The Role of Nigerian Tertiary Institutions in Graduate Recruitment

Most Nigerian graduates leave school with the500 in the world ranking of tertiary institutions.
mindset of securing high paying jobs based on theThis explains employer's preference for global
fact that they are favored or connected to thetalent, hence the rush to study abroad. The British
right people that will help them get employed inEmbassy alone claimed to have received over
any high paying organization of their choice.60,000student visa applications in 2007 from
It should be noted that the economic situation andNigerian students to study in the UK.
the employment market in Nigeria tends toIncessant strikes, unstable and incoherent
support this thinking, and so most young peoplegovernment education policies, lack of good
graduates from the tertiary institutions arefacilities, disrupted and disjointed academic
ill-equipped. These young graduates are usually notcalendar, issues of funding, outdated course
well prepared for the challenges after graduationmaterials and many other vices are part of the
especially in securing good jobs and performing ondistractions that is affecting the tertiary
the job.institutions.
In the light of the above, organizations recruitIn view of the above, it is pertinent that changes
fresh graduates with the intent of developing themust come to the tertiary institutions to meet
skill sets of these individuals before finallywith global employment requirements. Tertiary
absorbing them into the mainstream roles in theinstitutions in Nigeria must provide career
organization.development services which include career
Graduate recruitment has become an uphill task,counseling, job skill trainings, coaching and
as thousands of applicants have to be tested tomentoring, scholarship schemes, etc in order to
get a handful of good candidates fit for specificimprove and develop the skill sets and interests
job/role.of their students. This will help build the level of
The tertiary institutions that produced theseprofessionalism required in the workplace.
graduates have not been able to meet up withTertiary institutions should include volunteerism
the standard output expedient in today'sand internships in their academic curriculum. This
workplace. They have become centers forwill expose their students to workplace practices
academic certificates acquisition rather than theand culture. In the end, graduates from Nigerian
training ground for skills and knowledge acquisition.tertiary institutions will become more relevant to
Research has shown that none of the tertiaryorganizations.
institutions in Nigeria is amongst the list of the first