AUST Job Fair highlights the need for job monitoring

The American University of Science and Technology organized yesterday its 14th job opportunities fair on its campus under the auspices of the Minister of State for Administrative Affairs, Nabil De Freij and with the attendance of AUST’s President, Hyam Sakr. Present also at the opening were members of faculty and administrative staff, deans of various AUST schools and a crowd of students of all majors. Some 120 companies representing the various sectors of tourism, industry, banking, health, ICT, printing, design, insurance, media, advertising and marketing, partook in this event. AUST Vice President Riad Sakr emphasized the need for universities to set up special centers or offices to monitor employment and job prospects. He urged these institutions to exercise their dual role in education and intellectual and cultural exposure as well as in preparation and orientation of students to various specialties that will meet the needs of the labor market. De Freij for his part considered that civic organizations and vocational and educational institutions contribute greatly to helping students carve their professional path. However, the main problem, he noted, remains in linking the specialty subject with the potential job openings. He blamed the lack of vocational guidance on both parents of students and on the private and public educational sector, while stigmatizing the absence of a comprehensive national strategy to boost the economy and the labor market. (An Nahar, 20 May 2015)