Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer. What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?

Education is more important in the modern era than it was in the past and the percentage of students who complete their university education is rising significantly. Many people argue that university education should be aimed at better job prospects whereas others believe that prime objective of a university is to provide better knowledge. However, I believe that university education curriculum should be modified to include more professional training and courses to help students for their future career.

There is no doubt that university education is expensive. People mostly go to universities to ensure a demanding job and better career prospects. Obviously, there are other reasons for people to attend higher education but having a better career is the most dominating factor these days. If the students could have applied to any job after they complete their schools, I am sure the percentage of the university going students would have decreased dramatically.

In my belief, universities should include workshops and practical sessions in their curriculum because the practical sessions are both job oriented and have greater effects on learning. For instance, those who go to the nursing courses have a specific goal in mind – to become a successful nurse. Similarly, if a medical student says that he is not studying to become a successful doctor, rather, to understand the human body and mind, we can take it as a possible lie. So if the universities only provide theoretical knowledge, after graduation students will find it tough to apply the knowledge in their work field. Every government funded university costs a huge sum of money and the government has an aim for all the cost it bears –to make honest, skilled and better performing employees for the state. This single example reveals how important it is for universities to focus on creating future professionals with appropriate knowledge and skill set.

In addition, unemployment is a severe problem worldwide these days and the number of unemployed graduates is a daunting issue. If the universities focus more on the career-oriented education, this problem would significantly decrease. Many organisations recruit talented and experienced individual and those sort of people have a better prospect of career development. Appointing fresher in jobs is burdensome for many companies because they need to train them for several months and overall output and productivity will decline during these periods. If the university education includes some courses related to job prospects, students can perform well immediately after their graduation.

On the other hand, some argue that university education should be for improving the knowledge level of students. Including workshop or job oriented courses will decline the value of education and it will increase the course duration. They opine that better education makes people to a have better adaptability and even though they require some initial training, they outperform others in the long run with their knowledge.

Taking everything into consideration, it can be summarised that university education should be aimed to help students to prepare for their career. Adding workshops and job-related courses will enhance their knowledge and they will perform well in the future. It is more beneficial for each individual and for the society.