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"I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers." - Mahatma Gandhi ISSUE 17 | 24PAGES JANUARY 2011 FREE 2011, l’année de tous les défis EDITORIAL : University graduates in Mauritius: Too few? Too many? PAGE 03 // Over the past five years, the number of youngsters with tertiary credentials has increased extensively in Mauri- tius. At the same time, employers fret that they are not getting the skilled workers they need to compete and contend in a global economy. Em- ployers feel that skills availabilities are a major impediment to business, as much as, if not more than, meeting onerous regulations. CONTRECOUP : “Le sensationnalisme, tactique évocatrice? PAGE 04 // NSIGHT Ce mot de cinq syllabes qu’est le sensationnalisme réveille nos émotions qui sont refoulées en nous. En effet, le MEDIA GROUP sensationnalisme est une manœuvre de marketing adopté par les médias. Susciter l’intérêt des lecteurs et des téléspectateurs pour se tailler une part du marché en est le principal objectif. Ainsi, certains acteurs du monde “ INSIGHT NEWSPAPER ” 8, D’Artois Street médiatique se croient tout permis ; ils n’hésitent pas à jouer avec les émotions du public en publiant des articles Port Louis, Mauritius Website : www.uominsight.com à titre évocateur ou illustrés par des photos choquantes. Ayant recours au sensationnalisme est bien plus qu’un Email : [email protected] simple geste de marketing, c’est le pouvoir de manipuler les données et les émotions du lecteur à la fois. ................................................................................ DIRECTEUR / RÉDACTEUR-EN-CHEF Krishna Athal SECRÉTARIAT FACEBOOK : A major influence on today’s society Hemanta Diksha Neerbun ACTUALITÉ GÉNÉRALE PAGE 16 // Aldo Amic Over the past years we’ve seen a major increase in the number of new Facebook users. Indeed this online social SOCIETÉ / CULTURE Ryan Krishna Appadoo ensnare is an addiction that has caused people to cross the line from social networking to social dysfunction. 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Telecommunications, Media & IT Real Estate Hospitality & Tourism Energy Commerce & Financial Services 38, Royal Street, Port Louis, Mauritius - Tel: (230) 206 6200 - Fax: (230) 240 8133 - www.currimjee.com INSIGHT // 02 ISSUE 17 // JANUARY 2011 EDITORIAL // Krishna ATHAL Editor-in-Chief [email protected] University graduates in Mauritius: Too few? Too many? Over the past five years, the number of youngsters with tertiary credentials has increased extensively in Mauritius. At the same time, employers fret that they are not getting the skilled workers they need to compete and contend in a global economy. Employers feel that skills availabilities are a major impediment to business, as much as, if not more than, meet- ing onerous regulations. munications and technical skills a critical role in structuring the be given and not bounded by eco- such as computer familiarity. This learning process. Rather than ask- nomics). So if we need to have a would argue that increased in- ing the question of whether we solution at all, I’ll like to suggest vestment should focus on quality are churning too many graduates the creation of a marketplace for rather than just quantity. for too few jobs or not enough employers, training institutes and graduates for too many jobs, we jobseekers to meet together and The key here may be the qual- must first ask ourselves what interact on employment-related ity of education, quality not just of higher education means for us. To matters. Such a platform should tertiary education, but of the en- me, personally, education means be kept robust and expansive to tire formal education system. Edu- the enlightenment of minds which engage as many organisations and cation system has not been able to goes beyond numbers and trying individuals as possible (much like keep pace with the fast changing to balance demand-and-supply our local marketplace) so that ev- world. Despite advances in tech- of whether too many or too few eryone is kept abreast about the nology, communication, transpor- graduates are being churned latest in the labour market. tation, globalized and competi- out for the job market. The an- tive economic environment, our swer from my perspective will In August 2010 when I par- school and university curriculum therefore be that “There's never ticipated in the Olympic Game in and pedagogy remain largely the enough graduates who are quali- Singapore, I discovered an organi- same as a decade ago. Teachers fied enough.” sation called the Employment and pass down facts and students try Employability Institute (www.e2i. to memorize them for tests. Such Educational institutions all com.sg) where the pulse of the job Such employer frustrations (MICs) and MICs, high-income a system is difficult to cultivate the over the world are offering gradu- market beats. Indeed, a centralised must puzzle the many university countries (HICs); they may also ‘soft skills’ demanded by today's ate level programs to give people platform as such will help us have graduates having trouble getting affect social stability as young economy. the opportunities to acquire the a better idea what the situation is jobs. And some who get jobs people’s expectations are at an all- necessary skills not just to work like real-time in national context, are the first to lose them during time high. It is thus not surprising H2: High unemployment may but to socialise and to think more rather than grasping at straws try- economic downturns; recently that developed countries’ govern- be due to the unrealistic expec- critically. These institutions have ing to establish what is lacking experienced by two of my close ments are considering investing a tations of graduates that they are adopted curricula and pedagogies and drawing comparisons across friends. Whether it is desirable great deal of their national wealth entitled to ‘white collar’ jobs in of- that reflect the unique culture and the globe which may be helpful in or not, nobody can deny the fact on expanding and improving their fices and that ensure lifetime se- contexts in which they have been certain contexts but not in others. that today unemployment rates tertiary education systems. curity. In contrast, in the United situated – whether they have been Perhaps then, we could sharpen among tertiary graduates are sky- States, the average college gradu- affected by resource, economic, our definition about the problem scraping. I would like to know what you ate will have had 7 jobs in the first political factors. We know there we are trying to tackle. readers think about this puzzle: two years after graduation, and are centres of excellence that we An unemployed, newly-minted lots of graduates, not enough many of them in areas that are aspire to become – the Harvard, unrelated to their field of study or MIT, IIT, Stanford and Cambridge BA, friend of 24-year old groused skilled workers, high rates of THOUGHT OF in what are seemingly menial jobs but let us not overly emphasise in a recent discussion: “I expected graduate unemployment, frustra- THE MONTH to find a job easily since I have a tion all around despite high rates but which teach invaluable life these and thus lose focus that we degree in Computer Science & of economic growth. Let me ad- skills. Societies need to prepare are standing on the shoulders of “It is the same when Sid- dhartha has an aim, a goal. Engineering from University vance just two hypotheses (conve- the expectations of young people local giants who have gone on be- Siddhartha does nothing; he of Mauritius. But, after going to niently labelled as “H” to give our about labour market realities and fore us. Being a Mauritian, I think about the need to get good basic we have under-played our capa- waits, he thinks, he fasts, but multiple interviews, I found out discussion a veneer of academic he goes through the affairs experience early in their careers. bilities and thus limit ourselves in that firms are hesitant to hire me decorum and respectability) to get of the world like the stone because despite my degree, they the discussion going: terms of what we have achieved through water, without doing have to train me to meet their Let’s be optimistic… and can potentially achieve.