Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Phd in science and technology policy management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Mazandaran University,Iran
2 PhD in Higher Education Managment, Department of Management and Education Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Economics and Entrepreneurship, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
Abstract
The present study aims to reflect on the root inhibitors of employment among university graduates to propose optimal policy solutions. For this purpose, a qualitative approach and descriptive phenomenology method were utilized. The participants included academic and research experts with backgrounds in related research fields, selected through purposive snowball sampling, considering theoretical saturation in the findings. Sixteen individuals were chosen. Data collection was carried out using semi-structured interviews, and the obtained data were analyzed using content analysis based on the inductive approach of the Graneheim and Lundman model (2004). The findings indicated that the fundamental issues of higher education graduate employment in Iran are rooted in the misalignment of university programs and curricula with the actual needs and skills of various industry, society, and labor market sectors, the mismatch between the supply and demand levels of graduates with the country's needs, the non-knowledge-based nature of the economy, industries, and market of the country, the prevalence of credentialism culture in education and employment, and the lack of appropriate entrepreneurship culture and education among university graduates. The study encapsulates three basic concepts: First, one of the main reasons for the unemployment of university graduates in Iran is the gap between academic education and the skills required by the labor market. Second, effective interaction with the labor market is considered the missing link in the management of Iran's academic system. Third, the academic education process in Iran emphasizes scientific theories rather than the integration of theory and practice and skill-based training.
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