Consumerism prevails over everything, including education, which has emerged largely as a commodity to ensure 9 to 5 jobs for those who buy this product. Priorities are changing, and a large number of students prefer courses that assure instant jobs soon after graduation. The preferences have largely changed for the current generation of students, who prefer jobs to knowledge. However, they don’t mind accumulating quick ‘knowledge’ to get an instant job.
What is the whole purpose of education: getting a job or working for knowledge, being innovative and serving humanity and the world in a better way? A large number of students limit themselves to the first option, while very few think of going for innovative knowledge.
It may be a debatable topic for educational institutions to design courses that encourage innovation, or those, which fulfill the students’ requirements of being ‘job-ready’ soon after graduation. Of course, the focus is on job readiness over innovation and research, which are time taking process, the fruits of which are broad yet far.
The flip side of it is the fact that the very orientation of innovation is missing in the colleges. One innovation would have the potential to create thousands of jobs. Since the courses are not innovation-oriented, the college products are harping on the limited available resources, the completion for which is very high.
The gap thus of employers and employees is widening, and the whole world today is suffering from the crisis of joblessness.
The imbalance caused due to this situation needs to be noted. Earlier higher education was a good choice among college students, many of whom were opting for research and academic jobs. Today in the race of getting quickest possible jobs, they are not pursuing higher education, thus putting pressure on hiring system and creating a void in the academic field. Research also has become a victim in this race.
The three most popular streams today are medicine, engineering and commerce. They are fetching jobs, at the same time they are creating a situation for underemployment. Researchers and academics call for a balanced approach and proper counselling and based on their capabilities convince students to go also for humanities, applied sciences and liberal arts that offer good career growth. The approach would lessen the burden on the job market and ensure right jobs to right candidates.
@patkaushal
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