Context of the Issue
In the contemporary world, clinching an employment opportunity or position has turned out to be problematic. The number of her learning institutions, particularly university graduates, is higher than the number of available job slots. This has increased the competition that the graduates undergo after successfully graduating. There has been a rise in cases where university students have pursued degrees that are not in line with their careers and interests. Several reasons have supported the context upon which a student can undertake a wrong university program. The first one is that students remain over ambitious on winning a job once they complete their studies. Being job oriented significantly impacts the course to be undertaken. Some industries tend to have higher job demands than others. The second significant reason is parental/guardian influence on the parents. Some parents believe that if a particular program is taken, then employment chances are high. Such situations do not give learners enough time to think about their dream career and interests. There are common cases where learners realize too late that they chose the wrong career or university education program. Usually, a university undergraduate program is supposed to take four years. This is not a short duration. In the second or third year of study, several learners have complained and regretted the programs they chose to take. The proposal that students should be allowed to engage in a two-year technical, business, or trade program before proceeding to the university can help.
Undertaking a two-year program before furthering studies comes with several advantages. The first one is that the learners are better positioned to get to know more about their career, strengths, weaknesses, and what they truly need in life. Although the two-year courses have been seen as ideal for people with lower academic performance and those who can hardly understand complex concepts taught at the university level, they can equally be important to bright minds as they will help them make the right academic decisions. The two-year program also plays an essential role in equipping learners with the necessary skills and experience to make them outshine at degree level. For the learners who will advance in the program they have been undertaking, they will already have the requirements to ensure that the course will be in line with the career and also his/her interests.
Whether to proceed with the four-year college or university degree or venture into two-year community college, technical and trade schools are a matter of urgency and concern. Considering the current global status since COVID-19 was reported in China, the educational sector is among the most affected areas. The regular education has been altered, and states have been forced to adopt new ways to undertake education. The resources available are not enough, making it difficult to proceed with learning through the new normal. The number of college and university graduates is far much higher than the employment slots that are made available. In this light, therefore, there is a need to act on the matter with urgency to ensure that the existing gap and difference between employment positions do not go higher than it is now. Thus, the early the better.
Synthesis of Existing Research and Connection Between Sources
The central question is: 'are students taking the wrong courses and following the wrong academic path?' Research has that many learners and graduates are studying the wrong subjects or subject combinations. Most of the subjects that students are involved in only offer employment and working skills. The institutions rarely consider the capabilities and interests of the learners before deciding on what to train them on and what to leave unattended. There is a significant gap between the skills in graduates and the experience that employers are looking into.
Lamanauskas & Augienė (2018) discuss the consequences of choosing the wrong careers and how one falls victim to the same. When selecting a career, it is essential first to understand what you need, the later, what you can do. The list of all pros and cons associated with a career must be taken into account. Students are the ones who will be subjected to education related to a specific career. Therefore, there should be no external forces in sighting students or even choosing a career for them. Learners should be allowed to follow what their heart desires and what they feel they are comfortable doing. The success attained in one's satisfaction is paramount. In this light, all issues ought to be taken into account before making a decision. Four years is not a short duration. In case a person realizes a mistake in career or subject taken halfway through the program, turning back will remain a severe problem. Therefore, he/she ought to accurately make decisions about what is needed.
For instance, the University of Kent in the UK has an online platform that offers career exploration to students. The platform plays an essential in linking students' interests and skills with their career wishing to take part in. The platform also allows learners to locate the right places where they can be attending their working experience. They are also allowed to take an academic program to parallel with a working program. Norwich university, still in the UK, on the other hand, has developed an advanced gratifying career opportunity that supports the platform. The game platform offers learners a pack of cards out of which they are supposed to choose cards used in describing their attributes and skills. Other cards are responsible for describing workplace scenarios and the unique tactics needed to ensure success in the scenario. The students' role in this game is matching the skills together with the working scenarios that they might be thinking about. They are also required to match ways through which they can apply them. Such games make learners aware of their attributes and skills and the possible ways through which they can apply them.
Having a better understanding of the connection between career selection, duration of the study, the subjects to be undertaken, and the results to be followed is significant in several ways. The learners will have a better understanding of their skills and attributes and how they can apply them in the contemporary world to ensure that their dreams have been attained and engaged in doing what makes them happy.
My Position on the Issue
In my opinion, to make the four years in college or university meaningful to the graduates, there is a need for universities to spend a considerable time experimenting with new ways through which they can advise students about career accessibilities. I precisely support the fact that going through a two-year training in the community college, skills, or trade institution before joining university should be embraced. If a student can take part in such a program, he/she will be in a better position of understanding their attributes, capabilities, and interests. This will help them make the right decisions in their later lives. For example, a student will understand better areas where strengths and weaknesses are, avoiding routes that will later impact the lives. Some students will be ready enough and competent to be absorbed by employers, even without having gone through university education. The time spent in carrying out education studies will be channelled elsewhere. Therefore, much of the resources will be equally conserved. My judgment to support the issue is entirely based on the fact that different people have different capabilities and interests. Therefore, they should be subjected to an environment where they make decisions independently without disturbing any person.