'Half-baked' Graduates? What Factors Account for Them?

                                                        

Education plays a significant role in producing the needed human capital to drive the wheels of national development. But over the years, industry experts have expressed worries over what they consider to be a disconnect between university graduates and the job market. Their claim is that most graduates that are turned out from the universities are “Half-baked” and lack the necessary skills and attitude for the job market. 

This has been closely attributed to a number of reasons. The first being the competitive structure of the university admission process. Enrollment has seen a significant increase as more students graduate from the senior high schools each year to compete for very limited slots at the tertiary level. As a result, some students who survive the tussle may have to compromise on programs they originally applied for. They end up taking classes for courses they are not passionate about or have long term interest in, and this reduces their performance on the job market.

The spring up of many “mushroom” colleges that do not even have accreditation or the approved infrastructure to run a tertiary level education has been cited as another reason for “Half-Baked” graduates. These colleges have simply taken advantage of the huge demand for higher learning to produce sub-standard educational training for students leading to a nose-diving job performance.

There have also been some concerns that the educational system should be more practically inclined as opposed to the supposed theoretical way of learning. This has led to the credence that Higher National Diploma (HND) holders are more likely to perform better on the job than degree holders as they get more practical training than the latter. There has been a call to introduce more science and technology programs into the educational curricula, not only at the tertiary level but also in high schools to cater for the technological advancement needs of the country.

On the contrary though, some people are of the opinion that the “Half-baked” rant is just an excuse for employers who are not willing to hands on train young and fresh university graduates. They believe that, the expectation of a hundred percent job performance on the side of graduates is too demanding and as such, employers must be willing to invest in employee development to help them tap into their full potential. This will not only help employees to acquire the needed skills to develop professionally but also goes a long way to build a robust organization that understands the value of long term growth and advancement.

The issue of delivery when it comes to job performance on the part of graduates may be looked on as a three way thing. There is no denying the fact that the educational system must be revamped. All regulatory institutions must be put in place to prevent a compromise on education in terms of standard and curricula. Graduates must also take advantage of practical attachment and internships opportunities while still in school, so as to have a proper and relevant orientation to the job market. Employers are not left out either. While many firms are more worried about employee training cost, a careful study into the benefits of these programmes reveal that, investing in employees enhance productivity, boost business performance, encourages employee loyalty and in the long run, develops the economy as a whole.

 

Credit: collegemag.net (This article was done by me and published on collegemag.net website)