Monday | 13 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Monday | 13 January 2025 | Epaper

Concerns over growing graduate unemployment in the country

Published : Sunday, 26 November, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1067
Alaul Alam
In Bangladesh demographic dividend continues to promise the possibilities of advancement. But the inclusive participation of the youth in the workforce is highly appreciated to bring out the desired outcome of the country's demographic dividend. Youth are considered the most valuable asset and driving force for a nation. So, reaping their potentials is the key to the sustainable development of the country.

However, frustration deepens when we notice that youth unemployment has increased over the years. Especially, the educated youth are bearing the most brunt as the joblessness among the graduates is becoming so acute gradually.

The Labor Force Survey-2022 released by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has revealed that the number of unemployed graduates has increased significantly. It has shown that the number of unemployed graduates has doubled over the last five years-from around 4 lakh in 2017 to 8 lakh in 2022, which is triggering a growing concern.

Different sources claim that the unemployment rate in the country among the educated is higher than that of the average rate in many developing countries. According to the BBS, the educated unemployment rate has increased three times more than that of illiterate people in the country. The report also reveals that the unemployment rate among the female graduates is higher than that of male graduates although the number of female students coming out of universities every year has increased.


It is worrying to notice the dismal unemployment of the persons with tertiary education than those with secondary or higher secondary education. In such a worrying scenario the question may be pertinent to raise; how far the country's tertiary education contributes to producing workforces?
It is no denial that the country has made a remarkable advancement in its tertiary education sector, which is considered the key to producing skilled workforces.To provide a scope to access a great number of learners to higher education,along with public universities the journey of private universities is worth mentioning.

Certainly, we see a quiet revolution in our education sector as not only the number of students getting enrolled at tertiary education level but also the number of graduates coming out of universities every year has increased over the years. But what will we do with so many graduates when they see a bleak scenario as soon as they finish their graduation?

It is frustrating when we notice that the number of graduates fail to ensure a financially secure life although education promises for a better life and livelihood and is expected to remove the burden from society and country. Undeniably, education with no pragmatic outcomes can hardly be helpful to the individuals and the society. Educationists criticize that the quantity has superseded the quality of education in the country.

While many graduates are struggling to enter the workforce, in many cases universities are highly concentrated on awarding degrees than emphasizing on producing quality graduates. The poor performance of the country's universities is easily detected when we keep our eyes in the list of

international university ranking. According to theWorld Bank Tertiary Education Review- 2019 and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings- 2022, higher education in Bangladesh fails to meet growing demand for quality educated and skilled workforces in the economy.

The report of the World University Ranking-2022 revealed that no university in Bangladesh including public and private universities has found any place at the top level of World University Ranking. Dhaka University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) which are considered the most reputed ones in the country have got their places at 801 to 1000, exposing the poor state of higher education in the country.

Obviously, over the years the number of graduate and post graduate degree holders in the country have increased greatly. But can we escape from the blatant criticism for the dismal scenario of unemployment amid the graduates? The gap widening from education to employment is deepening worries of the graduates. There are a number of questions we are pondering over. Why is our education system not working to mitigate unemployment though it is universally acknowledged that education creates empowerment and skilled manpower? Why are our universities unable to produce quality graduates? Is our education system an obstacle to developing quality manpower?

Do we have any scope to leave the burning frustration of the graduates for unemployment pointing at limited employment opportunities in the country? It is evident that in many cases recruiters do not get skilled employees as the academic system does not equip students with practical knowledge and skills in many cases.

According to a survey of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), 66 per cent or two-thirds of the students who pass out from colleges affiliated to National University, remain unemployed. The causes may be many why most of the students of National University struggle to enter the job market.

Traditional lecture-based education and the culture of memorization hardly help the graduates to manage jobs in the competitive labor market.Unless the graduates are equipped with cognitive and soft skills and develop problem-solving, independent thinking ability and creativity, they are hardly competent to avail jobs for themselves.

Again, we see that students completing graduation from Madrasahs are facing discriminatory treatment in the job market, narrowing their scopes to access to job sector as in most cases their knowledge is confined to religion- based profession with hardly any learning to basic and soft skills required for mainstream job. Along with these, the tendency of receiving technical education has not been as flourished as it is in many developed and developing countries.

However, to mitigate the growing concern of graduate unemployment, universities have to be the key facilitators who should be held responsible for producing quality graduates to ensure skilled workforce in the labor market introducing pragmatic initiatives. Priority should be given to need-based education which not only helps students to be quality graduates in order to shape up their life but also provides them a scope to contribute to the country's economy.

The government should prioritize the initiatives such as promoting entrepreneurship, developing infrastructure and manufacturing sector to open up more opportunities for the graduates. Along with the government's investment to widen job sectors in the country, the private investment should be encouraged highly to mitigate the woes of the unemployed graduates.

 Last of all, there is no alternative to taking concerted efforts that will lessen the frustration of the graduates and help the country achieve sustainable economic growth.

The writer teaches at Prime University and  also a Research Scholar at the IBS



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