The Tribune

We have known the benefits of pursuing a college education for a long time. Research tells us that individuals with higher education earn more, pay more taxes and are more likely than others to be employed and have benefits such as pensions and health insurance. Adults with higher education also have better prospects for moving up the socioeconomic ladder, and are less likely to rely on public assistance. These basic truths should encourage everyone in industry, and The Bahamas at large, to focus on academic achievement.

It is true that college-educated individuals are still most attractive to employers. Besides field training, college develops analytical and critical thinking, organisational skills and the ability to see a project through from start to finish. These proficiencies qualify graduates for a flexible range of employment in fields that offer more job openings, upward mobility and a lifetime of open doors. Employers also find that graduates exhibit a “team-player” attitude, strong decision-making, communication and an innate sense of self-discipline in a work environment.

The goal of every company should be to send a clear message that it endorses and supports higher education in our communities. Here is a checklist of what companies can do to promote education and encourage persons to pursue tertiary level degrees:

1.Hire them. Every company, regardless of its industry, level, size or field, should have a healthy balance of professionals with degrees. No one in 2018 should be turned away from a job that they have applied for because they are “over qualified”. College-educated Bahamians should have greater ease in returning to their homes to find employment in their own country.

2.Pay them well. No right-thinking person after four to six years, an $100,000-plus investment and thousands of hours of study and sleepless nights, is going to subject themselves to entry-level drudgery. In the “real world” this simply does not make sense. Degrees from reputable colleges and universities should indicate that an individual has some degree of mastery in their chosen field and should be respected as such.

3.Connect them with mentors who have the experience. Employers usually lament that there is a gap between college graduates and workplace reality. They often demean the recent graduate for not being able to immediately produce results, and dismiss their “book-smarts” as meaningless. This unfair handling of recent graduates bolsters a sinister spirit that keeps people economically and socially depressed. We must all reject it.

4.Give them meaningful work and hold them accountable for results. Recent graduates often begin their careers with zeal. One of the things that can burn this away rather quickly is when they are given tasks and assignments that do not challenge their intellectual capacity.

5.Have them serve as models and mentors for entry level roles, inspiring other youth to want more. The most effective way to honour a quality education is to have the educated teach, train, coach and mentor others. Structured mentorship programmes, involving high school students or younger entry-level team members, proves quite inspiring for both the mentee and the college graduate imparting knowledge.

With the alarming statistic that nearly 65 percent of young Bahamian college students are deciding to remain in Canada and the US post-graduation, we must collectively and consciously decide to be intentional in embracing the next generation of degree holders.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at iferguson@bahamas.com.