KARACHI:
Graduation is meant to be an accomplishment. Yet, in Pakistan for many final-year students, it has quietly become a source of uncertainty. The closer they come to receiving their degrees, the more ambiguity they feel about the future that awaits them.
This anxiety is not born out of a lack of determination. Today’s students are more capable, more qualified and often more willing to learn than past generations. However, they are entering a labour market that expects experience from them before even offering opportunity. Fresh graduates are asked to demonstrate professional skills, workplace exposure and practical experience, despite having had limited access to practical training, internships or industry engagement during their studies.
The transition from education to employment has become one of the weakest links in our higher education system. While universities focus on producing graduates, far less attention is given to preparing them for recruitment processes, workplace expectations, career planning or changing industry demands. This disconnect leaves many talented young people feeling that graduation is not the beginning of a career but the beginning of uncertainty.
Addressing this challenge requires stronger collaboration between universities, employers and policymakers. Expanding paid internships, strengthening university-industry partnerships and making career counselling an essential part of higher education would help students move into the workforce with greater confidence and readiness.
Fatima Ayub
Fateh Jang
