College graduation had been the passage of the young graduates to unemployment. This reality is a continuing cycle as graduation turns out great numbers beyond employment opportunities. The number of unemployed is a growing figure as graduates keep on piling every year even before the previous graduates could find jobs. There are simply less job opportunities in the country to absorb the output of schools every graduation time. The joy of marching during graduation is more on having finished the struggle for college education than the prospect of becoming gainfully employed after receiving the college degree and diploma.
The steep competition requires from the graduates the readiness to take any available job opportunity. It is therefore imperative for the graduate to have acquired the necessary skills as fallback to any available job. In some cases, underemployment is taken as a better option than unemployment.
The situation pushes the graduate to abandon his chosen career and try to fit in whatever job is available. Only a few of the graduates could actually be absorbed in the world of work. At times, graduates are found incompetent in many areas to qualify as a functional and competent worker. The mismatch between education and jobs is one primary cause why graduates are found unfit in many works.
Poor communication skill particularly in the second language is identified as a major deficiency among college graduates. Many job opportunities in the field of information and communication require workers who are conversant in English. The deficiency narrows the options of graduates in their search for jobs after finishing college. This is the reason why government is adamant in its position on unemployment, insisting that there are enough jobs being generated but graduates do not just fit into the competency requirements of the job.
After receiving a college diploma, so much is still to be done by the graduate in order to be competitive. It is not surprising that agencies and companies that absorb the graduates have to conduct trainings for the new worker on the job. Inasmuch as only few are lucky to find a job either in government or in private companies, many graduates are forced to engage in self-employment and business activities.
The still less fortunate ones are forced to take second courses that are found to be in demand by foreign countries. This situation is a great push for the country’s manpower to march out of unemployment by seeking jobs overseas. But any college graduate aiming for an overseas job has to undergo technical and vocational courses and pass the required theoretical and practical tests. The need to undergo training for technical skills puts to waste the value of that college diploma, else, the graduate is merely marching to unemployment.
comments to alellema@yahoo.com
