Higher Education and Employment: An International Comparative ...

2 The Methodology UsedThe issuesAs we mentioned in the section on the organization of the revearcb. theissues to be analysed were developed by the national team, which wasmade up of members of several different agencies. A typical list of issuesused to form the basis of the methodology to be adopted in a particularcountry study is given below. Any attempt to tackle tl.ese issues calls for abetter understanding of the mechanism of articulation between employmentand the education system. Such an understanding is useful for theeducation system, the individual (student, then wage earner), and theemployer (or firm). It was noted that it would be desirable to develop anintegrated picture of the education-employment complex by combining allthree of these points of view. The issues are grouped in five categories: (1)those related to economic characteristics, (2) those related to the characteristicsof the education system, (3) those related to the characteristics,expectations and aspirations of students, (4) those related to the labourmarketexperiences of the graduates and their employers, and (5) thoserelated to the planning of higher education in relation to emptoyment needsof the country. The issues are listed below for each group.Issues related to economic characteristics1 What role nave the resource potentials in the country played inthe development of the different sectors of the economy?2 How do the different economic sectors operate? What are theirdevelopment prospects?3 What role do population characteristics play in the formulation ofthe education and manpower policy? Is education practised as abasic human right? Should work also be considered as a basicright?16.. .