The gap between the job market demand and the labour force

To understand the gap in the market, we should focus on our capacity building, whilst at the same time, take stock of the evolution in the types of jobs being created.

If we look back to 30 years ago, we had 29,000 students enrolled in CPE, 7,000 in SC, and 4,300 in HSC. That was in 1993. Fast forward to 2022, and we’re at 16,000 in PSAC, 15,000 in SC, and 5,600 in HSC. Not only are we still losing educated manpower at each milestone as was already the case 30 years ago, but the numbers are still too low to meet the demands of the job market.

Enrolment at university, however, has risen from 30,000 to 50,000 in 2022; this trend is mainly due to the private providers. However, the programs on offer are not always based on the future human resource needs of the country as determined by the List of Indicative Priority Fields of Study (prepared since year 2000 and updated by the HEC every 2 years).

Why is there such a gap in Mauritius?

This discrepancy arises from a myriad of factors affecting both employers and employees alike.

One significant issue lies in the mismatch between education and training programmes and the actual needs of industries. Despite efforts to align educational curricula with the List of Indicative Priority Fields of Study, there remains a disconnect between what students learn and what employers require.

Moreover, the lack of capacity building in burgeoning sectors such as ICT and Financial Services exacerbates the gap. While these industries drive our economy's growth, there's a notable scarcity of skilled professionals to meet their demands. Despite economic expansion, the labour force hasn't expanded proportionally. This imbalance leads to unfilled positions and impedes overall productivity.

Another critical factor contributing to the gap is brain drain, where talented individuals seek better opportunities abroad due to higher pay and improved prospects.

In addition, certain industries struggle to attract talent due to outdated practices and unappealing job offerings, especially to younger generations with evolving preferences.

Finally, the prevalence of low pay for entry-level positions perpetuates the cycle of unmet demand and underutilised skills, discouraging participation in certain sectors.

How to address this?

Addressing these challenges necessitates collaborative efforts between employers, educators, and policymakers to ensure that education and training programmes meet market demands, emerging sectors receive adequate support, and job opportunities are attractive and fairly compensated.