The process of physical development is a never-ending cycle and there is always a requirement for skilled manpower to accomplish this development goals. It cannot be neglected that an academic degree is an indispensable tool, but in the same way experience and vocational training are as important as an academic degree. I strongly agree that a university degree alone cannot fill the voids created by a lack of a trained workforce in the construction industry.
To begin with, the literacy rate of many countries is in increasing trend and the government has also spent a substantial amount on improving its citizens’ education by encouraging them to get university degrees or at least take higher secondary education. This has encouraged the citizens to be academically sound, but on the other hand, this has reduced the engagement of people on acquiring the specialized training and hence creating the shortage of skilled manpowers in labor market.
On the other hand, more people attain university degrees in the hope of getting good pay, office-based job and less physical involvement. This has also triggered the shortage of trained manpower in market.
As far as I am concerned, to meet the ever-increasing demand for experienced technical manpower, the government and the private sectors should go hand in hand to conduct various programs to promote citizens to get such type of specialized training. For example, the Nepal government is currently conducting such programs through the Curriculum for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT). In my view, such institutions should not be limited to cities only but also to the villages and remote areas all over the country, to retains the manpowers in own country and cover the gap in labor market.
In summation, despite the importance of university degree, the need and importance of vocational training also cannot be out looked not only to fill the void of labor shortages but also for balanced and sustainable development.