Where are the jobs for our third-level graduates?

A GOOD education was always believed to be the road to a steady well paid secure job.

But many young graduates now find that having a Masters Degree is no guarantee of a secure future.

The truth is that jobs for people with third-level qualifications don’t grow on trees — many post-graduates are now having to leave the country to find suitable employment.

Is there no government long-term plan to provide employment for those people? Research and developement projects are fine, but in many cases they are just projects conceived to avail of tax concessions. Where are the real jobs? Investment in education must be backed up with follow up so that what is learnt is put into use. Is it not a recipe for a lot of unhappiness, to raise students’ expectations just to have them dashed in the months following graduation?

Is our education system producing a glut of academics?

Are we neglecting the technologies and sciences in favour of academia? Is it not time for regional technical colleges be given more status and support in their own right? At present they are looked on as being the poor cousin of the universities. A good start would be allowing graduates for all third-level institutions to have a vote in Senate elections and end this intellectual snobbery.

Nuala Nolan

Bowling Green

Galway