The recent shift in the skill sets required by industry have created a global shortage of quality and relevant skilled workforce. Beyond skills shortage, employers are also facing a significant challenge — a gap in job preparedness among recent graduates. In Africa, despite the increase in demand for highly skilled workers, there still exists a severe mismatch between the skills produced by our education institutions and the labor market needs.

Job preparedness refers to the extent to which a new employee possesses the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding of their role and the organization to start contributing effectively. In this article, the author identifies three key challenges businesses face when looking to hire graduates lacking the necessary employable skills.

Key Challenges:

1. No Technical Proficiency

In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, employers are looking to get new hires operational as quickly as possible. This is especially critical in this age of increased employee turnover where an employer must quickly find a replacement for the high-value employee who just left. Unfortunately, many graduates lack hands-on experience with the industry’s tools and technologies, making it challenging AND COSTLY for employers to integrate them seamlessly into the workforce.

2. Poor Soft Skills

According to McKinsey, the demand for soft skills is growing as workers interact more and more with ever-smarter machines. Unfortunately, HR professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to find candidates with the necessary soft skills for an automating world. Graduates often seem to struggle with essential soft skills like effective communication, teamwork, and critical thinking hampering their ability to navigate the intricacies of the industry.

3. Domain/Industry-Specific Knowledge

Forbes explains domain expertise as the difference between having an entry-level understanding of a subject and a specialized mastery of a discipline. While academic programs provide a foundational understanding of industry concepts, graduates often lack in-depth knowledge of industry-specific nuances, regulations, and market trends.

TQ Academy

TQ Academy seeks to address these prevailing challenges of job preparedness and talent shortage specifically in the ICT industry. Our internship program strategically closes the gap between academic knowledge and industry demands, ensuring that participants not only acquire essential technical skills but also cultivate the indispensable soft skills crucial for success in the dynamic ICT workplace. By offering hands-on, real-world experiences and expert-led mentorship, TQ Academy aims to consistently produce job-ready professionals, effectively addressing the talent shortage witnessed by employers in the sector.

In the next article we look at some of the strategies/solutions industry and employers can use to bridge the Job Preparedness Gap.

[Image by DCStudio on Freepik]