Responsibility of universities in getting graduates job-ready

FOR centuries, universities were sanctuaries of scholarship, tasked with preserving and transmitting knowledge. While this foundation remains vital, today’s rapidly changing world has added a new responsibility: ensuring that graduates are not only knowledgeable but also job-ready.

- By Cathrine Weerakkody

This shift is driven by multiple stakeholders. Families invest heavily in education with the expectation of employment, while governments and industries support universities to generate a skilled workforce. When graduates lack the skills employers need, universities risk losing credibility and relevance.

Globally, the “skills gap” is a persistent concern. A Milken Institute survey found that 87% of companies face or expect to face shortages. Employers highlight not just technical gaps but missing attributes such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability. In the US, more than half of hiring managers say graduates are unprepared, citing poor professionalism and weak time management. In Sri Lanka, graduate underemployment remains a challenge: only 54% of graduates were suitably employed as of 2012, with arts and management graduates particularly affected, even as private firms struggled to fill vacancies.

Building stronger industry links

One of the most effective solutions is closer collaboration between universities and employers. Internships and cooperative education are proven pathways: in the US, 70% of interns receive job offers from their placement firms. Sri Lanka’s Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) programme has taken steps in this direction, funding faculties to design industry-relevant modules and expand internships in sectors like IT and engineering. Live projects, where students solve real business problems, further bridge theory and practice.

Modernising curricula