10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Graduate unemployment remains a persistent socio-economic challenge in many developing countries, despite increasing access to higher education. This study examines the structural mismatch between educational outcomes and labour market demands in The Gambia. Anchored in Human Capital Theory and skills mismatch frameworks, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach involving survey data from 150 graduates and interviews with 25 employers across public and private sectors. The findings reveal that 45.3% of graduates are unemployed, while 20.0% are underemployed, indicating significant inefficiencies in labour market absorption. Employers identified major skill deficiencies in practical experience (80%), digital skills (72%), and communication skills (68%). Inferential analysis further shows a statistically significant relationship between internship experience and employment status (χ² = 18.64, p < 0.05). Multiple regression results indicate that digital skills (β = 0.42), communication skills (β = 0.35), and internship experience (β = 0.78) are significant predictors of employability, explaining 54% of the variance in employment outcomes. The study concludes that graduate unemployment reflects systemic misalignment between education and industry rather than mere job scarcity. It recommends curriculum reform, strengthened industry collaboration, and expanded work-integrated learning to enhance human capital development.