In many countries today there are many highly qualified graduates without employment. What factors may have caused this situation and what, in your opinion, can/should be done about it? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

We are living in challenging times and although the percentage of youngsters completing their graduation globally is increasing every year, many are struggling with unemployment. This has been observed in India, the US, the UK, the gulf regions, and a few other countries. This essay will discuss the reason for this dire situation and the steps that can be taken to address the crisis. The primary reason is the fast-changing demands of the job market. Having a bachelor’s degree is not sufficient anymore and youngsters need to equip themselves with relevant skills to compete in the space. For instance, according to a report by UNICEF, by 2030 as much as 45% of the Indian youth will not have the required skillset to survive in the job market. These numbers are alarming as India has the largest youth population in the world at 28%, according to a 2018 report. Another reason why the graduates are facing unemployment is that there are not enough vacancies for all of them. For example, only 24% of engineers who graduated in 2019 got employed as there were not enough opportunities, as per a Deloitte study. On the other hand, the Indian Airlines are employing foreign pilots as there are not enough homegrown ones. It is predicted that this mismatch between skillset and job requirements will further worsen in the coming years. To overcome this problem, the government needs to take immediate steps to upskill the youngsters of the country for the challenging jobs of 21st century. They need to equip them with not only an academic degree but also technical and vocational skills. Secondly, the education system needs to consider short-term certifications and do away with time-consuming graduation and master’s degree as the syllabus tend to be outdated by the time the student graduates from their universities. In conclusion, designing academic courses that fulfill the requirements of the job market and upskilling youngsters will prepare them better for the workplace.