Unemployed grads warn of future crisis
Unemployed graduates’ associations yesterday warned that the existing crisis in the education system could impede employment opportunities for youth causing unemployment rates to skyrocket and result in an economic crisis.
The Combined Association of Unemployed Graduates said that there were 5000 graduates with no jobs from university batches of 2010 and 2011 and 42,000 government recruited graduates who had still not been included into the permanent cardre and who were still uncertain of job security.
Association Spokesman Dhammika Munasinghe said that there was a dire need for reforms in education from primary school level to university level and that a change in syllabuses was necessary to increase the employability of youth right out of school as well as university graduates.
“The issues that have arisen in grade five scholarship exams, Z scores rankings, and ongoing university strikes are warning signs that the employability of youth will become a
The issues that have arisen in grade five scholarship exams, Z scores rankings, and ongoing university strikes are warning signs that the employability of youth will become a greater challenge in the future and this could lead to further economic downfall
greater challenge in the future and this could lead to further economic downfall,” Munasinghe said. He said that in February the government had assured permanent jobs to 42,000 graduates in six months’ time but that they were yet to be given permanent positions. Out of that number 16,440 graduates were to be absorbed into the Finance Ministry in early September but were not yet recruited, he said.