Botswana’s graduate unemployment linked to lack of job-creating businesses
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Weekend Post
Illustrative image · Ahmed Bates · Pexels · Licence PexelsBotswana must first grow its job-creating business sector, the Weekend Post argues, rather than focus on mismatches between university training and market needs. The country holds successive graduation ceremonies without the economy creating enough jobs to absorb young graduates, according to the newspaper.
The rise in graduate unemployment in Botswana is also explained by businesses' insufficient capacity to create jobs, and not only by a mismatch between university training and labour market needs. In an opinion piece published by Weekend Post, the author argues that the national debate on youth employment gives excessive attention to graduates' skills and not enough to the difficulties of developing businesses.
The author considers that universities cannot, on their own, solve the unemployment problem by adapting their training programmes. Young graduates need businesses, industries and institutions capable of growing, investing and creating new economic activities. Stagnant, undercapitalised or unable to grow businesses limit hiring opportunities, even when higher education institutions train qualified young people.
The opinion piece therefore calls for greater attention to labour demand and the conditions for private-sector growth. It challenges the idea that primary responsibility for graduate unemployment lies with universities and their teaching programmes.
