National
PhD graduates battling to find jobs in SA─── THANDI XABA 05:49 Mon, 29 Jun 2015
Bloemfontein - About 50% of South Africa’s PhD graduates say they either have firsthand experience or know of other PhD graduates who have encountered difficulties finding employment.
A study on PhD graduates from the 14 leading universities in South Africa found that there is a growing gap between the number of PhD graduates the country produces each year and the number who find employment.
Postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Pretoria, Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka, says notable barriers to PhD employment appear to rest with prevailing employer assumptions such as over-qualification and high salaries.
Goneos-Malka says a PhD is the highest academic qualification an individual can attain and takes in total almost 10 years to complete.
She says the primary objective of a doctoral education is to create new knowledge to drive progress and development in all spheres of life, and in the new economy this is a source of wealth creation.
Thandi Xaba/OFM News
Amaleya Goneos-Malka:
