Education is important for many reasons and it has no limits especially when it comes to giving people the knowledge and skills they require. To reflect a few years back, a fresh graduate would apply for any job they want with only a high school certificate. Later the minimum requirement for a job became a diploma. While that may have been the case, today, many students with degrees and certificates remain unemployed and job requirement’s constantly change from having a qualification to having experience.
Youth Corner’s Selma Neshiko spoke to some students at the Polytechnic of Namibia (PON) on whether education/university is still the best route into employment and this is what they had to say:
Frans Shiimbi (23)
“I strongly believe that university is the best route because without knowledge and skills that you gain through your tertiary education it will make it hard for you when you go out in the industry. And not everyone will get a job without an education, it is important towards career preparation.”
Paulus Nakale (23)
“Education is becoming increasingly important and it has now become a necessity to everyone. PON is one of which produces industry ready graduates. The quality of education is always improving and if you want to be an important person in the future it requires hard work, commitment and self-confidence and this you can obtain through additional education.”
Albertina Tomas (20)
“Only for some jobs, if you want to be self-employed I don’t think you need any degree, diploma or certificate but you should know that investing in yourself through education increases your knowledge of current technologies.”
Miriam Eino (19)
“Yes, if you want a highly paying job you have to be qualified. Nowadays no company will hire you without any qualification, even if corruption is your back up. Education or going to university is the only foundation for good employment, and also because it shows flexibility and an ability to take on new challenges.”
Kauna Nehemia (19)
“Definitely, especially if you want the best post but somehow you can still get a job without the qualification but it won’t be a good one. It’s better to always further your studies, so you can better understand what you want to specialise in and learn to be more competitive in your career choice.”
David Hango (22)
“Yes because the employment sector demands for educated and highly skilled people. One cannot say that they do not need any further education no matter how smart they are, you just can’t afford to have insufficient education.”