As an HR Manager, Consultant, Soft Skills & Motivational trainer, I often get enough time to interact and communicate with Employers as well as Students. Interestingly, my work as an HR consultant requires me to discuss employment relates issued with employers that involve recruitment and selection. Similarly, as a Soft Skills & Motivational Trainer, I spend a considerable amount of time with students (mostly would-be graduates) to help them acquire necessary skills to enter the job market. More often than not, I hear contrasting views on employment scenario in Nepalese job market.
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| Certificate, need Job |
Employers often complain about the dearth of talent in Nepali job market. They feel that fresh graduates lack employability skills to enter today’s dynamic world of work. Students on the other hand, cry foul over existing hiring system in the job market. They believe nepotism and favoritism prevail in workplaces. Unfortunately, students are quite cynical about their future career.
Business Schools & Colleges claim that their method of teaching is second to none. They are boastful of their world-class infrastructure, international affiliation and extremely experienced and talented faculty. Parents apparently seem quite gullible and easily fall prey to artful commercials of colleges and schools.
Now the question is, “where do students fit in this equation”? By and large, this question remains unanswered but it is the students who are at the receiving side. They are sandwiched between the unrealistic and coerced expectations of their parents and teachers.
They say there are three sides to a controversy, your side, my side and the right side. With my limited knowledge and expertise, I have spent last 5 years finding the answers to the question above and here are the findings based on my observation and study. However, these findings are essentially based my contextual study and are not intended to refute any side.
“Education does not consist of passing examinations or knowing English or mathematics. It is a mental state.” - Jawaharlal Nehru.
High un-employability of graduates may be attributed to:
Theory based curriculum that emphasizes on Rote learning as opposed to critical thinking. Students are prepared to tackle exams, not the real world. Students usually mug up their lessons, leaving little room for the true understanding and relevance of the subject matter.
Qualified but untrained teachers are not aware of scientific teaching methods. I can safely assume that majority of school or college teachers are not aware of VAK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) method. As much as it may sound patronizing, being a teacher is not everyone’s first career choice. A large percentage of teachers seem to have taken up this profession as a last resort. A teacher could be an extremely talented person but that does not necessarily make him or her a good teacher. Apart from the subject expertise, a teacher must be a coach, a mentor and a leader to a student. To play this pivotal role, one must have a lot more than academic degrees.
Classes in schools and colleges are highly pedantic and students are not encouraged to be inter-active. They are expected to be vigil and attentive at all times even if they can barely relate to what they are being taught. This very compulsion promotes rote learning method which may help the student pass their exams but certainly not help them succeed in the job market.
Lack of research and critical thinking skills amongst Nepali students is also one of the reasons that make them fail miserably in the job interviews. Nepali students must now realize that if the realm of their knowledge centers on their textbooks, they are not good enough for a fiercely competitive job market. They need to cultivate reading habit and this supplementary reading will take them distance.
It's not a blooger's write but of Mr. Dhiraj Pradhan which is quite famous and hope that you guys loved it.
Reference:
2. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-cant-college-graduates-find-jobs-nepal-dhiraj-pradhan?trk=prof-post
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