CMU Graduates See High Employment Rates Before and After Graduation

Kingston, Jamaica — A recent survey has revealed that 45 per cent of Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) students secure employment even before completing their studies, with 74 per cent landing jobs within six months of graduating. By the nine-month mark, this figure climbs to an impressive 80 per cent.

The study, titled Tracer Study of CMU Graduates 2019-2023 – Fostering Life-Long Connection: Reaching Our Graduates, was conducted by the university’s Research Department over a three-month period in 2024. Its findings were shared by CMU’s Manager for Institutional Research and Business Intelligence, Lana-Gaye Franklyn-Green, during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, offering a comprehensive look at the career progress of graduates.

The survey targeted 2,556 graduates from 2019 to 2023, with 994 individuals responding, achieving a 39 per cent response rate. Franklyn-Green noted that this level of engagement is commendable for a tracer study. Among the respondents, 99 per cent were Jamaican nationals, consisting of 576 women and 414 men. The remaining one per cent represented graduates from countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, the United States, Nigeria, and China.

Geographically, most local respondents were from Kingston and St Andrew (306), followed by St Catherine (237), Clarendon (84), St Thomas (51), St Ann (44), and Hanover (16).

Franklyn-Green highlighted the importance of aligning academic programmes with industry needs to attract and retain students at CMU. She also emphasized the role of expanding financial aid options, fostering partnerships, and advocating for student-support policies to better prepare graduates for the evolving job market.

The survey underscores CMU’s dedication to ensuring that its graduates remain competitive and ready to meet the demands of local and international industries.