Fortify business ties

SIR — Bronwyn Nortje makes interesting points in her piece (Focus must be skills not degrees, September 22).

Students are demanding free university education. As a country with a shrinking economy and high unemployment, we should first consider what the country needs rather than what interest groups want. SA needs significant economic growth, policies geared to ensuring we are more attractive to investors and an educated, fluid, competitive and highly productive workforce.

What we cannot afford to do is accept or pay for 60% university dropout rates, especially when many of the remaining 40% are still not ready to work when they graduate.

Rather than debating who should pay student fees, we should be asking to what extent does post-matric education benefit the economy.

SA needs workers who understand basic business skills including entrepreneurship, project management, critical thinking and analysis, emotional intelligence and communications. We need them to embrace technology and change.

In the future, post-school education should be tied to the world of work. We should focus on internships or apprenticeships.

Two post-school years studying basic subjects through a block system will enable school leavers to expand their frame of reference, be more certain whether they want to go to university, widen their support network and make choices that are more appropriate.

This does not make universities superfluous. Instead, it ensures they strengthen their ties with business and remain relevant through more consulting and research.