Graduate Employability, School-to-Work Transition, and Programme Job Alignment in Ghana: Evidence from a University Graduate Tracer Study

Graduate tracer studies provide one of the most direct mechanisms for assessing whether higher education translates into meaningful labour-market outcomes. This study develops a publication-oriented secondary analysis of graduate outcome indicators reported in the Catholic University of Ghana 2025/2026 tracer-study analytical report. The analytical frame focused on economic engagement, school-to-work transition, programme-to-job alignment, self-employment, and post-graduation professional development. The source report contained 1,248 analytical records and reported an employment/self-employment rate of 73.1%, programme-related employment of 83.3% among economically engaged graduates, and a median time to first substantial job of 3.3 months. Secondary analyses estimated Wilson 95% confidence intervals, exact binomial tests against a majority benchmark, Cohen’s h effect sizes, employment-to-non-employment odds, programme-relevance odds, and a relevance-adjusted economic engagement rate. Economic engagement was estimated at 73.1% (95% CI 70.5%–75.5%), while programme-related work among engaged graduates was 83.3% (95% CI 80.8%–85.6%). The derived relevance-adjusted engagement rate was 60.9% of the full cohort, indicating that employment quantity and employment relevance provide different quality signals. The results support a quality-assurance approach that evaluates graduate outcomes through a balanced dashboard combining employment, transition speed, job match, entrepreneurship, and professional progression rather than through a single employment percentage. Before empirical journal submission, all numerical analyses must be regenerated from the verified graduate-level dataset identified in the source report’s data-provenance statement.