Право/ 4. Трудовое право, и право социального обеспечения

Федюшина В. М.

Національний юридичний університет ім. Ярослава Мудрого, Україна

The Issue of Competitiveness of University graduates on a Modern Labour Market: Problems and Solutions?

«Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out»

Iris Murdoch

Nowadays graduates all over the world face employment problems. They have desire and ambitions, they are ready to spend forces and time on a way to success, but there is a really little opportunity for each of them. In some countries, where the various employment programs are successfully developing, all these difficulties with competitiveness are less noticeable, but they still remain, because it is impossible to help each graduate. Also science of the labor law has many theoretical practices on social security, but whether there are norms which correspond to realities?

In search of the solution to this problem many scholars have found lots of different variants like providing a work practice, compliance of offer to demand, but many of them agreed with one conception – only after collaboration of the state, higher educational institutions and employers, graduates will have a chance.

Starting the analysis of the problem it is necessary to remember that a competitive specialist is not only a product of educational establishment but it is also personality, possessing certain qualities. Firstly, a graduate must have a totality of abilities: ability of mastering knowledge and skills; ability to perform; ability to behave at work so that he is able to show independency on the judgment of responsible decision making; ability to live in the society by cooperation, with the respect for each other, and value pluralism and peace (positions are based on the four pillars of education set by UNESCO). Secondly, a competitive person in order to achieve aims must have resources, such as physical health, age, talent, level of intellect, stocked energies. Thirdly, it is important to have moral aspects (the hierarchy of values, the system of beliefs, the presence of prohibitions and personal limitations).

As it was previously stated, basic social institutes influence on the competitiveness of graduates. The processes of preparing competitive specialists include such elements:

Researches show some qualities which define competitiveness of the graduate, such as the flexibility and professional mobility, the ability to present themselves; methods of solution of professional tasks, the ability to cope with various professional problems, self-confidence, responsibility and orientation to success. All these qualities are formed by the influence of a great interest in the profession chosen, are defined by professionalism of teachers, work practice and self-educational activity.

It is also important to have the communicative competence that assumes ability to contact with representatives of other cultures, languages, religions and also with people who have other positions; ability to convince, influence people; ability to cope with conflict situations or negative emotions.

So, if a potential worker has all necessary qualities it will be simplier for him to get a suitable job. But there are still some problems which a graduate will surely face and it is better for him to be well-prepared (and it is the task of an educational system) and have some options of workplace in which the graduate will realize all his potential as much as possible.

The first step to improve the competitiveness of graduates is development of an educational system, which has already started in Ukraine. For example, all students should have basic knowledge in world culture, learn foreign languages, study history, have economic and legal bases in order to impress the employer with additional knowledge and abilities. The usage of innovative educational technologies can also help to improve quality of learning. Studying Japanese experience in dealing with competitiveness allows us reveal their main concept – training of specialists by method which includes formation of three groups of skills: technological (development of specific profession), communicative (communication with different people) and conceptual (ability to predict events, to plan activity of big groups of people and to make responsible decisions). Special attention in Japanese practice of training young specialists is paid for development of such quality as integrity of thinking, so they will be able to plan all their actions. Such practice can be widely applicable.

The second step, which is the hardest one, - is the expansion of a labor market, and this task is assigned to employers. And it is a center of all this problem with competitiveness of graduates, because employers prefer to employ qualified experts with experience, rather than graduates with baggage of theoretical knowledge and lack of essential practice, so such actions of employers are totally justified as they are guided by profit and success of the enterprise, employers do not want to risk employing graduates.

However, in my opinion, there are some options which could satisfy both employers and graduates. It can be test lines for a graduate, professional training, additional advanced training courses, an exchange of experience, participation of trainees in projects, participation in making presentation and other types of such work where they will be able to show the knowledge and skills they have. After that, when an employer will get evident confirmation of the professionalism of a graduate he will give him a workplace without any risk.

But even despite all provided conditions the graduate won`t be competitive if he has no desire and aspiration, he shouldn`t be passive when the issue of his career is being resolved.

Summing up, it is possible to create a formula which will contain all components of competitiveness:

Each graduate has a chance and opportunity, they have to use it properly, show all their positive qualities and join the ranks of workers.