![]() By Albertis_Photography The problem doesn’t appear to be with the relevance of qualifications and skillsets to employment, but rather with the scarcity of employment. The problem isn't unskilled graduates, it's a lack of full-time job opportunities The Coalition government’s position on young people is best captured by the phrase “earning or learning”. If you are under 30, the government expects you to be studying in an educational institute or working for a living. Leaving the politics aside, the relationship between education and employment is usually a good indicator of labour market health: generally speaking, the more educated you are, the more earning potential you have. So what happens when this relationship comes undone? Unfortunately, young people have been finding this out the hard way.
It seems being the most educated generation does not necessarily translate to being the most employed generation. Recently, this fact has been highlighted by the release of the Graduate Outcomes Survey and Employer Satisfaction Survey. Together, these reports capture the mood of the current labour market. The transition from study to work The Graduate Outcomes Survey, canvasses graduates four months after graduation, asking them a range of questions. This includes asking graduates about the type of work they do, how much they earn, and how satisfied they are with their employment. It also covers more complex issues, like skills utilisation, demographic inequalities and how much study prepares graduates for work. There are also uneven rates of employment, as some areas of study provide better employment prospects than others. Some of this is unsurprising. Medicine continues to provide full-time employment, while creative arts offers less in the way of traditional employment outcomes. But despite the emphasis on STEM graduates in the government’s innovation agenda, businesses are failing to utilise the existing scientific workforce. The question of skills utilisation proves to be similarly troublesome. Two out of three graduates with full-time work reported they took a job unrelated to their study area, due to external labour market factors. These factors include employment relevant to their study not being available and employers wanting graduates to have more work experience, as well as graduates only being able to find part-time or casual work. Unsurprisingly, part-time work is becoming a more likely employment pathway for graduates. Given that over a third of undergraduates are working part-time, it might be tempting to assume this shift away from full time work reflects a choice made by young People. But employers felt some aspects of undergraduate qualifications prepared graduates for employment more than others. Domain specific knowledge is the most valuable skill qualifications offer employers. Conversely, it appears employers don’t see qualifications as offering much in the way of technical, adaptive, or foundational skills. It appears prestige is not rated as highly by employers as technical skillets and domain specific knowledge. Where to from here? While there are certainly areas universities could improve to increase employer satisfaction, employers seem happy with the quality of graduates. The problem doesn’t appear to be with the relevance of qualifications and skillset to employment, but rather with the scarcity of employment. So, if young people are learning, whose responsibility is it to make sure they’re earning? More and more students are graduating every year, but businesses and the public service aren’t providing enough graduate level opportunities. Ultimately, we need to learn from both reports and design policy that gives young people a chance to start earning. #Article_By_Albertis_Photography Next : PNG Higher Education Minister Raminai Condemns Attack On University Of Goroka Campus Comments are closed.
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