Modelling Gender Dimensions of Education-to-Employment Transitions Among University Graduates in South East Nigeria

The education-to-employment transition is a critical juncture at which gender inequalities are reproduced, with female graduates facing distinct structural barriers that are inadequately captured by human capital models. This study models the gender dimensions of education-to-employment transitions among university graduates in the South East geopolitical zone, using a cohort of 320 graduates from Anambra, Enugu, and Imo States followed over a 24-month post-graduation period. A longitudinal survey design was employed, with three waves of data collection. Discrete-time survival analysis and logistic regression modelled time-to-employment and job quality outcomes by gender. Findings reveal that female graduates take significantly longer to achieve first employment (median 7.4 months versus 4.8 months for males), are more likely to experience underemployment in their first job, and demonstrate lower income growth trajectories in the first two years post-graduation. Discrimination in hiring, restriction of geographic job-search mobility, social pressure to prioritise marriage over career, and restricted professional networking opportunities are identified as the dominant gender-specific barriers. Female graduates who participated in internship programmes or professional mentoring demonstrate significantly better employment outcomes. This study makes an original methodological contribution by applying longitudinal survival analysis to gender employment transitions in the Nigerian context. Keywords: education-to-employment, gender, university graduates, South East Nigeria, labour market