DWU, commission team up to assist youths

THE Divine Word University in Madang has partnered with the National Youth Commission to address youth unemployment issues in Papua New Guinea.
Speaking on youth unemployment at the National Youth Commission symposium at the university last week, DWU president Fr Jan Czuba said the government has no policy to connect higher education to the labour market.
“For a small population to have 34 officially-recognised higher learning institutions and a number of private institutions offering validated programmes under licence from overseas universities and colleges, it is not good to see the government not serious in finding a solution to the high number of graduates without jobs.”
Czuba said the government policy and legislation for higher education had evolved without realistic strategic planning and without coordination with the providers of higher education.
He said the funding for higher education declined with the falling value of the kina and the slow growth of the national economy.
“The lack of funding meant that little was implemented as projected by the national higher education plan.”
He said higher education in PNG was complex in relation to total enrolment, underfunded in its operating structure, and uncertain of the future, as demand for access grew.
Czuba said the government’s Vision 2050, the Development Strategic Plan 2010-30 and the Medium-Term Development Plan 2011-15 identified the crucial roles that universities played in promoting economic, social and political development.
“To achieve the goals from the national plans, increased access to universities must be underpinned by high quality teaching, facilities, administration and research.
“Universities must also be better connected to broader educational goals and plans, and the labour market.”
He said the European Union had put a lot of effort into improving and monitoring the higher education sector to ensure matching of skills for both the short-term and the long-term strategic objectives.
“For PNG, it would be good to organise a seminar in 2013 to take stock of the labour market orientation of tertiary education in PNG and in the South Pacific countries, concentrating on the following aspects: vocational and employment oriented educational offerings and study paths; accompanying information framework (information on labour market outcomes, career guidance, etc.); links with the business sector; insertion of graduates into the labour market; and new challenges related to new developments in PNG and globalisation.
“Higher education is very important because it improves the political context by building democracy, training for future public servants and promotes activities that promote peace.”
To see unemployed youths as assets rather than liabilities, the university, the Commonwealth Youth Commission and the National Youth Commission signed a memorandum of understanding to offer a diploma programme in youth development studies.