KINGSTON, Jamaica -Forty-five per cent of Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) students are employed prior to graduating from the institution, a recent survey of graduates has found.

In addition, 74 per cent gain employment within six months of graduating and by the nine-month mark, 80 per cent are employed.

The survey, 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.

Manager for Institutional Research and Business Intelligence at the CMU, Lana-Gaye Franklyn-Green, who revealed the findings during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ on Friday, explained that the study used a mixed-methods approach and allowed for thorough and in-depth analysis into the status of the institution’s graduates.

The target population was 2,556 graduates between 2019 and 2023, of which there were 994 respondents, equating to a 39 per cent response rate, which Franklyn-Green pointed out was “very good” for a tracer study.

She reported that of the 994 respondents, 99 per cent were Jamaicans, with 576 identified as female and 414 as male.

The other one per cent of respondents were spread across other Caribbean countries including Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas and Barbados, as well as the United States of America, Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China.

Of the local graduates, 306 were from Kingston and St Andrew; 237 from St Catherine; 84 from Clarendon; 51 from St Thomas; 44 from St Ann, and 16 from Hanover.

Among the observations emerging from the study is the importance of programme suitability in enabling the CMU to attract and retain students, Franklyn-Green informed.

In addition, she said expanding financial aid options, building partnerships and advocating for policies that support students in need will assist the institution in equipping them to meet the demands of an ever-changing job market.

– JIS

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