Quality Education and Jobs Article by Jessen Jay Siamutwa

The 21^st century struggle of Zambia’s economy needs expertise that will be able to play a major role in economic policy analysis and act as reliable advisory engines to expedite the liberation of its citizens from the yoke of poverty.

Such a role needs Reliable, Accountable, Relevant and Ethical (RARE) individuals who will unlock the country’s potential to become an investment hub of the region thereby providing employment, and grow the economy of an emerging market.

I thus, dream to work as a “Researcher”, and “RARE Economic Policy Analyst and Advisor” to my country and Africa at large.

An improvement in the quality of education can undoubtedly lead to the creation of jobs in Zambia.

This is because such education teaches citizens rather how to think, than what to think-rather to improve their minds so as to enable them to think for themselves, than to load the memory with thought of men.

It is this education that provides a strong link of information flow about the labour market needs between the academic circles in learning institutions and all types of industries to promote training such as Textile Engineering, and Copper production.

In addition to this, practical skills from many fields of study such as; Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences will allow citizens not only to become employable people but also earn a living as writers, artists, and designers, thereby becoming “employment creators.”

Furthermore, the development of entrepreneurship programs that instils business ethics and an entrepreneurial spirit will tackle the multiple constraints and drivers of informality in the labour market to promote a gradual transition by linking the would-be entrepreneurs to mentoring, finance, and market opportunities.

Living in a country where unemployment is high and whose economy is not stable calls for stringent measures that result in the creation of jobs.  Investment in quality education is one measure that could deliver tangible and far-reaching results.

A system of learning that produces well-educated individuals who can handle matters of concern within their area of study proficiently, enabling them to develop all of their attributes and skills to achieve their potential as human beings and members of society is the solution to Zambia’s joblessness.

It should teach us rather how to think, than what to think-rather to improve our minds so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of men, and allows for a liaise between learning institutions and all industries to exhibit innovation and creativity.

For instance, information on skill needs from the Manufacturing and Mining industries may provide an opportunity for higher learning institutions to offer training in Textile Engineering, and Copper production respectively. Employers are awash with applications-but complain that they cannot find candidates with the right abilities. The lack of proper linkages among various principal actors like the Ministry of Labour and learning institutions has led to job mismatches between the employer’s requirements and individual skills.

A Labour Force Survey statistical data by the Central Statistical Office (CSO, 2008) of employed persons by educational attainment shows that University degree graduates were the least with the per cent share of 0.5 per cent. A-level students were at 4.1 per cent following those who attained grades 10 to 12 with a per cent share of 16.5 per cent. Grades 8 to 9 and grades 1 to 7 shared a percentage of 19.0 per cent and 44.4 per cent respectively. A percentage share of 15.4 per cent was allocated to those who neither had a degree qualification nor any form of educational attainment. This percentage distribution, especially for degree graduates was mainly due to mismatches in job qualifications and skills needed by the employers.

Informing education and career choices through relevant, timely, and reliable learning and labour market information systems will contribute to a successful matching of skills to address and prevent current and future skill shortages. A strong link that provide information about the needs between the academic circle and all types of industries such as; Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services, Tourism, and Mining industry is cardinal in bridging the mismatch between jobs and skills in the labour market. Such information is needed to build a relevant academic curriculum that will expedite the creation of jobs.

Furthermore, an entrepreneurship spirit must be instilled in every learner so that they could create their own employment, without necessarily depending on established industries for employment. The successful entrepreneurship programs should involve providing basic business skills and linking would-be entrepreneurs to mentoring, finance, and market opportunities. These integrated approaches are needed to assist young people in their transition from school to work and to tackle the multiple constraints and drivers of informality in the labour market through policy packages that promote a gradual transition to formal activities.

This education should be made in such a way that it does not only provide knowledge in programs such as Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences but also provide practical skills in their areas of professional to allow them earn a living as writers, artists, and designers.

It should help in building a “virtuous circle” that fuels the innovation, investment, technological change, enterprise development, economic diversification, and competiveness that economies need to accelerate the creation of jobs. This is the way for Zambia’s economic miracle.

However, quality education is not just at the higher level. It comes all the way from early intervention which helps to prevent long-term unemployment and reduction in job losses. It needs to be addressed at all levels-from home to university level. It has a chain effect. The university professor may be blamed for dearth of proper skills and knowledge imparted in students required by the job industry, but he or she will blame the high school teacher who in turn puts the blame on the primary school teacher too until it reaches the parents at home. A common proverb goes, “If you want to grow a straight tree, correct it whilst it is still small.” Therefore, it is from this point that quality education takes its roots of changing individual attitudes by being ethical, morally upright, and selfless.

Such will bring a positive transition for a generation that has been born into entitlements, poor worth ethics, pursuit of instant gratification and whose needs are to fuel constant narcissism. Without this intervention, such a broken society that favours short-term values is never going to recover or build a stable society no matter how many vocational schools can be set up.

It is important to note that the problem with every society has and always will be its values. These are what allow it to thrive or fall.

In addition, it is sad that decision-making processes for students and parents in selecting higher-education institution continue to be based on affordability rather than on quality. Young people are made to believe that any field of study from a registered institution will automatically send them off to their dream job. Clive Staples Lewis just puts it right, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth, or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” All learning institutions should be able to provide quality education in terms of relevant curriculum that meets the demand of the labour market.

Zambia needs to address unemployment with renewed seriousness, vigour, and tenacity-by learning lessons from countries like India, Costa Rica, and South Korea which made quality education broadly available and introduced mechanisms to match supply to the current demand for skills, often by means of linking training providers with employers at sector and local levels.

Pan African is right in the statement, “A nation that waits for her government to create jobs will wait for eternity.” It is therefore, important that the Zambian education system should be able to “create employment creators” instead of preparing young people to be employable since formal employment jobs are scarce, and not everyone may get absorbed into the labour market.

While competition in the emerging markets is fierce, the real potential of Zambia will begin to be realized if there is an improvement in the quality of the education system. The fight for social and economic justice in form of quality education for the Zambian citizens must be kept alive in order to grow the economy from a tiny acorn to a mighty oak through the creation of jobs.

Liaising with labour market principle actors and academic circles will provide an opportunity to training citizens for the proper needs of the industries, and imparting skills to become employment creators rather than being ready to be employed. This should not side-line instilling an entrepreneurial spirit to the citizens to enable them become innovative, and become new labour market principle actors to accelerate economic development.