Alarming Trend: Low Employability of Graduates Highlighted

The lack of alignment between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the job market is a significant challenge facing graduates and employers. While HEIs aim to produce highly employable individuals, they often fail to keep up with the changing needs of the job market and the expectations of employers. This leads to low employability among graduates, dissatisfaction among employers, and a sense of disappointment among both parties.

To address this issue, HEIs need to focus on providing updated, market-oriented, and demand-driven knowledge and skills that are critical to the modern economy. By doing so, graduates will be better equipped to meet the needs of the job market, and employers will be more satisfied with their skill set.

Moreover, this lack of market orientation in HEIs also hinders the potential for entrepreneurship and job creation, as poorly trained youth have lower chances of setting up successful businesses. Therefore, it is crucial for HEIs to align their degree programs with the changing needs of the job market and to provide their students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in today’s economy.

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The lack of practical skills and market-oriented knowledge in degree programs offered by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan has led to a crisis of unemployment among educated youth in the country. A 2022 study by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics found that 31% of university graduates are unemployed, with the unemployment rate for women with a university qualification as high as 51%.

This situation has led to criticism that Pakistani universities have become parking places for unemployed youth, as their degree programs fail to align with the changing needs of the job market and employers’ expectations. The lack of market orientation in Pakistani HEIs has also undermined the potential of entrepreneurship, as poorly trained graduates have lower chances of setting up successful businesses.

It is therefore necessary for Pakistani HEIs to consider updated, market-oriented, and demand-driven knowledge and skills that are critical to the modern economy to improve graduates’ employability and reduce unemployment.