Employers role in upgrading quality of education is vital

Not so long ago, university education in Rwanda was a privilege for few and politically connected. Today, the story is different and students have a choice of 32 institutions of higher learning to select from. These institutions have produced over 58,000 holders of bachelor’s degrees, diplomas and postgraduates, over the last 12 years, according to a survey by the National Council for Higher Education.Notably in the year 2000, the entire country had only 741 graduates,While the number of graduates has increased, the labour market has started to question their quality and whether they can perform at the highest levels. Experts have advised that companies should invest in further training of the graduates they hire.Employers have also been urged to liaise with the tertiary institutions, sharing with them their needs as employers. Private and public companies and organisations should be consulted during the development of academic curricula as well as offer platforms for internships or hands-on training of the students at various levels of their academic programmes. That way, the students will not only get quality education, but also one that is relevant to the job market.Those in the private sector should also find time to lecture at the institutions as their experience is vital to the students learning process.While these steps might cost time and money, this investment will surely bear fruit; not only for the individual students but for the employers as well. This is a win-win situation.

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Employers role in upgrading quality of education is vital