UNAIR NEWS – A bachelor’s degree has long been seen as a ticket to a better job. However, that perception is now facing a harsh reality. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), approximately one million college graduates in Indonesia are still looking for work. This phenomenon shows that higher education does not always align with the needs of the job market.
Prof Dr Bagong Suyanto MSi, Professor at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), and an education sociologist, viewed the situation through the lens of the relationship between educational attainment, job quality, and income levels.
According to him, ideally, improvements in education should go hand in hand with improvements in competency, job quality, and overall well-being. However, the reality in Indonesia has not yet fully reflected this pattern. “College graduates can still end up in jobs that don’t align with their education or the skills they hold,” he said. According to him, ideally, improvements in education should go hand in hand with improvements in competency, job quality, and overall well-being. However, the reality in Indonesia has not yet fully reflected this pattern. “College graduates can still end up in jobs that don’t align with their education or the skills they hold,” he said.
When a degree isn’t enough to pave the way
Prof Suyanto believes one of the main issues lies in the mismatch between graduates’ competencies and the needs of the job market. Industry continues to evolve, while some graduates still lack relevant skills. As a result, not all graduates are able to meet the demands of the jobs available.
This gap becomes even more apparent when considering the direction of Indonesia’s industrial development, which tends to favor capital-intensive industries. The use of technology and machinery means such industries require a smaller workforce. “A bachelor’s degree can no longer guarantee that someone will find a job and improve their standard of living,” Prof Suyanto explained.
In his view, this issue is not solely related to graduates’ skills. The direction of economic development also determines the scope of job opportunities available. He therefore called for a shift in development priorities toward further expanding labor-intensive industries.
Preparing graduates for the workforce
Amid the rising number of college graduates, Prof Suyanto emphasized the importance of focusing on the quality of education. In his view, an increase in the number of graduates means little if universities cannot be held accountable for the quality of those they produce.
Higher education institutions need to ensure that the educational process builds competencies aligned with the needs of the workforce. Education must equip students with relevant skills and the ability to adapt to a changing job market. “There’s little point in producing large numbers of graduates if the quality of higher education can’t be guaranteed,” he said.
He believes the government and universities need to work in tandem. The government can create more jobs through development policies that favor labor-intensive industries, while universities ensure their graduates possess the right competencies. “Don’t just chase the number of graduates. Make sure they have the quality and competencies the job market genuinely needs,” Prof Suyanto concluded.
Author: Maia Chaerunnisa
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
