LETTER: Our country needs more entrepreneurs
A well-known author and resident says an educated nation is an empowered nation, however, the pertinent question is … will the graduates find employment or join the long queue of unemployment?
• Thabile Mange writes:
In many higher learning institutions, especially universities, April marked the graduation season. I have observed on social media and news platforms that many students are graduating. It is encouraging and inspiring! An educated nation is an empowered nation.
The pertinent question is: Will the graduates find employment or join the long queue of unemployment? According to experts, those who have degrees stand a better chance of finding employment than those who have matric only.
Some time ago, a certain television channel interviewed unemployed graduates – blacks in particular. Most of them have lost hope in finding jobs. Some are working jobs that are not related to their qualifications. It is what it is.
It is a cause for concern that we have many graduates who are sitting at home doing nothing. Their acquired skills are going to waste. Then I ask: Is education valuable? Their answer is a big “yes”. The fact that there are more unemployed graduates does not devalue education.
Graduates who come from poor families have a pressure to find employment. Their families expect them to find work and take them out of poverty. When they struggle to find jobs, they become stressed and depressed because of the high expectations from their loved ones and communities.
The problem with our education system is that it prepares students for jobs, not for entrepreneurship. In a stagnant economy, the country needs more entrepreneurs than job seekers. Entrepreneurs drive the economy and create jobs.
Our democratic government once mooted the idea of having entrepreneurship as a subject in our schools. Many supported the idea because it would benefit the learners and the country. However, the government has yet to implement it.
It is useless to have many graduates if we are not utilising their skills. We need them to contribute to the ailing economy and job creation. We also need to put their invaluable skills to better use. Otherwise, our country will never reach its full potential.
