THE Ministry of Education will study the employability of its scholarship students once they have graduated and returned to the country, its minister said recently.
Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said his ministry will also work towards improving the tracking of graduates' whereabouts.
"In the past, we sometimes do not know where they are when they finish their studies, while some are still looking for a job.
"This is a waste and we want to know and track the students' (progress) after they graduate and return to Brunei," he said during an interview on the sidelines of Brunei Students' Union's Presidential Conference 2016 at Universiti Teknologi Brunei.
The minister said one area that requires attention was determining what skills are needed in Brunei's job market and how to make students more marketable.
"We have to keep in touch with the industry and find out what is relevant today, next year (and in the future) as the industry will keep changing.
"For instance in engineering, they may (also) have to (learn) about project management as (the job) may require them to handle many different projects," YB Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi added.
The minister encouraged local varsities to conduct studies on the employability of their graduates as it will allow them to understand and make necessary adjustments to their courses. "Local universities would want to know what happen to their students and where they go (after they graduate). If the students are all employed, then they will know they are doing the right things and providing the right courses for them.
"However, if a lot of the students are not employed yet, then they may have to look at other options," he added.
Asked what steps students can take to increase their marketability, the minister said students have to be versatile and open to learning different skills.
"They have to be all-rounder, students are not just confined to what they are studying in one field. Competition is very stiff so one has to be a global person at all times (to ensure they are) relevant to the country's needs," said the minister.
The Brunei Times
