The dilemma of job-seeking graduates

Amidst concern over the progress of the graduate employment scheme of the government, a group of eminent private sector personalities recently spoke on the opportunities-and the lack of them-that graduates face.

The event, an annual CSR feature organised by Carsons, saw almost 500 undergraduates (mainly final students) from universities all over the country coming together to discuss current issues.

Speaking on the challenges faced by undergraduates in a changing economic landscape, Thilan Wijesinghe, Group CEO/Managing Director of Forbes and Walkers, stressed on the importance of undergraduates taking entrepreneurial initiatives. Many of the students present would be entering professions such as medicine, engineering, law and accountancy. “Professionalism and entrepreneurship is a powerful combination that is beneficial to the society,” he said, stressing that now the balance of power lay in the hands of the private sector, globally.

Citing the Chinese and Russians economies as examples, Wijesinghe pointed out that countries that show growth rates of 7%-8% have the common factor of handing over a large number of state organizations to the private sector. In Sri Lanka however, entrepreneurism is linked with exploitation of resources and manpower, and hence the country suffers an economic crisis with GDP growth at an average of 3%-4%.

However, Wijesinghe’s key focus was on what he referred to as “enclaves or pockets of excellence”. He stated these “pockets”, which exist among a sea of mediocrity, to be the main reason for the Lankan economy still surviving. Be it the feat of winning the Cricket World Cup in 1996, or the emergence of strong companies or successful educational institutions, these exceptional players have kept the economy going, according to him.

Graduates looking to invest in their own company should choose an industry that has shown such potential. Wijesinghe said the services sector is the highest contributor to local GDP where industries like telecommunication, software and retailing are growing fast and would be the most productive. He also stressed on agriculture, a sector which most graduates would not think of entering.

Problems of English
Varuni Amunugama Fernando, Joint Managing Director of Triad Advertising spoke on communication as a global competency. She said the advantage a graduate would have over the average individual would be a high level of intelligence. In a knowledge-based economy however, more of everything is required, including knowledge. A wide knowledge on global geography, cultures, history, superpowers and the like along with the ability of applying that knowledge into practical situations is what is needed if one were to survive in the global village. On “cross-cultural communication”, Fernando added that for communication to be effective, sensitivity to others is a must and that is something many private sector employers find lacking in local undergraduates.

When questioned about the problem of graduates not being fully proficient in the English language, she said that English is essential. However, she clearly opposed the common view of the radical student leaders by saying that, one should not adopt English as a threat to ‘our’ language or as a furtherance of ‘American Imperialism’ but as a means of enhancing international competitiveness. “How can we learn English?” questioned the graduates. Fernando suggested the courses at the British Council for a proper education, but said that simpler steps could be taken; like emulating a well-spoken role model, reading, watching a good English movie and starting to think in the language.

Asked whether she considered fluency in English a requirement for employees in her own work, her answer was affirmative in areas like client service, but she did emphasize that for positions in the likes of creative teams the only requirement was the ability to think out of the box. She also stresses that as Sri Lankans ‘we’ need not speak perfect English, but that one should be able to handle the basics of the language to keep pace.

Mass unemployment
The private sector’s main complaint against the graduates is their lack of commitment. What they say is that, the moment a graduate is employed (in the private sector), their main objective in life is finding a government job and deserting their private sector employer. The speakers admitted that it was a real problem and as Fernando stated “if there is no consistency, it’s difficult to work”. Speaking to The Sunday Times FT however, graduates from the Colombo and Kelaniya universities insisted they preferred a private sector company any day. One final-year student who has been recruited by a ministry complained about the gross inefficiency present there. Asked why the student hadn’t applied for a private company, the reply was “we have no choice.” Some of them also expressed the opinion that the irresponsible attitude was probably more likely among the students of the more rural universities. Some reasons, they explained, was job security and a history of parents being in the public service.

The private sector professionals admitted that the situation would be remedied if the government stopped making their promises of job opportunities for all, which results in the best brains in the country being absorbed into the public service as low or middle level employees.

Proper attitude
What came across during most of the sessions including ones with beautician Nayana Karunaratne and Ravi Jayawardena, Country Manager Sales of Coca Cola in Sri Lanka was that the students are not employment-savvy at all. There were questions ranging from how to prepare for interviews to how to interact with seniors, and an underlying tinge of insecurity. Jayawardena gave the students tips on how to increase their marketability, beginning with cultivating a positive attitude. He stressed on the importance of critical self analysis, asking the questions “who am I? What are my strengths and weaknesses?” and the advantages of “connected creativity” better known as “making connections” in the corporate sector.
(TR)