I love playing devil's advocate. For me it is a sure way of ensuring
that the other side's point of view is not lost in the rigmaroles of saving
face and maintaining the status quo.
I have heard it said over and over that our universities need to educate
our youth to match the needs of our economy and I wonder what exactly does this
mean? I have had youngsters come to me to ask what course they should take at
college and my standard first question is; what do you think you should take
and why? One of their standard criteria is that it needs to be marketable. When
I ask them how they judge a course to be marketable, the general answer is one
where they can get a job quickly and start earning money as soon as possible
after completing their studies.
Each person seems to have a different view on which the ‘marketable’
courses are: ranging from medicine to teaching. Views seem to be generally
based on their friends’ and families’ experiences.
On the flip side, when speaking to my age-mages (not quite youngsters
anymore), all I hear is how graduates today are half-baked and not prepared for
work; how frustrated managers are because you can rarely trust a graduate to
complete a job and how they all wish the campuses would style up and spew forth
competent graduates.
So yes! There is definitely a problem. However, I beg to differ with the
majority of writers and opinion makers in what our problem is. I will be the
first to acknowledge that the universities are not preparing our youth
sufficiently for the job market. I am sick and tired of having fresh employs
think that it is fine not to finish their work or to keep shifting blame
instead of standing up and taking responsibilities. This however is not as a
result of taking the wrong course. This, I feel, is as a result of what I
would call ‘a complete failure to mentor the youth’.
Question is, whose failure? Here, I am extremely liberal in spreading
the blame and if you do not see yourself in any of these classes, consider
yourself a saint.
The Parents (to include aunties, uncles
and elder siblings)
For failing to allow the children to do chores that are the backbone of
work ethic.
Primary and Secondary School Teachers
For insisting that the children spend all their waking hours studying
for exams, failing to realise that once the exams are done, these same
children will still have to perform in a world where exams do not mean
everything.
University Lecturers
For forcing the now young adults to cram millions of words in a specific
order, numbing and at times even killing the ability to think.
Employers
For adopting a defeatist mentality where the youth are concerned. Mark
my words, if employers fail to mould the young employees, they will suffer as
their workforce dwindles and becomes more expensive.
The Young Adults themselves
For failing to realise that they are on a path to self-destruction and
resisting all attempts to bring them back.
In all this however, I do not see the place of the ‘wrong’ course. What I see instead is the wrong attitude and
approach to life. Unfortunately, our educators have got it all wrong;
introducing a course called ‘Life Skills’ will not teach life skills. This is
something that has to be done by everyone who comes into contact with a child
long before they have even thought about what ‘course’ to take in college. Our
forefathers were right when they said it takes a village to raise a child.
So, what now?
Having failed our children (think village not actual
offspring), we now have a responsibility to teach them what we did not teach
them in their younger years.
What we do today will definitely dictate what kind
of employees, managers and entrepreneurs we have tomorrow…
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