Business Studies: Are Universities Delivering the Workers that Businesses Need

In the present world, it would not be unusual to see someone with a business major running a hospital or an engineer running a business. That’s because employers have started recruiting graduates for jobs that are outside their area of specialization.

Some people know which career paths they want to choose. In contrast, others may not have an exact plan; rather they might have a general sense of what they want to do. Majority of the students do not know their strengths and weaknesses, and they are not aware of their own skills and expertise. As a result, they face poorer job prospects and lower level of earnings as compared to people who join careers that are a better fit for their knowledge, skills, and expertise, as they have acquired it through three to four years of studying.

Students need meaningful career advice which will help them define their abilities and attributes. The problem is not opting for a wrong major, rather it lies in the reasons for choosing a particular career path. Most of the graduates don’t have the slightest idea of what is a good career choice for them. Students need advice in choosing their careers and also in finding out which skills they will need to break into certain industries. Businesses, industries, and official representatives complain about the skill gap. On the other hand, graduates face an experience gap, i.e. most employers prefer to recruit people with some years of work experience.

Employers and recruitment agencies want candidates who are sufficiently prepared for the workplace. Universities and institutions need to think about the abilities and skills the students’ need to do well in the job, e.g. there are numerous graduates of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), but the employers say that they do not have the additional skills that are needed in the profession. Furthermore, it’s not just the employers asking for extra skills, but also students asking to get trained so that they have the additional advantage and benefit. Universities should help students with work experience and internships as only half of the student have access to them and only a small number of universities facilitate the students.

Universities should produce graduates who are more dynamic, talented with a solid understanding of how the office works, and how they can fit their skills according to the workplace. Institutes and universities should prepare students about the possibility of moving to different jobs and sectors.

Only universities should not have the responsibility of getting graduates into employment that matches their disciplines; there should also be better clarification and understanding of graduate career paths, and the sharing of the knowledge between the institutes and businesses.

Employers are not looking for changes in higher education provisions; nonetheless, they do want educators to pay more attention to know which skills are needed by different sectors and accordingly respond to them.