commenting on "overeducation" and "oversupply" of uni graduates

[maelorin]

a recent comment i made over at catallaxy

the 'overeducation'/'undereducation' palaver is all in the () minds of employers and policymakers.

in some sectors, certain 'qualifications' have been reified to excess - so much so that the person gets blamed if they're 'unprepared' for the job offered, not the so-called 'qualification'.

apparently, we seem to have slipped back into an early industrial factory mentality with regards to what education is, and what it is for. 'education institutions' are supposed to pop out 'employment ready' bods. no longer are employers expected to train their own workforce. if you don't already have what the employer wants, you have little chance of getting it.

even if you 'go back to school', you have to pick the 'right school' and the 'right qualification'.

on the other hand, if you come to the table with a big bag of skills and qualifications, the employer gets scared off.

for example, what job would you apply for if you have honours degrees in science and law, postgraduate studies in computer science, law and education, and an emplyment history that looks like the list of job titles at a company now exempted from all that unfair dismissal nonsense?

more to the point, who would you expect might employ you?

Comments

[maelorin]

most of those nifty movements are volunteer non-profits ...