Thursday Nov 28, 2024
Thursday Nov 28, 2024
Wednesday, 28 January 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Sampath Kannangara outlines that in order to combat the issue of unemployed graduates in a highly competitive corporate world it is mandatory for higher education institutes to focus on preparing graduates with the necessary skills that will be essential in surviving in a real work environment.
Dr. Kannangara says that in an era when hundreds and thousands of students graduate, higher education institutes and universities need to focus on catering towards industry demands with the objective of developing well rounded individuals that have received industry exposure.
“In today’s competitive digital age, a degree or other higher educational qualifications alone would not suffice for a graduate just out of university to find employment opportunities. It is essential for that graduate to have the necessary industrial exposure, skills and work experience to perform at an optimal level at any organisation,” Dr. Kannangara who is a veteran academic that has worked in universities in Sri Lanka and Scotland, United Kingdom said.
He further added that universities and higher education institutes need to evolve by not only providing a degree or diploma but also need to provide students industrial placements as part of their curriculum.
“It is important for universities and higher education institutes to strike a balance between academic teaching and real world practical teachings. It is not always the case where the best student gets the perfect employment opportunities. Now we see a trend where local companies including many multinational organisations give preference to the more experienced candidate than the more educated candidate. In such a situation universities need to adapt and provide what is in demand. It is essential for universities to provide both high quality industry specific degrees as well as internships as part of the curriculum,” Dr. Kannangara said.
“I have always maintained the view that universities should focus on developing well rounded professionals. In order to achieve this, universities should work on developing a student’s soft skills such as leadership skills, team work, communication skills, English language and presentation skills,” he said.
“There are many reasons why industrial placement is essential. Industrial placements will provide vital industrial exposure and inculcate the right attitude towards work; this will help students build ambition and career goals at an early stage, identify their own strengths and weaknesses, provide an opportunity to focus on specific specialised areas and most importantly this industrial placement will make the student a highly employable graduate,” he said.
“There is a drastic change needed in the higher education sector. Currently, there are only a few universities and higher education institutes focusing on providing industrial placements and industry specific higher education. It is essential for institutes to start evolving and providing industry specific degrees rather than redundant paper qualifications,” Dr. Kannangara said.
