Worries of Young Graduates
By: Ahsan Shah
Date: 26/06/2022
Quality education invariably forms a welfare state with competitive markets, a trained
workforce, and innovative decision-making. Our corporate sector directly depends on young
graduates passing out every year. In the same way, the corporate sector develops
exponentially by getting quality graduates. Various indices say the standard of young
graduates in Pakistan is consistently declining. Many big universities are unable to equip their
graduates with the skills required to work effectively in the corporate sector. According to the
Career Advisory and Assessment Services survey, 77 percent of employers are not satisfied
with the performance of young graduates. The same is the case with the graduating class of
2022 who went through severe challenges of virtual learning that end up affecting their
learning skills and professional growth.
Graduating class of 2022 is quite worried about the dark uncertainties of the future. It is the
class firstly exposed to virtual learning and badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their
ambiguity about the future, hopelessness, and frustration add to their worries—the reason for
their fear is lacking skills and having low employment opportunities.
Undoubtedly, the pandemic has dramatically affected the world’s education. Already there
was a layer of educational inequality globally. Pandemic has just thickened that layer by
dividing the world digitally. For instance, many sitting in the developed world just smoothly
continued the quality education as the pandemic hit while others in developing countries were
pushed towards severe educational chaos.
Being part of this graduating class, I can better express the intentions of these fellows. The
sword of unemployment hanging over their head all the time add to their confusion. One of
the highly discussed topics among graduating class is ‘post-graduation’ choices. Some
consider their degrees worthless without practical exposure while others anticipate no better
option in their majors.
Suddenly, Pakistan has seen a significant surge in unemployment after 2020. Many young
graduates are blaming the government for not creating adequate job opportunities.
Employment for young graduates is a reward for their demanding work and commitment.
Graduating class of 2022 is highly confused as to which field to enter as the pandemic has
altered the pre-existing market trends. This lack of hope and confidence in young graduates
can highly cost the country’s institutions and industries.
Besides that, fear of being skill-less is commonly found as trauma among graduating class.
Lack of sheer Internet, bleak exposure to digital technology, and bereft of quality staff
members during challenging times of Covid, badly hampered the educational growth of these
students. Various technical institutions failed to ensure quality learning; universities were
closed physically, and students’ hands-on experience got impacted technically. How
technically disabled and mentally unprepared graduates of 2022 will perform in practical
endeavors? During online classes, practicality and public management skills were severely
affected.
Also, the government-backed kamayab Nawjawan Program has witnessed the worries of
young graduates. Many MPhil graduates registered for learning Microsoft office. Similarly,
university graduates sought to learn basic e-commerce skills to excel virtually. All the time,
we have seen policymakers and social experts reiterating the importance of ‘self-dependent
start-ups’ to challenge the growing menace of unemployment. Do entrepreneurial ideas grow
without skills? If not, then what educational institutions are doing to make these graduates
skillful emotionally and practically.
Moreover, young graduates lack an unobstructed vision and proper planning for future
educational participation. Their retarded growth amid virtual learning affected them mentally.
While discussing ‘future planning’, I find only a few fellows consciously prepared enough to
make a better decision after their graduation. Most of them have not yet decided or are not
able to trace a smart path for their career. Just after a few months, these final year students
will be entering different fields: becoming part of a firm, starting their entrepreneurial startups, and joining government machinery. How visionless young graduates be impactful in
their surroundings that need them impatiently?
Here is the time that can be better utilized for helping graduates to realize their potential and
consider their important role in nation-building. Every graduate will be joining an
organization that is responsible for the country’s growth. Deploying quality graduates means
a corporation is flourishing and the country is developing. For that, all the universities need to
arrange ‘career awareness’ seminars to prepare graduates mentally for future challenges. In
the meantime, universities can also arrange remedial classes for students to perform technical
work and learn some demanding skills. It will help them find jobs in short term and relieve
the societal burden. Besides this, the university administrations should conduct ‘job fairs’ to
help graduates get connected with better career options. It will not only help students find a
job but also companies will get potential graduates. Nurturing in 2022 graduates’ critical
thinking, creativity, and a clear vision can help them prepare effectively for competitive
markets.
