Are we adequately prepared for the workforce by Universities??

"Education is the key to success" is a daily statement we use to motivate students and people we want to aspire to greatness. We have all heard those words at some point in our academic journey. Whether at a graduation party speech, a keynote speaker, or a motivational speaker, they tend to find different ways to say it. In my part of the world, it is believed that the higher you go (academic-wise), the better your chances are. Society even provides a false impression about the likelihood of prosperity for a candidate whose degree is attained outside their home country's borders. It does not surprise me any longer when most young people I speak to strive to save funds or ask a family member for financial support to flee the shores of Liberia to attain education abroad. I guess the intention is to better their chance at prosperity (job hunting) or to be viewed as intellectually superior to their comrades with a local degree back home.

People have differing objectives on why they want to attain secondary or tertiary education, and are uncountable. I still tend to believe that in my part of the world, some of the objectives would involve preparing students for the workforce, getting to meet and network with future potential leaders, improving analytical and critical thinking skills, increasing one's earning potential, and helping them stand out from other candidates looking for the same role. For these reasons, people make investment decisions amidst a difficult economic situation in higher education, expecting a solid return on investment.?

For this write-up, my focus is on preparing students for the workforce and if students are getting a positive return on investment. Are we getting our money's worth from the academic programs? Have these degrees/academic programs fully prepared us enough for the workforce? The fancy degrees and the networks will get us in the door, but it's crucial to understand that staying within the workforce requires critical attributes and skillsets. The Gen Z (Gen Z, 1997-2013 or 1995 to 2010 age group ) generation is the youngest in the workforce, forming the vast majority of new entrants. Let's critically evaluate our academic programs' effectiveness and return on investment in this context. The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated.?

A recent poll by education and career advisory platform Intelligent , seeking insight from 1,000 business owners and executives about their views of Gen Z workers, showed that six in 10 employers say they have already sacked some of the Gen Z workers they hired fresh out of college earlier this year. More than half, 53%, feel that Gen Z college graduates are unprepared for the workforce and believe they lack vital skills to stay in the workplace. The most frequently cited reasons for why these new Gen Z hires didn’t work out or looked unprepared were a lack of motivation or initiative (50%), poor communication skills (39%), and a lack of professionalism (46%). Other factors included struggles with feedback (38%) and inadequate problem-solving abilities (34%).

According to the report, Hiring managers are inclined to retain or hire new entrants (within the Gen Z age group) who show initiative at work, exhibit a positive attitude, demonstrate a strong work ethic, are open to feedback/criticism, are adaptable, and are punctual and reliable. Picking these attributes was surprising as the hiring managers had options like solid technical skills, internship experience, work experience, and avoiding office politics among the possibilities afforded.?

Our educational approach in Liberia needs to focus on the right things to prepare students for the workforce. Don’t get me wrong; I am not against traditional teaching methods and curriculum. One must know the alphabet, string letters together, pronounce, and then speak. My qualm lies in where our emphasis lies. If the end game is improving one’s communication skills, then let us embed learning tactics that will do that. We need to focus on what is relevant in today’s world. Emails are used in everyday workday conversations. How many of our programs are teaching email etiquette and workplace conversations? We are still coping with lessons on block-style letter writing (Relevance, please). Who cares? Just be clear with the message. Some tactics students must deploy are copying and pasting, chewing and pouring, and writing it just as you are given by the teacher (not even paraphrasing or summarizing). Still, they are not sustainable or applicable in today’s workforce. So, what is the point of sharing irrelevant information and tactics? Our educational approach/system should be able to answer these questions. It's time for a change.

• Can our communication lessons be tweaked to ensure that the outcome is that our communication skills are improved rather than that we understand the mechanics of grammar but cannot listen or communicate effectively??
• Can we create learning sessions in which it is okay for students to criticize or offer opposing input to their peers without them feeling attacked?
• Can we create a learning system where students do not have to apologize for challenging the status quo?
• Can we teach our students that there are multiple approaches to solving a problem and that the absence of resources is an opportunity to think out of the box and be creative?
• Can we teach our students to be creative and that one technique does not solve all problems?
• Can we provide point/scoring systems where people are rewarded for taking initiative?
• Can we score students for professionalism and not just make students believe wearing coat suits to business classes is the core definition of professionalism?
• When we teach our students about motivation, let us not stop with the theories. Let us create exercises that help our students channel inner motivation even during boring exercises. Let us be clear that our students are responsible for motivating themselves.
• Can we teach our students the importance of taking responsibility when entrusted with our initiative?
• Let's emphasize the need to be punctual and reliable when given an opportunity or a task. Let us build a culture of rewarding punctuality in school

There are a lot of what-ifs, and we can list them above. The current education system isn’t adequately preparing students for the new workplace environment. The system needs to be revamped to address the required skills to excel in the workplace. The Ministry of Education and significant educational and labor stakeholders should research to understand the needs of the modern-day workforce and tailor their teaching approach and curriculum to the findings. It would be wonderful not just to enter the workforce and be kicked out, but to sustain employment to retain a return on investment in higher education.