Introduction
One
of the most problematic issues in Azerbaijan is underemployment of graduate
students, which stems from several reasons such as lose connection and
cooperation between higher education and labor market, low involvement of labor
market representatives in higher education curriculum development and skill
mismatch of graduate students. In Azerbaijan, many university students lack a
clear understanding of job requirements, how to acquire the necessary skills
and certificates, where to look for relevant jobs and internships, and how to
network with potential employers. They often receive inadequate guidance from
mentors, advisors, or professors in their institutions. Although some students
attend career expos to explore potential opportunities, these events are not
organized systematically and often yield few tangible results. Good-quality
retraining and upskilling opportunities are relatively scarce.
The
Minister of Education and Science, Emin Amrullayev said at the "Be Ready
for the Future" career development forum, "Today, our students' job
search is like searching for a black cat in a dark room. If employers work
closely with career centers, we as a ministry can create favorable
conditions". At the same time employers blame education system saying that
universities don’t prepare students with enough skills meeting labor market
requirements. This capstone project aimed to find three main solutions to
increase graduate students’ employment level.
Review
and Findings from the Literature
Current
situation and faced problems related to graduate students’ underemployment:
The
successful transition of young people from school to work is crucial for
bringing about positive economic, social, and political changes in society. It
is, therefore, important to recognize it as the most valuable investment in
human resources that a country can make. (EL-Annan, 2012). However, Azerbaijan
faces the skills mismatch and underemployment of graduate students.
Qualification
and skills mismatch affect many young people in Azerbaijan. The qualifications
mismatch affects over 44% of employed young people (15–29), according to a 2016
study by the State Statistical Committee (SSC). According to the World Bank
STEP Survey conducted in 2013, employers are unable to find suitable candidates
with the required skills for jobs due to issues with the education system. Employers
criticized weaknesses in young peoples’ skills including technical job-specific
skills, and also in cognitive and socio-behavioral skills including literacy,
problem-solving, communication and teamwork. (World Bank STEP Survey, 2013)
The STEP Employer Skills
Survey, conducted in Azerbaijan, showed that most employers are not satisfied
with the knowledge and skills provided by the educational institutions
(Rutkowski, 2015, pp. 3–4). In 2017, the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan,
with the Ministry of Education's support, conducted a recruitment survey that
revealed that nearly 70% of companies and enterprises related to banking and
oil & gas industries (considered as most developed industries) had
difficulty finding suitable candidates for graduate recruitment, particularly
from public universities (Valiyev A., Amirova G., 2021).
The data given above
shows that students cannot develop their working skills during university
years. In order to better prepare students for work life in their chosen career
some countries offer apprenticeship model in higher education institutions,
where students work with experienced professionals in their field of study,
also attending classes or completing coursework related to their job. The process of learning
happens gradually and continuously as individuals think and act, interpreting
and building knowledge based on their experiences, which can be described as
micro-genetic moments, construing and constructing knowledge from
what we experience (Hutchins, 1993; Pea, 1997; Rogoff, 1990). So, applying
apprenticeship model in higher education institutions can help students
transform their knowledge to practice by involving them in on-going learning
and practicing process. This allows them to apply what they learn in the classroom to
real-world situations and gain valuable work experience. While students
are engaged in occupational tasks they are also engaged in the remaking of that
occupation (Donald, 1991). This remaking occurs as they address particular work
problems or challenges and as they undertake tasks generated in specific
circumstances and as directed towards particular goals (Billett et al., 2005).
Additional
to skill mismatch, career guidance policy instruments for students are not
effective enough. Career guidance for young people was included in the
strategic framework as one of the key policy measures. As a result, The Youth
Employment Program and associated Youth Fund were launched in April 2019. The
aim was to assist young people in successful career development (finding a
job), creating additional jobs (especially in the regions) and increasing
competition in the labor market. According to this policy The Youth Foundation
established Youth Development and Career Centers in Baku and the regions so
that young people can get training on various topics related to their personal
and professional development. The State Employment Service (The
SES) organizes job fairs, including events at the leading universities, for
students and graduates under the motto ‘the first step in your career’ to help
young people to establish initial contact with employers and to promote their
integration into the labor market. Unfortunately, career guidance services are limited
in their offerings, and tend to focus on immediate job opportunities and
short-term employment, rather than the bigger picture of long-term career
growth and planning. (Babayev A., 2020, November).
