This happens if too many varsities

Published on: Sunday, August 25, 2024

Text Size:

It’s time for a reset in the education system. The government should limit the number of new universities. We also need a reset on the pay scale in the private sector. - pix for illustration purposes only

I READ recently about the decline in university enrolment in Malaysia.

Apparently, this has been going on since 2016, but I don’t think this is a big problem because there are too many universities now.

There is an oversupply of graduates even though the job market is limited.

What happens is that instead of securing jobs in their field of study, graduates end up working as cashiers in fast food outlets or customer service officers.

There is nothing wrong with these jobs, but if that is what one ends up doing, why would one waste their time and money to study in university?

Many graduates even end up in debt because they had to take loans to fund their studies.

Most universities have incorporated internship or industrial training in their curriculum to expose students to the real work environments of their field of study.

But industries are not chomping at the bit to participate, as I found out when I was due to start my industrial training.

I had an extremely hard time finding an employer willing to take me and ended up with a small company doing boring data entry. I did not learn anything valuable from that experience.

In short, young people are tired and are no longer buying the idea that getting a degree will land them a prestigious job.

I read a lot of job advertisements from employers who want to recruit people with three to five years’ working experience, but the salary offered is less than RM3,000.

Let’s be realistic; if you want qualified workers, you need to pay them more.

Why would anybody with that amount of experience want to work for a salary that’s almost the same as a fresh graduate’s?

It’s time for a reset in the education system. The government should limit the number of new universities. We also need a reset on the pay scale in the private sector.

If you want a technical worker with a degree specifically designed in that field, you need to pay more.

The pay scale must match the level of difficulties and skills needed for the job.

AA

The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express.

If you have something to share, write to us at: [email protected]