KARACHI:
According to the Labour Force Survey 2024-25, the unemployment rate among degree holders was 10.9%, as compared to the overall 7.1% unemployment rate. This highlights the gap between degree holders and employment opportunities in Pakistan.
Pakistan faces a major challenge to create high-quality jobs at entry-level that align with the degrees and interests of the recent graduates. Employers expect students to have prior experience even in an entry-level job. To address this issue, HEC has made it compulsory for the students to complete at least one internship before graduation. However, this has raised another major concern, as some organisations require students to have prior experience even to get an internship. The cycle to get an internship to gain experience and have experience to get an internship has left so many students frustrated and demotivated.
To address this issue, universities should offer opportunities such as research and teaching assistantships. Similarly, the employers should keep the requirements for internships and jobs separate and provide a learning environment to gain experience through practical work. The government must also work with universities and private sector to establish entry level opportunities.
Hamna Bashir
Islamabad
