While Pakistani social media warriors have locked horns in the “Dr Ata-ur-Rehman vs Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy” controversy, I would rather avoid pseudo-intellectual and pretend-academic debate than discuss something that is critical for Pakistan. Why aren’t we teaching employable skills? Why is an MBA degree holder forced to work for Rs30,000/month after spending 100s of thousands on education?

The combination of educational institutions’ nonchalance about employability and the government’s reluctance to tackle under-employment forcefully, is why Pakistani graduates are left holding a piece of paper with little value.

We are experiencing unprecedented social, economic and environmental distress due to growing globalisation and a quicker pace of technological growth. At the same time, these forces provide us with a plethora of fresh prospects for human development. The future is unclear and we cannot forecast it; yet, we must be open and prepared for it.

Educational institutions should prepare students for occupations that have yet to be invented, technology that has yet to be conceived and challenges yet to be anticipated. The educators must collaborate with the industry to capitalise on the possibilities and identify solutions.

Education should provide learners with the agency and a sense of purpose and the abilities they need to create their own lives and contribute to the lives of others.

Unless guided by a purpose, the fast advancement of science and technology can increase disparities, worsen social fragmentation and hasten resource depletion.

In the 21st Century, that purpose has increasingly been described as wellbeing. However, wellbeing entails more than just having access to tangible resources such as cash and wealth, work and wages and shelter. It is also linked with health, civic involvement, social ties, education, security, life satisfaction and the environment. The notion of inclusive development is based on equitable access to all of these.

Education is critical to develop the information, skills, attitudes and values to allow individuals contribute to and benefit from an inclusive and sustainable future. Learning to set clear and meaningful objectives, collaborate with others who have various viewpoints, locate untapped possibilities and propose numerous solutions to significant challenges will be critical in the future years. Education must seek to do more than educate students for the workforce; it must also provide them with the necessary skills to become active, responsible and involved citizens.

Future-ready students must exert agency in their education and throughout their lives. Agency indicates a feeling of duty to engage in the world and change people, events and situations for the better. The capacity to articulate a guiding purpose and specify activities to accomplish a goal is required for the agency. To help the learners develop agency, the educators must recognise their uniqueness – with their instructors, classmates, families and communities – that affect their learning. “Co-agency” is a notion underpinning the learning framework – the dynamic, mutually supportive connections that assist learners in progressing towards their desired objectives. Everyone, not just kids, should be regarded as a learner in this context, including instructors, school administrators, parents and communities.

What’s typical among a network administrator, a computer programmer, an electrician, an accountant, a home health aide and a solar panel technician? You can learn all of these occupations via an apprenticeship. While apprenticeships have been around for centuries in skilled crafts, they are also prevalent in healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, transportation, logistics and energy.

Registered apprenticeship is an employer-driven programme that combines on-the-job learning with corresponding classroom education to improve an apprentice’s skill level and earnings. It is a tried-and-true method for firms to attract, train and retain highly talented employees. Apprenticeships are market-driven training to address the specific demands of each company. It is compatible with the existing training and human resource development plans. Apprentices might be recruited or existing workers chosen by the company to participate in the apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeships are an excellent way to recognise high performing entry-level workers and advance them up the corporate ladder.

Apprenticeship is also a “earn and learn” concept, where apprentices get a payment from day one to earn money, while learning on the job. Across the US, over 500,000 apprentices are engaged in registered apprenticeship programmes.

For educational institutions, it’s a proven model to help the learners immediately start working and increase skills and earnings. Many educational institutions connect with the employers in diverse fields to understand the skill gaps and implement a market-driven curriculum.

Universities, colleges and career and technical education centres should develop curricula for related instructions and deliver them to apprentices. The federal Ministry of Education should ensure that the apprentices earn college credit for courses completed. Apprenticeship programmes should include direct corporate engagement; on-the-job training; awards for skill increase and recognised professional certification.

Unfortunately, Pakistan lags in systematic workforce development. A few government-backed programmes have proven futile. The employers are at the heart of an apprenticeship programme and the skills required by their workers are at the forefront. Pakistani businesses must actively develop the programme and be engaged in every phase of the apprenticeship design process.

Structured on-the-job training is essential for Pakistan. The apprentices should get hands-on instructions from an experienced mentor for at least a year on the worksite. On-the-job training is created by mapping the skills and information the apprentice will need to master to be thoroughly competent during the programme.

Apprentices get appropriate training in addition to on-the-job training. This training provides the technical, workforce and academic abilities required. A community college might give it, a technical school, or an apprenticeship training school — or the company itself can supply it. The educational institutions should work with businesses to create a curriculum based on the skills and knowledge required of the workforce.

The apprentices should earn more, as their skills and knowledge improve. Businesses and their educational partners should have a transparent entrance and exit salary and plan for progressive compensation increases during the apprenticeship, as the trainees meet skill standards. As apprentices go through their training, progressive compensation increases will drive them to focus on learning instead of worrying about paying bills.

(The writer is the CEO of Iqra
University Extension)