Augmenting NU students' employability

According to a study conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), as many as 66 per cent of students graduating from colleges affiliated with the National University are not getting jobs after trying for years. The NU, founded in 1992, mainly offers bachelor's with honours and master's courses. Currently, more than 1,900 colleges across the country are affiliated with the NU and the number keeps rising every year. More than two million students are studying in these colleges. However, employers find a comparatively lower communications skills in graduates from the NU.

There are allegations against the NU authorities that they hardy update their curriculum and introduce subjects that the job market demands. The job market has become skills-driven. So, the graduates should be equipped with the right set of skills to make them employable. The NU authorities should immediately start working to improve the standards of education. The quality of teaching and learning in colleges and institutions affiliated to the university should be modernised and job-oriented. They should focus more on developing students' skills for the job market. Training of teachers is also a must.

Sirazi Shahjahan,

Malibagh, Dhaka,

mshaju001@gmail.com