Economic agencies should have the authority to set enrollment of university programs based on projections of job availability because of a number of reasons. First of all, the main cause of unemployment is the skills gap between the market for employment and educational institutions. This means that universities are churning out graduate who do not possess skills relevant to the job market. According to Manpower Group’s 2012 talent shortage survey, 40 percent of employers believe that graduates lack essential skills. The best solution to such a problem is that economic agencies should be allowed to use job availability projections to set enrollment levels for universities. This will ensure that universities become market-oriented (Clotfelter, Ehrenberg, Getz, & Siegfried, 2008).
Secondly, it is very crucial that we reduce wastages within the education system so as to ensure that universities utilize their resources efficiently. Even though universities may have enough resources to sustain their populations, enrolling students for irrelevant courses is a huge waste of time and resources. Economic agencies have a lot of information on the job market, and such information is useful in decision making. Economic agencies can determine what employers look for in terms of the relevant skills (Albert & Salmi, 2011). Such information can be used to ensure that university enrollment correspond with the existing opportunities in the job market.
Thirdly, economic agencies should set university enrollments using employment projections because universities have fallen out of favor. Judging from the popular press, people believe that universities are doing little to improve the lives of their students. Stakeholders in the education sector are accusing universities of being out of touch with the needs of the economy. They believe that universities are not responding to the needs of the market (Zipper, 2012). In the US, there are talks that the government may tie its funding of public universities to the number of graduates who get jobs (Albert & Salmi, 2011). People are increasingly encouraging high school students to join community colleges because they believe that universities are offering irrelevant academic qualifications.
Many people insist that universities must change dramatically in order to meet the needs of the economy. Meanwhile, politicians and consultants in the field of education have proposed additional funding for community colleges, but very few are doing so for universities. This reveals how much community colleges are becoming attractive. It is also for the same reasons that there has been an increase in the number of private universities. The best solution to such a problem is to give economic agencies the mandate to set university enrollment. This is because they have the credibility of addressing economic needs (Clotfelter, Ehrenberg, Getz, & Siegfried, 2008). Economic agencies will be able to ensure that universities allocate programs to areas that require urgent attention. Consequently, people will begin to have faith in the education system.
Even though universities aim at offering monetary rewards, they also produces graduate who play a critical role in championing for democracy. Universities also play the role of disciplining the minds of students and opening their minds to the fact that the world is constantly changing. However, it is important to acknowledge that universities play a vital role in meeting business needs as well as contributing to economic growth. Therefore, economic agencies should have the authority to set enrollment of university programs based on projections of job availability. This will ensure that graduate live a meaningful life and that we save the declining image of the education sector (Albert & Salmi, 2011).
References
Albert, P. & Salmi, J. (2011). The Road to Academic Excellence: The Making of World-Class Research Universities. New York: World Bank Publications.
Clotfelter, C., Ehrenberg, R., Getz, M. & Siegfried, J. (2008). Economic Challenges in Higher Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Zipper, N. (2012). Universities and Colleges as Economic Drivers: Measuring Higher Education’s Role in Economic Development. New York: SUNY Press.
