Who is to blame for the job- hunting fatigue of graduates?

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,

We have witnessed another convocation ceremony of the University of Guyana. In fact, about 1,400 students graduated from UG during its 44th annual graduation ceremony, which was hosted at the Turkeyen campus last Saturday.

Each year, UG churns out large numbers of graduates; and these graduates, with a sense of pride and accomplishment because of what they have achieved, approach the job market, only to be disappointed by the unavailability of jobs that adequately compensate their level of educational achievement.

But just who is to blame for the job-hunting fatigue that these graduates find themselves in? Is it the students, who work hard to ensure that they are qualified? Or is it a case where UG’s standard is not up to par with what employers are seeking? Does the problem arise from the fact that we are living in a society where so much is taken for granted in terms of educational achievements that the University of Guyana is not respected; and in effect, its graduates are left jobless as a consequence? If this is the case, then the University of Guyana should make it its responsibility to improve the quality assurance guaranteed by the university.

As a former student of the university, I have noticed and personally experienced the many areas in which UG flounders. For starters, the entry level requirements should be raised from just CXC, and A levels should be made a mandatory requirement for acceptance, thus allowing only the more academically mature to enter or qualify for the university’s acceptance. While filtering out those students who do not qualify for the programmes offered by the institution, it will also raise the bar in terms of university standards. The outline for each course must also be individually vetted by the head of department for the related faculty, or the Dean’s office, before it is approved and introduced to students.

Another equally important suggestion I offer the university is to ensure that all books and content materials are up-to-date, relevant, objective to the specific course, and are also practical and easily available to, and accessible by, the student population. This is what UG should be all about. Only then will this institution fulfill its obligation to its students to provide quality-assured tertiary education. 

Respectfully,

Sharon Persaud

 

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