From degree to employability

EMPLOYERS in the private sector in Pakistan and around the world assess the capabilities of job seekers during the recruitment process. They assess their knowledge, skills and competencies that match to the job description of a particular post. Some of the graduates usually fail to meet it for various reasons, but the disconnect between graduate outcomes and job requirements is considered the main reason. Due to this, it is becoming difficult to secure a job with just a relevant degree. Similarly, securing a job abroad is becoming difficult these days because they also assess qualifications, experience and aptitude for the job. Employers interact with the candidate a number of times to ascertain that he or she possesses relevant job-related expertise. They consider their seriousness and commitment to the job as more important than experience or other. It is also their assumption that the applicant is applying for this job by choice, not because he is not able to secure a job of his choice. Like most of the times in our part of the world, engineering and other professional degree holders end up in teaching jobs when they are unable to find discipline-related professional jobs. It also happens that after some time, if they get their professional job of choice, then they usually resign from the teaching job, which becomes vacant and students at the school or college must wait for one or more years for the appointment of the new teacher. The reason for the above mismatch between qualification and job starts with admission into the degree programs at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). HEIs enroll the students in various degree programs without assessing whether they have passion and aptitude for the discipline for which they are applying. As per international practices, HEIs need to give admission to only those graduates in the intended programs who are interested in that discipline. This assures that they will learn by heart and contribute by generating knowledge in