TERTIARY institutions must urgently update programs to retain talent and attract more students by making courses relevant and engaging.
This is the view expressed by Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) board director Arvind Maharaj during Dialogue Fiji’s panel discussion on tertiary education in Suva this week.
Mr Maharaj said that over the past 18 months, Fiji experienced an exodus of skilled workers who sought opportunities abroad and exacerbated local skills shortage.
“This brain drain creates a cycle where businesses cannot find adequately trained local staff,” Mr Maharaj said.
“The skills gap affects current productivity and limits our potential for future economic growth and innovation as well as investment.
“Providing students with more data early on, along with increased counselling about the job market realities in Fiji, can prevent scenarios where students invest years in education only to face limited job prospects.
“And I think for graduates, this is a very pressing issue, they graduate and there’s no jobs.”
Mr Maharaj said it was also essential to cultivate resilience, flexibility and adaptability among graduates, often due to the scarcity of jobs in their fields.
He said this meant they might need to take on different roles, such as a broad and diverse skills set, particularly in technology, which would become invaluable in such situations.
“We must overhaul our programs to seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art digital skills and practical knowledge reflecting real world scenarios.
“Mutually beneficial collaborations between academia and industry are essential.
“These partnerships should include continuous feedback, shaping curriculum design and providing hands-on experiences through internships, apprenticeships, life projects and mentoring and so on.”