Industry-academy gap creates mismatch in job market: Experts

Kathmandu, Jun 4

Academicians and entrepreneurs said that the industry-academy gap has created challenges for both the universities and the enterprises, creating mismatch between the human resource and the requirements of jobs.  

They said that while the businesses industries are facing hard times to find suitable employees, a large number of graduates are not finding jobs for them, and many of them are trying their luck abroad.

Speaking at an interaction programme on 'Mitigating the industry-academia gap in Nepal, and way forward' organised by Janamaitri Multiple Campus (JMC) with the support from the University Grants Commimssion (UGC) on Saturday here, the experts said that the lack of technology-friendly and job-oriented education have resulted in the growth of jobless graduates.

Dipak Kafle, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, who has previously served at the Ministry of Education, said that there is a need for the skill development of students before sending them to the market and making them competitive for the jobs available at the national and international level and enhance their productivity.

"Quality education and increased access of the academic sector to the business and industry could address this gap. Businesses ask for the resume only after ensuring the candidate has the skills required for the job," he said.

Chairman of the UGC, Dr. Bhim Prasad Subedi, said that technology-friendly and job-oriented education can only address the current requirements of the society and economy.

"Number of Nepali students leaving the country for higher education is about 90,000. Some students go abroad in search of quality education while other opt it for better jobs. Therefore, our education programmes should be designed in a way it would help to create knowledge-based economy," he offered solutions.

Prof. Dr. Shiva Lal Bhusal, Rector of the Tribhuvan University, emphasised on research-oriented education. "The TU has also given priority to international collaboration for the quality enhancement of our education programmes. Only life skills are not enough, we must equip students with business skills," he said.

He pledged necessary support from the university in boosting research and innovation in academic sector and its affiliated colleges.

Chief of JMC, Bhola Nath Ojha, said that the education institutions should be facilitated by the concerned stakeholders such as the UGC, Ministry of Education and other agencies.

"Interaction between industry and academia will help education institutions in developing non-credit course to provide skills to the students that would help the businesses to find competent manpower," he said.

Ojha also maintained that as an educational institution having the Quality Assurance Accreditation (QAA) certificate from the UGC, the campus is going to launch the non-credit course for the management students in the first phase.

Likewise, education expert, Prof. Dr. Bidya Nath Koirala, stated that in the developed countries, industry and universities sit together to design the course to produce quality human resources needed for the local as well as the global business and industry. "We need to follow this culture here in Nepal," he said.

Basanta Raj Mishra, tourism entrepreneur and former Secretary of Pacific Asia Travel Association, said that the universities should update their students about consumer protection laws, importance of which has gone up exponentially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. "A tourist creates about 13 jobs in Nepal so we need to take this seriously in our university courses as well," he said.

According to him, self-employment should be a cornerstone of modern-day education system.

Mishra also suggested the universities to interfere in the internship system.

Director of Faculty of Management of the TU, Dr. Mahananda Chalise, said that there is not industry-academia collaboration, and it is the fault of the both sides – academia and the business.

Paritosh Paudyal, Chairperson of the Nepal Federation of Saving and Credit Cooperative Union Limited, said that digital development has further increased the gap between the academia and industry. Countries like South Kora have given top priority to modernising education, but we are lagging, he said.

He suggested for the inclusion of 21^st century skill framework in higher education curriculum. 

Dr. Ram Hari Lamichhane, former Director General of Colombo Plan Staff College in Manila, stressed on the need to promote well-planned STEM (an interdisciplinary approach including science, technology, engineering and math education) in Nepal.

Our education system must blend the gurukul techniques and modern applications, he said.  

The academicians also maintained that the universities create generally skilled manpower required for various sectors, and industry-specific HR creation is not a possible job.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 5 June 2022.