was similar to the unemployed and
also that he high school graduates rate of underemployment was significantly higher than that of
the bachelor degree graduates (2012). They also found that approximately 200,000 (2012) jobs
were created during the recession and during the recovery process about 2 million (2012) more
jobs were created, in both cases it was for college graduates. Based on these three studies the
major that one studies plays a role in them finding a job because some industries are growing
faster than other and the amount of college graduates are increasing yearly.