Minister of Higher Education Ligia Amada Melo expressed frustration that Dominican universities are graduating many students that will have a tough time finding employment.
Melo urged that universities work more closely with the nation’s industries so that the education and training curriculum can better prepare students for job opportunities in the country.
Victor Castro also noted that there are also many unemployed or underemployed recent college graduates that are overqualified for the jobs that are available. Castro told Listin Diario that perhaps the universities are more focused on their own bottom lines and less concerned about tailoring their programs to best meet the needs of their students or how to contribute to the development of a skilled workforce that will spur the economic growth.
He said that most youths will be disillusioned if they believe that studying engineering will lead to a higher income than a technician who does not necessarily have a university degree. “I have to admit that today we are paying higher wages to electricians because that talent is scarce in the workforce, compared to, let’s say, a plant engineer,” he said.
Melo said that the universities insist on graduating students in careers whose job markets are saturated such as marketing, business, law and psychology. Melo said that businesses have jobs for 20 technically skilled workers for every professional.
Melo said that there have been two career marketing studies done, one in 2005 and another in 2008 with Pareto Consulting group that determined the labor needs of productive sectors. She said the MESCYT has also met with businessmen and has said that there is a need for specialized two-year technical careers and has discussed this with the academia with little response.
The comments were made on occasion of graduation time in the Dominican Republic.
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/4/13/318245/Ministra-de-Educacion-Superior-universidades-embaucan-a-estudiantes