The European Training
Foundation (ETF) suggests improving the consistency and adapting the policies
related to youth employment to incorporate services and training programs that
are more attractive and convenient for young individuals. (Jaouani
A. et al, 2020., p.53)
There
is no centralized labor market information system to help labor market
actors (including education and training institutions, students, jobseekers,
employers and public employment services) to make informed choices.
Like
in Azerbaijan’s case, Chile also experienced youth underemployment issues,
which caused to take serious steps to solve that situation. One of them was Online
National Jobs Portal that was designed to promote employment and connect
students with job opportunities. In Turkey there is a similar portal called
Career Gate Public Recruitment Platform that had been developed as a potential
solution to youth unemployment in the country. It is a digital platform on
which all public institutions carry out public recruitment phases from
application to placement. Career Gate has been developed to increase merit,
transparency, equal opportunity, efficiency, and effectiveness in public
recruitment. By carrying out all public recruitment processes from a single
platform that is integrated with e-Government Gateway, it aims to accelerate
the recruitment processes, reduce the workload of HR personnel and minimize the
human error. Currently, all ministries, their subsidiaries, Presidential units,
regulatory and supervisory institutions, higher judicial authorities, and some
universities and municipalities carry out their recruitment processes on Career
Gate. All candidates who want to apply
for the job postings published by these institutions can access the Career
Gate. On the Career Gate Public Recruitment Platform, public institutions can
conduct recruitment processes, such as opening job posting, evaluation, and
placement. Promotion and appointment processes and study/intern abroad opportunities
for public employees can also be carried out through the system. Candidates can
follow these processes on the platform transparently. (CAREER GATE -
Presidential Human Resources Office (cbiko.gov.tr))
The
other problem is low involvement of labor market representatives in higher
education system. In order to adapt the education system to better align with
the needs and demands of the job market it is important to strengthen the
systematic and continuous partnership between higher education institutions and
employers.
The
ESG emphasize the involvement of employers and students in the quality
assurance process, therefore the employers and students should be involved in
all steps of higher education. The interviews with representatives with
employers and with Students Union conducted by Twinning project show that
neither employer, nor students are involved in the quality assurance of higher
education. As a result, the information and insights provided by labor market
intelligence are not fully utilized. (Saulė M.Z., Jolanta S., 2018)
In some countries disbalance
of admission numbers in different higher education programs results in army of
graduate students with diplomas in irrelevant professions which are not
demanded in labor market. In other words, number of students exceeds number of
vacancies in particular fields. Students who chose teaching profession in
Azerbaijan can be an example for this case. In 2022, 60,002 candidates applied
to participate in the competition for teacher recruitment, 54,804 of them qualified
to participate. A total of 44,363 candidates participated in the exams, 13,280
vacant positions were announced for teacher recruitment through the
competition. 3,902 candidates were recruited on a permanent basis, while 3,086
candidates were recruited on a temporary basis. Additionally, 1,650 candidates
were appointed to temporary positions during the supplementary placement
process (Teacher
of Azerbaijan Agency., 2022. December 30). Roughly vacant positions 4,5 times
less than teacher candidates applying for recruitment.
In the USA, The Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS) mentioned that lower than 30 percent of jobs today
require postsecondary education. By 2022, the BLS says, the economy created
about 50 million new jobs since 2012, but only 27 percent of those require an
associate degree or higher.
In
order to avoid this problem causing underemployment, policies should focus on
the collection of information on employability by career and follow labor
market dynamics and trends globally and in the local context.
