Graduates: underemployed or unprepared?

Written By Jia Her Teoh

“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.” - Albert Einstein

There seems to exists a dichotomy of students not being prepared for the workforce and youth underemployment. On the one hand, employers are voicing their concerns over the lack of soft skills, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities of graduate students, on the other hand, graduates are taking jobs that don’t require degrees and are in some instances, hiding the fact that they have a degree in order to avoid being ‘over qualified’.

One explanation for this is the categorising of degree holders as qualified candidates. Underemployment is broadly defined as an employed person who is not working to his or her full capacity. This includes those who are part-time workers but would prefer full time jobs and those who are highly skilled working in low skill jobs. But measuring this statistic is complicated, thus markers like someone’s highest education level is used to categorise people as highly skilled or qualified.

Despite what the statistics say, employers seem to have a different take. Adam Bryant, Google’s Senior Vice President of People Operations Laszlo Bock said “Academic environments are artificial environments. People who succeed there are sort of finely trained, they’re conditioned to succeed in that environment”

This is seen in comments made about Malaysian graduates proficiency in English, their ability to think critically and a lack of interactive skills. According to Prospect Consulting Sdn Bhd director Nina Adlan, “The system also focuses on individual achievement and less on team performance, so there aren't many opportunities for students to acquire interactive skills … the system is biased towards those who do well in exams, which is not necessarily the best way to gauge their employability," he added.

Solutions have often led to suggestions such as replacing politicians with academics and professionals in the Ministry of Education, making public schools mandatory for children of politicians, or shifting towards coursework instead of exams, but what solutions are there for the short term? We have to stop waiting for someone else to enact a change and instead do so ourselves if we are to see future generations contribute effectively to this country.

Here are a few options to consider:

1. Science Fairs

Participating in Science Fairs as a means of encouraging problem solving skills and creating an environment that demands teamwork and interactivity. The Association of Science, Technology and Innovation  is one such entity that has been bringing science fairs of all levels across Malaysia. Hackathons are another alternative to traditional science fairs.

2. Work Experience

Sometimes there is no substitute to being prepared for the workforce than to join it. With summer  breaks and year end holidays often starting out fun and relaxing, slowly drifting toward boring, why not spend a few month contributing and learning at the same time. Here’s a list we made: “Where to find internship opportunities for your child

3. Sports

Team sports are a stage where young adults can demonstrate leadership capabilities, grit and perseverance. From football to basketball, rugby to ultimate frisbee, hockey to lacrosse, sports allow people to build bonds and achieve goals together. Here is a TED talk on grit: link.

What is the Global Future of Education?

Speakers from Acton Academy, FrogAsia, ServisHero and Jobstreet are coming together for a panel discussion and workshop to address this question on Sunday, 14th August.

Register for the event here:bit.ly/futureofedursvp and stay updated on the Facebook event page here:link.