Education
is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills and habits of a group of
people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching,
training or research.
Education
can take many forms. These include; formal education (through academic
mainstream schooling, including technical and vocational instruction for youth)
informal education (learning that takes place outside of institutions) special
education (for those experiencing intellectual/physical disability) and
non-formal education (life-relevant knowledge and skills acquired
both within and outside educational institutions).
Tertiary
education is also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary
education. It is defined as the educational level following the completion of a
school providing a secondary education. Higher education is taken to include
undergraduate and post graduate education.
Tertiary
education is more than the next level in the learning process; it is a critical
component of human development worldwide. It provides not only the high-level
skills necessary for every labour market but also the training essential for
teachers, doctors, nurses, civil servants, engineers, humanists, entrepreneurs,
scientists, social scientists, and a myriad of other personnel. It is these
trained individuals that drive local economies, support civil society, teach children,
lead effective governments and make important decisions which affect entire
societies.
An
educated populace is vital in today's world, with the convergent impacts of
globalization, the increasing importance of knowledge as a main driver of
growth, and the information and communication revolution.
Knowledge
accumulation and application have become major factors in economic development
and are increasingly at the core of a country's competitive advantage in the
global economy. The combination of increased computing power, diminishing
prices of hardware and software, improvement of wireless and reduced
telecommunication costs has all but removed the space and time barriers to
information access and exchange.
Higher education has given ample proof
of its viability over the centuries and of its ability to change and to induce
change and progress in society. Owing to the scope and pace of change, society
has become increasingly knowledge-based so that higher learning and research
now act as essential components of cultural, socio-economic and environmentally
sustainable development itself is confronted therefore with formidable
challenges and must proceed to the most radical change and renewal it has ever
been required to undertake, so that our society which is currently undergoing a
profound crisis of values, can transcend mere economic considerations and
incorporate deeper dimensions of morality and spirituality.
In
today's globalized world, and in a knowledge-based economy, we have seen the
emergence of knowledge as a major driver of growth in the context of the global
economy, the information and communication revolution, the emergence of a
worldwide labour market, and global social-political transformations. A
tertiary education plays a key role in acquiring and building this knowledge.
Tertiary education institutions play an
essential role in supporting basic and secondary education. The training of
teachers and school principals, from pre-school to the upper secondary level,
is the primary responsibility of tertiary education institutions. Education
specialists with tertiary education qualifications participate in curriculum
design and educational research for lower levels. This link between tertiary
education and the other levels of schooling stimulates a virtuous circle of
capacity building because the quality of tertiary education affects the quality
of primary and secondary school education.
The importance of higher education in
the process of national development cannot be underestimated. To remain
competitive in the ever-changing market conditions, many governments need to
produce value-added capabilities to the present and future human capital in
order to stay viable in the global competition. A well-planned strategy in the
educational sector is considered important in today’s environment where a
massive human capital is located.
Organizations has always placed
emphasis on the publics who would determine its life span. In the context of
higher education institution, graduates are the main public whereby their
marketability is the key measurement of a university’s effort in the human
recourses development.
Trying to set yourself apart in the
entry-level job market can be a challenge. Especially when you are a recent
graduate. Employers don't want to hire someone who can merely perform the
initial job duties satisfactorily. Rather, they prefer to hire academically
prepared, highly motivated, and ambitious workers who offer them a good,
long-term return on their investment.
It is true that employers hire people, not
pieces of paper. Impressive curriculum vitae that documents evidence of
academic excellence, demonstrated leadership, personal initiative and well
developed social skills will definitely get the attention of recruiters and
hiring managers.
The key is to present written credentials
that depict you as a graduate who "stands out from the crowd" as an
exceptionally qualified prospective hire. Your curriculum vitae are your
calling card. The more impressive it is, the more desirable you will be as a
prospective candidate, and the more marketable you will be when pursuing
employment options.
In today's world, industries are
experiencing changes more rapidly. Various factors are propelling these changes
in technologies and intense competition. These changes have a profound impact
on higher education institutions, as education is the foundation on which
competitive workforce is built. In the era of a new revolution in which
knowledge and applied intelligence is rapidly becoming the key to national
survival and success, "marketable" graduates are needed to help their
organisations gain a competitive advantage.
The most important books are not necessarily
best-sellers; the most praiseworthy people do not usually have fan clubs.
Although the current climate seems to favour "marketability" over
other criteria.
Among recent graduates there are some signs
that the nature of graduate jobs is changing. Over the last decade there has
been a relative shift in graduate employment, from professional to associate
professional and technical occupations. This may either reflect a growth in
graduate numbers that has exceeded the growth in demand for professional
worker, or alternatively, an upgrading in professional and technical jobs. For
example, the professionalism of jobs such as occupational therapy and nursing.
Research
suggests that new graduates understand the labour market, and most do not
expect to enter graduate level work straight away, but rather to achieve this
perhaps three years on. Many realise they will need to progress through a
number of stepping stone jobs to develop relevant work experience that will
increase the currency of their degree qualification before developing a clear
career path.
The success of new graduates in the labour
market depends upon a number of highly inter-related factors, including the
socio-economic background of those graduates, their willingness to relocate for
work and the subject from which they graduated.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND
Students
gain the most from higher education. They gain better degree classifications,
have higher satisfaction ratings of their experience, and better labour market
outcomes in terms of higher average salaries, higher level occupations and are
perceived to have better quality jobs (jobs with high entry requirements, offer
skills development, and are well regarded positions)
SUBJECT
CHOICE
Employment
outcomes are still contingent on choice of degree subject made by graduates.
Graduates who have studied professional subjects such as veterinary science,
education and medicine are consistently more likely to enter (and quickly) into
a graduate level occupation than those who have studied more general arts and
humanities courses. Indeed, those following professional courses are most
positive about the value of their higher education and are most satisfied with
their careers. Arts and humanities students are among the least satisfied in
relation to career opportunities and are most likely to anticipate changing
career direction in the medium term. This group need support to build relevant
work experience, and to identify access suitable careers.
MOVING
FOR WORK
The mobility of graduates may also play
a key role in labour market success. Graduates who show themselves to be
hypermobile, in terms of their willingness to move away from home to study and
then again to find work, are also the most likely to be employed in higher
level jobs, to have above average salaries, and to be in perceived high quality
jobs.
In response to employment challenges;
as encouraged, the scope of education has been expanded by including
entrepreneurial skills and training opportunities, and intergenerational
partnerships for youth aligned to rapidly changing labour market needs. An
example is the introduction of ENT 202 (ENTREPRENUER) to students of Lagos
state university.
The solution to this
problem will be determined by the vision of the future society, and it should
be noted that we are the future; it will also be determined by the role that is
assigned to education in general and to higher education in particular.
Perhaps it is time for everyone to move past
the headlines, stop talking at each other and start listening so that
expectations and aspirations can become aligned.
Considering that a substantial change
and development of higher education, the enhancement of its quality and
relevance, and the solution to the major challenges it faces, require the
strong involvement not only of governments and of higher education institutions
towards society and accountability in the use of public and private, national
and international resources.
We all have a vital role to play in
building a sustainable labour market; let's look at the brighter side of every
situation. Cease the moment and get involve.
NAME:
- IDOWU OLUWATOBI ADEGBEMIGA
PHONE
NO: - +2348160732445
E-MAIL:- OLUWATOBIIDOWU@YAHOO.COM
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