80% of Middle East graduates confused: Study

Dubai - Two-thirds of respondents claimed to have insufficient knowledge to consider a career in these sectors, and less than half believed they provided good opportunities for career enhancement.

Young graduates across the Mena region are leaving higher education unprepared to enter the workforce, with 80 per cent of fresh graduates claiming college did not help them identify or apply for suitable job opportunities.
The observation was highlighted in a study that was conducted by Injaz Al-Arab, Bayt.com and YouGov. Surveying employed and unemployed graduates and current students across 19 Mena countries, the research revealed that certain sectors in the region are also often overlooked by Arab youth, with most respondents claiming to be unsure about the availability of jobs particularly in hospitality, aviation and media.
Two-thirds of respondents claimed to have insufficient knowledge to consider a career in these sectors, and less than half believed they provided good opportunities for career enhancement.
Results suggest that youth across the region are not aware of the breadth of opportunities available to them in those sectors, with just 12 per cent expecting job growth in aviation, 24 per cent expecting growth in media and 25 per cent expecting growth in hospitality. Only three per cent of fresh graduates cited their willingness to work in each sector respectively.
"The study demonstrated that many young people across the region had never considered alternative sectors such as hospitality, aviation and media as viable career options," said Joao Neves, senior director for education and human resources research, YouGov.
In contrast, majority of respondents still believed that traditional, more well-established sectors such as construction, gas/energy, and petrochemicals provide the best employment prospects.
The research suggested young people's education choices as well as the region's education system are not helping combat the current unemployment crisis, with less than one-third of respondents claiming to have selected their degree based on the perceived career opportunities in that field.
When deciding on a job, salary and long-term career prospects were amongst the most important aspects influencing students' and graduates' decisions.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com 

• MENA