Labour ‌Market ‌Alignment ‌and Graduate Employability among TVET Alumni: Evidence from a Tracer Study at the Technical University of Mombasa, Kenya

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is widely recognised as a key route for building the skilled labour force needed for industrial expansion, national competitiveness, and longer-term development goals. Even so, questions remain about whether TVET programmes consistently produce graduates whose competencies fit what employers and workplaces actually require. Using a cross-sectional graduate tracer survey, this study assessed labour market alignment and employability outcomes among alumni of the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) TVET Institute in Kenya. The analysis drew on Human Capital Theory, Employability Theory, Skills Mismatch Theory, and Labour Market Signalling Theory. Data were obtained from 161 graduates through a structured online questionnaire, then analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Kruskal–Wallis H tests, Chi-square tests, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses. The results point to major difficulties in labour market entry. Unemployment affected 70.8% of respondents, and only 16.8% reported employment that matched their field of training. While industrial attachment and employer recognition were rated more positively than other areas, less favourable views emerged around curriculum relevance, readiness for work, alignment between training and jobs, support for internships, and institutional help with job placement. Inferential tests showed statistically meaningful differences in perceptions across employment categories. Graduates working within their field repeatedly reported stronger curriculum relevance, greater workplace readiness, higher usefulness of acquired skills, and a better view of institutional reputation than those who were unemployed. Qualitative accounts converged on similar priorities, calling for more practice-oriented learning, curriculum updates, closer and more consistent employer collaboration, stronger digital skills preparation, improved career support, and upgraded learning facilities. Overall, the study indicates that although TUM-TVET offers a credible base of technical training through competency-based approaches and industrial attachment, employability outcomes are limited by weak labour market alignment and insufficient institutional support during the transition into work. For improvement, the evidence points to deeper employer engagement, expansion of work-integrated learning, routine tracer studies as an institutional practice, stronger digital and entrepreneurial skills integration, and more effective career placement services. These findings add empirical support for curriculum reform, quality assurance planning, and policy measures aimed at making TVET provision in Kenya more responsive to shifting labour market needs.