Post-Graduation Framework
Post-Graduation Care Framework
Rationale
The Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service has embarked on a transformative journey with the goal in sight that we must benefit our students as best as we can. For years, we have continued to sponsor/fund students, without ever providing a proactive level care once they complete and graduate.
The TSLS Post-graduation care framework aims to provide sound guidance, and much needed assistance to our sponsored/funded students to ensure that we do not only support our students while they are studying, but beyond as well, while they search for employment.
Vision
The vision or the end goal is to continue providing our sponsored/funded students Learning support throughout their three to four years of academic journey and not stopping there. These students continue to need our support even after they graduate as they the face the actual challenge of finding employment.
Understanding of Background
Many of our sponsored/funded students exited their high schools with very limited knowledge developed from their Careers classes on what exactly to be done when they are searching for employment. These students do manage to secure funding/sponsorship with TSLS and are supported through the Learning support team throughout their academic journeys. However, once they graduate, and are in search of employment, many still do not understand the basics of a job search, writing resumes, or understanding job advertisements. Therefore, although they may be graduates will full qualifications in their subject areas, they lack the basic knowledge of how to get themselves into employment to utilize their qualifications in the right fields.
Guiding Framework to provide post-graduation care
Beginning with 2022, all new graduates would be kept on a consolidated database whereby they can be kept in constant touch about upcoming post-graduation care sessions as well as sent resources.
These sessions would cover topics such as writing cover letters, attending interviews and understanding job advertisements amongst others.
As per the National Employment Centre Decree 2009, NEC is a ‘one-stop-shop when it comes to anyone that is unemployed, including TSLS graduates should they wish to register with NEC. Establishing contact and maintaining a relationship with NEC could also allows TSLS to identify the graduates still unemployed and work with them.
Establishing contact and maintaining a relationship with the Ministry of Civil service could also allow TSLS to identify the graduates still unemployed and work with them. The Ministry of Civil Service would also be able to provide data and information on the areas where most graduates are still awaiting employment.
These scheduled sessions would aim to assist students prepare for job interviews, preparing resumes and act as a care session in ensuring that students are preparing and performing right at interviews and job tests. These sessions will be marketed on our TSLS social media pages as well as on the database created where all new graduates from 2022 onwards can be contacted (as we continue to expand).
Through the relevant sections at TSLS, each semester graduating students’ lists will be obtained per HEI and added into the existing groups. For all graduates, demarcation and categorization can be done in terms of subject areas and the same may be forwarded to potential employers in search of employees. This would assist our sponsored/ funded students a shot at getting into employment.
Industry Engagements
The following will govern the approach TSLS will take in terms of Industry engagements linking them to our graduates seeking employment.
TSLS to create opportunities and platforms of engagement by organizing and inviting guest speakers from industries to meet and speak with our graduates seeking employment. These sessions will be pre-planned, scheduled and marketed to achieve maximum attendance. These opportunities will allow graduates to understand from an industry perspective the skills required off employees in their field, which would assist graduates as they plan for interviews or job tests etc.
The Learning support team to establish contact and have meetings with industry associations which are searching for graduates in their fields. These will include, but not limited to: The Fiji Institution of Engineers, the Construction Industry Council, the Fiji Association of Banks and the Fiji Disability Centre. Meetings with such associations will allow TSLS to put forward interested candidates and link them to the relevant industry associations to help ease the process of finding a suitable employment.
The Learning support team to create workable communication platforms between graduates seeking employment and the relevant industries searching for employees. Through regular meetings, it can be established what industries are searching for. Modern means such as creating Viber groups or email platforms for different graduate areas and linking them to the right people within different industries will help boost the graduates towards their search for employment. It is noted that the need to create such relationships between graduates and industries can be crucial in the finding the most suitable employment.