Interpretation
and Implications for Azerbaijan
According
to my findings steps could be taken in three directions in order to increase
the employment of graduate students:
1. Creating
Centralized Online Jobs (Internship) Portal
The
Centralized Online National Jobs Portal can address the issues related to
unemployment by enabling employers to find interns and future employees among
university students with strong academic records and competencies. This
platform can also foster a competitive environment among students, thereby contributing
to human capital development. Online platforms like these can provide a
centralized location for students and employers to connect and find internship
opportunities, offering equal access to career openings using transparent and
innovative evaluation methods. Such programs can include internship
opportunities in both the public and private sectors and be made available to
students from a variety of fields. These portals can offer various tools and
resources to help students search for internships in their fields of study or
career interests and apply for them efficiently. For example, students can
create online accounts where they can include their academic achievements,
certificates, attended projects and trainings, upload resumes, and set preferences
for the types of internship opportunities they are seeking. Employers can use
these portals to post available internships, screen and shortlist applicants,
and communicate with candidates. To ensure accountability, universities' career
centers can verify documents related to the information declared by the
students.
The
purpose of the project is:
-
To simplify the entry of university
graduates into the job market and support their career development.
-
To increase competitiveness among
university students.
-
To collect centralized data on the human
capital of the country.
The
project can be implemented through the collaboration of the Ministry of
Education and Science and the State Employment Agency. Creating a database will
provide a detailed understanding of the country's human capital in the future
and can contribute to the implementation of other measures aimed at developing
human capital. Supporting students' entry into the labor market can create high
motivation and competitiveness among students, which can ultimately affect the
development of human capital.
2. Establish
sustainable partnerships among labor market representatives and higher education institutions.
Employer
engagement in the higher education system can fall into several categories including:
-
Developing curricula, pedagogy, learning materials, and research
projects that can help students develop specialist skills they need in the
workplace.
- Providing
students with career guidance with accurate and current information on
the knowledge and skills needed for particular industries and professions.
-
Facilitating and supporting apprenticeship models in higher education
institutions.
In
order to reach noticeable increasement in graduate employment, holistic,
systematic and sustainable approach should be taken in partnership and
collaboration of those two parties while applying all three categories
mentioned above.
Involving
employers in changing, developing of higher education curriculum and course
programs; and increasing their participation in quality assurance system can
help the universities to identify potential points for strategic cooperation
with companies and ensure that their students are getting the skills required
by the current labor market.
Career
guidance can be regularly organized in the form of presentations, seminars, or
guest lectures. Workplace case studies or work-based scenarios could be used in
this kind of seminars. Seeing successful CEOs, experts and professionals in
their field, listening to their stories can inspire the young generation for their
future career.
Currently
each university applies internship programs for their students. Unfortunately,
most of them offer the internship program in the last semester of university
leaving little time to practice and develop students’ working skills and
capacities, which is actually not effective. Instead, the apprenticeship model can
be used in higher education institutions where students can transform their
knowledge to practice year by year upgrading their professional skills.
3. Follow
labor market statistics to control the number of students, in
order not to exceed the jobs available related to the field.
If
the number of graduates exceeds the number of jobs available in a particular
field, then it may lead to unemployment, underemployment, or lower salaries. By
controlling enrollment levels in different programs, universities can help
ensure that there is a balance between the number of graduates and the
available job opportunities. To reach the goal, there should be
continuous information exchange about job dynamics between the State Employment
Agency and the Ministry of Education and Science.
OECD’s
advice on mandated numbers for admissions to HEI can be applied in this case. Mandated numbers include ceilings or
floors on the size of individual programs, or mandates regarding the number of
students in specific fields of study and/or at specific levels of study. Caps
on the number of places offered in certain higher education programs or fields are
used to link the number of graduates produced to labor market needs. (OECD,
2017) This method establishes a cap on the number of new graduates from a given
field who enter the labor market.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the issue of underemployment among graduate students in Azerbaijan
has multiple root causes, including a lack of collaboration between higher
education institutions and the labor market, low involvement of employers in
curriculum development, and a mismatch of skills. The proposed implications
include the creation of a centralized online jobs portal that can connect
employers with university students simplifying the entry of university
graduates into the job market and supporting their career development,
establishing sustainable partnerships between labor market representatives and
higher education institutions by developing curricula, providing
students with career guidance, facilitating and supporting apprenticeship
models, and monitoring labor market statistics to control the balance
between the number of graduates and the available job opportunities. These
solutions could potentially increase the employment levels of graduate students
in Azerbaijan and improve the country's human capital development. It is
important for policymakers, educational institutions, and employers to work
together and take holistic and systematic approach to implement these solutions
and provide opportunities for young people to enter the labor market and build
successful careers.
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