The present higher educational system is geared towards preparing graduates for the corporate job environment and not being self-employed entrepreneurs.
Considering the current global recessive economy and how tough it has become for graduates to get employed in these corporate environments, it is high time higher institutions of learning started introducing Business Entrepreneurship courses as electives in all faculty programs. This would arouse the spirit of creativity and innovation in the minds of these would be graduates and they can at least set up something in form of small or micro scale projects after graduation which they can use to support themselves if they can not get the corporate jobs.
It is very disheartening for parents to spend so much money on their children and thereafter such students becoming liabilities after graduation because they can not get jobs. Moreover some of these students even got OSAP (Ontario provincial) Loans which they are expected to pay back six months after graduation. That is why we find people taking over Wall Street and Bay Street and some even go into drugs and crimes.
Micro- and small-scale industries (if well managed) can turn the economy of North America around. These have been used successfully in developing economies in Asia, Latin America and Africa. After all, the likes of Microsoft, Apple and Google were started by individuals in their garages and basements. The founders were even college dropouts.
Hence, given the opportunity as the Minister of Education, I would introduce a Business Entrepreneurship course into all faculty programs to be done as an elective in our higher institutions and solicit the buy-in of banks and other lending institutions to facilitate the granting of loans to graduates who want to go into small scale industries after submitting good business proposals. I would also facilitate Small Business Fairs in conjunction with Ministry of Industries in all cities for the display and showcasing of inventions of this lofty graduate program. Doing this would change dramatically the perspectives of education and employment in North America.
This was Olufemi Adegun’s response to the EvoLLLution’s panel question: What is one thing you would change about higher education? Check out more responses to this question here!
