Dear Editor,

For some time now I have been mystified by the complaints of many graduates from our tertiary institutions that they are unable to find jobs.

Apart from the fact that obtaining a degree is no mean task, it can also be very expensive. When you take into consideration that most students have to seek help by way of a student loan, the matter becomes even more of a challenge because after graduating and even before finding a job, they have to start repaying their student loans.

I decided to try to find out how these graduates were having such a problem so I randomly called three places – a commercial bank, a pharmacy and an airline.

The first place I called was my bank. When someone answered the phone I was very impressed by her courteousness and the way she sounded, and after identifying myself I said, “I am trying to find out the balance on my account. Can you help me?” She replied in her very charming voice, “Yes, Sir, I certainly can.”

After waiting for what appeared to be an eternity she came back to the phone and asked me to hold on. I held on again for several more minutes and then she returned, identified herself and asked me if she could help me. I repeated my request and she replied, “Oh sorry, please hold on.”

I got the distinct impression that she could not bring up the screen on her computer and she did not want to ask anybody to help her because she is supposed to know how to bring up a screen. So after several more minutes she made up a balance and gave me.

I called her the following day and after buttering her up I asked, “By the way, how many subjects do you have?” To my astonishment she said that she had none, but she was going to school and hoped to get her subjects.

I then called a pharmacy where I have been buying drugs for many years and I asked for the pharmacist. The reply I got immediately was, “Speaking.”

I told her I needed the generic name for a particular drug and after several minutes she said, “I cannot find it, Sir”, I then asked her if she dispensed drugs and she replied, “Certainly, I do.” I then asked her if she was a qualified pharmacist and she said, ” No.”

Now here is a person doing a job that people spend several years at a tertiary institution to obtain a degree in pharmacology, and the very job that they are trying to get after graduating is held by someone who is not qualified to hold the position.

Then there is the person working at the airline in a reasonable position and her total qualification is a Level 3 pass in CXC accounts.

I have outlined these three jobs that are filled by people who are not qualified to hold them, yet there are hundreds of university graduates who are unable to pick up a job because all the jobs are taken by unqualified people. Isn’t this remarkable?

Kensington Spencer

ken3_1999@yahoo.com