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Universities should support graduates in getting a job

The number of graduate applicants per position has more than doubled in the past two years. In the context of the significantly fewer positions made available on the market, as well as the number of redundancy figures since the recession, universities seem to be generating an ever increasing number of graduates without investing any useful or practical training skills in preparation for recruitment. Should universities be concentrating less on academia and more on making their students employable?

All the Yes points:

  1. There is little need for academic skills without knowing how to apply them
  2. People go to university because they believe it will help them get a job, if that’s not true then the universities are failing the students

All the No points:

  1. We should not spoon feed adults
  2. It is a logical fallacy
  3. There should be a consistent approach to both academic and entrepreneurial skills
  4. It will eventually lead to the same problem.
  5. We need the funding to push forward with academia.
  6. Universities provide enough resources through extra curricular activities.

There is little need for academic skills without knowing how to apply them

Yes because…

Employers do not want people who can sit read and regurgitate well in their own words. They do not want to employ computers; we have the relevant technology for that now. Instead what we need is people who have the necessary skills to apply what they are taught academically. This is where the University system is failing. Students may have the knowledge but they do not have the skills to apply – and this is what employers need! Therefore, we should change the University system so that students are taught how to apply their knowledge.

No because…

Different universities are in different positions on the matter.
A number of universities stress on skills by promoting career- counseling/related activities/groups/efforts. Lectures by successful people in your field are made compulsory.

Practically usable skills: such as training to use new software related to your subject areas are also made compulsory.

The claim that all universities ignore the importance of career skills is an incorrect assumption.

Dartmouth in the United States for example is an employer favorite because students are not just smart like all other IVY league colleges but very well equipped with job-skills.

For this reason; on average Dartmouth graduates currently make more money than alumni from any other American university.

But before you start thinking I’m for the motion. Universities cannot help you once you get a job; why should they help you get one in the first place. This is an issue of independent learning versus pedagogy. Mothering students every step of the way, softens them/us.This unnatural dependence on your Alma Mater after graduation is not usually appreciated for good reason.

Graduation means you’ve been through the ropes, you have the wings and it’s up to you to fly.

People go to university because they believe it will help them get a job, if that’s not true then the universities are failing the students

Yes because…

The whole reason people go to university is because they believe it will increase their chances in getting a good job, but if universities can’t make their students more employable then they are failing their job and the purpose of university is not being fulfilled.

No because…

We should not spoon feed adults

No because…

The age of youth is ever increasing. That comes with increasing education. We seem to be fixated with nannying any person who attends full time education. In the 60’s when most people left school when they were 14, this seemed appropriate. Then when O’ levels became increasingly accepting, even to women, the age opened to 16. Then came the widening culture of continuing education to A’ levels, this increased the age in which we nannied our children until 18. Now, because so many pupils are attending University, we are considering nannying those children till 21! The nannying should stop here. At the age of reaching University we should stop spoon feeding and leave the students to source their own skills. University is supposed to be about own study. The same should apply to the entrepreneurial skills that could be learnt whilst there.

Yes because…

There is a huge unemployment crisis in our midst. We can not simply ignore this by claiming something along the Neanderthal lines of : every man fend for himself.

As Thomas Hobbes declared and I paraphrase: Institutions bring out the civility in all of us; where civility is covering our short,mean,ugly and competitive selves with a veneer of kindness.

If we forget to care; we all lose out as in Prisoners’ dilemma: Nash equilibrium.

We cannot let the brutish spirit that rots our very souls deny justice and humanity towards fellow human beings.

We are aware of corruption/nepotism/luck/the-continuing-stable-discrepancy-between-economic-classes. We know that life isn’t fair and therefore cannot stand and watch as these factors, which are no fault of the students; determine their/our fate.

It is a logical fallacy

No because…

It is a logical misapprehension to believe that entrepreneurial ability can be taught! The idea of being an entrepreneur is to seek opportunities, to spot niche markets, to be resourceful. If Universities start to provide lessons, if they start to provide more opportunities for students to partake in ‘entrepreneurial activities’ then there is no entrepreneurial skills required to take them! Entrepreneurial promotion by Universities will in fact lead to the demise of the resourcefulness and therefore entrepreneurial ability of students.

Yes because…

By the argument on the right; those with natural cannot and should not be taught any thing.

If someone who is naturally a brilliant writer/painter/dancer is never taught to write/paint/dance; are we not doing this person a great disservice?

How can someone who isn’t literate be expected to write?

there are only rare cases in which novels are penned by literate persons for illiterate ones. None of these are successful works; why? As illiterate writers are never given the opportunity to perfect/hone their writing ability.

Abilities are awakened and protected through training. You maybe a natural business person but if you are not aware of current contract/corporate laws then your accountant will scurry off with your money/profits. You may also go to jail for averting the payment of taxes you weren’t aware of. You might also face bankruptcy because of a change in business rules.

There should be a consistent approach to both academic and entrepreneurial skills

No because…

At the time of reaching University, students will have left an environment with pushy teachers and mere information regurgitation. University is supposed to be more about private study and taking one’s own studies into one’s own hands. The same should occur with the skills learnt. This should be down to the students own initiative rather than a University shoving ideas down the student’s throat. We should ensure a consistent approach at University, both to the academic side and the entrepreneurial side – get up, take the initiative and do it yourself!

Yes because…

Psychological illness, suicides/petty-crime/theft/murder/drug-abuse by the unemployed is on the rise.

It is easier said then done to take the initiative.

Some people apply to a hundred jobs and land squat. Others get the first job they go for. To claim the former are lazy, demotivated and not taking an initiative is just wrong.

Life is unfair and it is up to Samaritans such as universities; to narrow down the gap caused by this unfairness.

It will eventually lead to the same problem.

No because…

What the problem we are facing now is that there are so many students that have degrees that there are increasingly fewer jobs for these people to fill. Instead, employers look now for entrepreneurial ability. Only a few candidates will have this. However, if Universities start gearing more and more of their resources into initiating such skills, then we will be left with the same problem. Employers will then have an abundance of students with the academic records and the entrepreneurial skills. There will then be the same problem of too few jobs for students who have the same skill set.

Yes because…

We need the funding to push forward with academia.

No because…

With many debates surrounding the funding, or the lack thereof, how can we think about applying more funding to non-academic opportunities? We are already falling behind with academia, we are falling behind with research, and we will not be able to culture entrepreneurial skills with a lack of research and higher knowledge. We should invest here first before we think of other more frivolous ideas of education.

Yes because…

Universities provide enough resources through extra curricular activities.

No because…

Universities already provide enough opportunities through the extra curricular programs that Universities cater for. There are student union positions which can be gained, there are sporting societies, academic societies, obtrusively weird societies, everyone at University should pave their own way for entrepreneurial skill enhancement. Universities have left the path open; they should not have to also guide students down those paths.

Yes because…

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