SHORTAGE OF SKILLS: A PARADOX OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Credited to: Jacobs University

Is it not ironical when our educational institutions across the globe have been milling and churning out millions if not billions of grads every year. But most without relevant skills.

In US alone, according to National Center for Education Statistics a US government agency: "During the 2013–14 school year, colleges and universities are(were) expected  to award 943,000 associate’s degrees; 1.8 million bachelor's degrees;  778,000 master's degrees; and 177,000 doctor's degrees."

In India DrEducation estimated that a wiping number of 26.9 million students were enrolled, out of this 9 million graduated in 2014-2015 academic year. In China Statista put it at 6.594 million in 2014. In Japan the story is not different.

However with these millions of grads from these countries mentioned and many more there are still shortage of relevant skills. Why!

Rachel Hallett of Formative Content said: “Rapid technological advances and the digitization of the workplace are making it harder for workers to match their skill sets with the needs of employers”. And according to her; Japan and India are the worst hit and surprisingly the US, UK, France, Germany and others advanced economies were all on the list. But one will wonder how these technological savvy and advanced countries like US, India and Japan found themselves on the list of the world top countries experiencing shortage of relevant skills. It sounds paradoxical to say the least.

In the UK the guardian succinctly put it this way: “We are not producing enough young people with the skills to meet the needs of UK employers, the research finds, and the skills they do have are well below the levels of our international competitors. If that were not enough, even those with advanced skills may soon be made redundant by the influx of smart machines into our workplaces”.

And very astonishing and worryingly too none of the Africa countries made the list. I think the researcher care less about the continent, since the continent statistical data about the subject will make mockery of any known statistical model of analysis, since no scientific calculator or computer can conveniently calculate the actual figure of unskilled grads.

However, in my opinion, the educational system the world over is falling apart and more so falling short of market expectations and demands. Our educational institutions are not keeping pace with the demand of the labor market. Graduates are being taught obsolete and irrelevant courses that have no bearing or relevance in the society and to the economy. Probably such out-of-date curricula might have being relevant in the time past but are no long in tune with the fast pace world of technology that changes every second.

Consequently, the onus is on our governments and relevant institutions of learning to keep pace and if possible be one step ahead of the labor market, so that quality and skillful grads can be produce.  Grads that are not only carry intimidating degree certificates from Ivy league schools with jaw-breaking titles but grads that are skillful and relevant in the ever shrinking labor market space.

The technology world too has a major role to play. Industries deploying these  fast pace innovations should also create avenues and training centers where prospective employees and the general public can be taught these relevant skills.

Our Business Schools should as a matter of imperative restructure their curricula to include relevant soft skills that are needed to steer the affairs of these 21st century industries.

Schools at all level should as a matter of urgency put in place mechanisms that create room for annual curricula review and amendment, if need be. And this should also include jettisoning of those obsolete courses or modules.

It is instructive to note from these statistics that soft skills are becoming more and more important in order for us to be able to function efficiently and optimally. At the top of the corporate ladder soft skills are 70% of what is needed for a leader to succeed in today’s corporate world.  And these skills are no longer perfunctory skills to be wished away. Deliberate efforts must be made to teach these skills in our schools.

The shortage of skillful persons to man our critical sectors is; a time bomb that we must not allow it to detonate. Robots are fast replacing humans we have to act fast.