Consultant: Skill-based education still the best
Published on: Tuesday, March 19, 2019
By: Ricardo Unto
KOTA KINABALU: Skill-based education or training is still the best option for youths, especially in the State, said experienced career consultant K. Krishnan.
“Instead of opting for the conventional tertiary level education, students should consider taking up skills which are very lacking in Sabah,” he told the Daily Express, here.
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“We do not need more graduates with a piece of paper who at the end of the day could not find jobs.
“Youths should consider taking up skills where they can earn good money.
“Some do not think of becoming a plumber, a carpenter, a bricklayer or an automobile repairman as they think these careers are below the expectation of the society.”
However, Krishnan said, skilled workforce has the advantage of working anywhere in the world.
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“For instance, a chef can work in any part of the world and do you need a bachelor’s degree to become a chef? No, you just need to learn how to cook.
“And that is why I stressed that skill education is still the best,” he said.
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At the moment, based on his observation, Krishnan said most students in Sabah are more inclined towards choosing social careers like a teacher, a clerk or a policeman, among others.
“They do not go into unfamiliar careers unlike their compatriots in bigger towns in the peninsula who think of becoming game developers or all kinds of information technology-related careers.
“The career selections in Sabah are more conventional as I think most are not exposed to diverse career options.
“For instance, during my counselling sessions, I would start off by asking students to write their eight dream jobs…however, they even find it difficult to select eight dream jobs.
“In fact, there are more than 30,000 careers and that is why I think students should be exposed to them through their schools or on their own.”
Krishnan has more than 25 years of experience in career consultation and education, and he had written numerous books as well as writing for various newspapers, including the Daily Express.
Meanwhile, he lamented on the incorrect notion among students on tertiary education.
“The university is a place to provide education, it does not train you for any particular job.
“Many think that if you study, for example, accountancy, then you must end up being an accountant.
“In real practice, they must be more adaptable and flexible – if they cannot go into a particular career, then they should be able to get another career.
“Most importantly, undergraduates must be taught on how to stand on their own feet so that upon graduation, they can create their own jobs if they cannot get any job.
“And students today find it very difficult to start their own jobs,” he said.
To this end, he said, universities must alter their system by providing undergraduates with a broad a range of flexibility.
“They should not be prepared for one particular job only…universities must prepare them for many options so that when they go into the employment market, they will be able to fit in.”
On online tertiary education courses, he said it is not advisable for school leavers to take them up.
“Basically you must have a working experience if you opt for an online course.
“A bachelor’s degree will remain as a paper if you are getting them online without any prior working experience or knowledge.
“In fact, all these online courses are meant for working people, especially those who want to progress in their careers,” he said.
Krishnan was in the city to conduct a workshop for peer counsellors as well as a career clinic for school leavers.
“In the workshop, my team train these peer counsellors so that they can go back to their schools to help their friends plan their career and education paths.
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