Labour Market Prospects for Business Graduates in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The employment of graduates to raise an organization’s intellectual capital is not a new phenomenon. But it is clear that there is a less demand for graduates all over the world. It is basically due to the miss-match between graduates’ competencies and employers’ expectations and also due to the weak relationship between university and the business sector. As a developing country under sever conflict situations in political, social and cultural Sri Lanka is not exceptional pertaining to this issue. This paper attempts to investigate into the assessment of private sector employers towards recruiting business graduates in Sri Lanka. The study investigated 65 of private sector business firms who are the possible employers of providing job opportunities for potential employees in Sri Lanka. Findings of the study showed that among the other state university graduates but except engineers and doctors, business graduates have more or less the necessary skills and qualities needed to work in private sector work places. But those skills and qualities are not up to the standard expected by the private sector employers. Among those skills Sri Lankan business graduates especially lack with ICT skills, English language proficiency and the applicability of practical knowledge. Hence the business graduates of Sri Lanka should improve the essential skills, attitudes and qualities in order to create a good demand for them in the available job market and to complete with other professionally qualified personne