Academic Curriculum and Labor Market Mismatch: A Study on University Graduates in Bangladesh

Abstract

The undergraduate program is a major steppingstone to build a career. After getting tertiary education, large number of graduates remain unemployed for a prolonged period. Studies have indicated the presence of a mismatch between the curriculum and job market requirements. This study tries to explore the gap from fresh graduates’ perspective, who are the sufferers. Their perception regarding the current tertiary education curriculum and expectations about it may help address the issues and redesign the curriculum. Graduates from Business Administration, Science and Engineering, Arts and Social Sciences, Medical and Dental studies were interviewed on a range of questions about their respective curriculums, job market scenario, prospective skills and others. This study follows qualitative norms to find the results and presents it in descriptive manner. The results show increased preference of changing and reforming the current university curriculum for the convenience of getting a job. From their experience in the labor market, graduates have expressed lower level of satisfaction about current curriculum and do feel the necessity of new skills to find a job. Most of the graduates prefer shifting their field of higher studies and job due to lack of relevant employment opportunities. This study argues that, OBE and blended learning should be implemented in higher education institutes to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0.