21/02/2016
DISCRIMINATION OF GRADUATES IN TODAY’S JOB MARKET
As the world changes due to a lot of factors, in today’s job market it has become tough just to walk the way you want. Most especially graduates, they are facing problems that are beyond their control but no organization looks clearly on their problems. Just from graduate school but struggling to get their first job.
The employer initially make applicants suitable for employment at their organization based on university or college name.
Recruitment and selection of potential employees. Recruiting potential candidates for a vacant position initially takes time and it must be fair to all applicants who apply for that post. Discrimination against any potential applicant is not allowed by the labour laws, especially the Namibian labour act, act no.11 of 2007 and the newly amended labour act no.12 of 2012. It clearly states that discrimination of employees is not allowed, this actually also include potential applicants for a vacant position. As the labour act states No one must be discriminated on basis of their race, colour, background be it financially, educational, parents or any other thing that initially includes background. Just to make a point, the universities or colleges this graduates completed they first certificates, Diploma or Degrees does not give them an advantage over others to get employed for certain positions. The question remain why do you set minimum requirements for a job but you could not want to consider others on basis where they studied? E.g. Mr. Ronald is part of the HR Personnel at Ronald Trading C.C and he advertised a HR vacancy with the minimum requirements as follows:
• Grade 12 with 25 points in five subjects with 2 years’ experience in General HR
• A bachelor Degree In human Resource Management on NQA level 7, with a minimum of a GPA of 2:2 will be an added advantage
• Knowledge of the labour law
• SAP experience
From this advert you attracted 9 potential applicants for this vacant post, 2 with grade 12 with 2 and more experience in General HR, two with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration Majoring in Human Resource Management from UNAM, two with Bachelor Degree in Human Resource Management from NUST and lastly you have three with Bachelor Honours Degree in Human Resource Management and Development from IUM. All this students went to study the same course but from different universities, companies nowadays just look at the transcripts and check the name on top without looking for how initially the student performed compared to the others from other university. Are we tested on the basis on how we perform or on the basis where you went for undergraduate school? The university does not initially prepared students thoroughly for work but just open the mind of the students regarding what they should be aware of what they will kindly obtain in the job market. The employers again must induct this graduates to cope with the expectations of the world of work, the cultures differs from what all the three well known universities can offer. With most theories offered to administrative students at university, it does not clearly say one is more advantage, one must know that all students of human Resource management and development or Business administration are aware of the following theories, mostly the hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow, Theory Y&Z by Douglas McGregor, etc. but why think the others are superior than the others in the job market when it comes to recruitment and selection of candidates for a vacant place. More emphasis are placed by Namibia Qualification Authority to align all this university to be on par with putting levels for each course studied. All this universities they fall under the same authority so their qualifications are just the same. The questions on the lips of graduates, parents and people in the street remains why does this schools fall under the same authority but only some are considered to be superior to others?
Maybe we must just advice our kids to go to the superior university to avoid them struggling with employment….
Maybe I can’t figure it out now but next time, I shall get an answer to this question.
Until next time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By G. Kapukua
Just a dreamer thinking
