There was a statement that 80% of the 40,000+ unemployed graduates are women. Secondly they maintained that according to the Mahinda Chinthana jobs were promised for all the preceding years to these graduates, which have not been forthcoming, and they have commenced agitation for jobs.
How is it may I seriously ask does a person go into a degree course in a University, expecting a government job upon qualification, if they have not already found a job? If that is the mentality of following a course at University, then we are in a serious problem as a country. This government won the election on many promises and one of which was the promise of jobs for the unemployed graduates.
In a hugely bloated state sector realistically jobs shed should not be refilled, or only when alternate state sector people are unable to be placed in them. That way people will not be made redundant. However when it comes to recruitment then only the truly competent should obtain the position, not just another slot for an unemployed graduate. It must be remembered that there is an alarmingly large trained teacher shortage. This requires to be filled, and not all unemployed graduates are capable of going into teacher training posts.
The large number of female unemployed graduates arises due to different needs they have that make them inflexible in their job search as they are less willing to live out of home and require employment close to home, which in practice is not possible. Steps must be taken to look at the true list of those actively searching for work amongst the unemployed graduates. They are the people who should be assisted first by gathering them into a seminar on how to find work and perhaps wean them from this desire to only work in the state sector and persuade them that waiting for a job in this sector is a complete waste of talent and energy trained at state expense. It is not the duty of the government to find them a job.
The unemployed graduates association should work closely with the government to come to a rational basis of discussion, that will look into the aspirations of these graduates and try to fill these in a practical manner with productive employment not necessarily in the state sector. I believe this communication is not taking place.
The most important task is to convince graduates that the employment market is theirs to search, and that it is not the responsibility of anyone to find them employment. The Government knowing the resources available in the pool of unemployed should make an effort in matching this to the needs in the state sector.
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2 comments:
This problem of unemployed graduates is completely perplexing to me and is prima facie evidence of a SERIOUS problem in the education system.
How can it be that Universities are so selective, but the graduates can not be employed???
These must be more or less the brightest people in the country, so why can't they find jobs?
This is evidence of a TOTAL FAILURE of the education system in Sri Lanka.
There needs to be a HIGH level independent task force for education reform.
There should be less than 5% unemployment for graduates. Without solving this problem there is no point in building highways, stadiums, and ports no one will use.
CREATE JOBS for the brightest in the country instead of building white elephants named after people who will be historically identified as despots.
I challenge all in the university system to vote for a change in government. If the new leaders don't fix the problem, kick them out until you find a government that can solve this basic issue.
It would be interesting to do a survey of these unemployed graduates to see what steps they have taken to find a job - for example,
* have they prepared a CV
* have they visited http://www.srilankajobs.net/
* how many applications have they sent out
From what I see on the news, the overall attitude of the graduates is that someone (i.e. the government) owes them a job - which is a crazy fantasy that they need to be cured of!
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