Universities, Stop Offering Courses No One Gets Jobs In

As an individual who has a keen interest in education, I have been wondering about where our Namibian education system is leading us.

Essentially, even though universities continue to produce an increasing number of graduates annually, industries do not absorb most of them, and this has been attributed to a small labour force, among others, which is commonly associated with Namibia as a whole.

The question is: Why do higher education institutions continue to offer courses which, over the years, have recorded low employment rates?

Doesn’t this imply they do not care if their students secure employment, but are rather driven by a desire to generate an income?
What is the implied role of the government in this case?

If it is has been noted that graduate unemployment has remained high, why doesn’t the government call on universities to stop or reduce enrolment for non-critical courses as a way to curb graduate unemployment?

Furthermore, the government, industries and institutions of higher learning should work together to determine needs and develop a framework to investigate the implications of enrolment for certain courses.

In view of the above-mentioned argument, I suggest that collaborative workshops are hosted with an aim to determine industry needs and documenting them. In pursuit of this, the government should play the role of overseeing this initiative and monitor progress and report it accordingly.

It is not wise to ignore this phenomenon, as it has severe implications for students, as well as the economy at large.

Additionally, in order to check the progress of graduate employment in Namibia, institutions of higher learning should be required to submit a report depicting how many of their graduates per faculty have been formally employed.

This would help assess the efficacy rate and establish which courses primarily lead to instant or quick employment.

Rusten Katjangua