University concerned
Graduates face uncertain job prospects
THE University of Fiji is concerned about the employment opportunities available to graduates who have to find jobs in an economic crisis brought on by COVID-19.
UniFiji acting vice-chancellor Shaista Shameem said as a higher education institution, they felt responsible for ensuring a job for their graduates.
She explained that securing jobs for graduates could be addressed from the national level with the revision of government’s National Development Plan.
“For us, it’s very important because we have students who graduate and expect to get a job,” she said.
“So the University of Fiji is very concerned about what the graduates are going to do.
“We are training them now, we are going to qualify them, but what jobs are they going to go into?”
She said a few industries had been drastically impacted by the global pandemic.
“Tourism is gone and the sugar industry will not employ as many people and obviously, there is a downturn to it until they become more efficient.
“So definitely the University of Fiji, as a higher education institution, has to be responsible enough to consider what their graduates are going to be doing when we give them the qualification.
“As they go into the world but they don’t get a job, then what is the purpose of our business as higher education providers?”
The acting vice-chancellor added that the university had been able to assist current students by applying discounts to first-year student fees.
Ms Shameem and the University of Fiji council hosted a roundtable discussion last Friday at its Saweni campus where a list of recommendations was established for Government to consider.