For decades, our educational culture has placed exclusive prestige on university degrees, often treating polytechnic and vocational education as second-best alternatives. This outdated mindset has contributed significantly to the widening mismatch between graduate skills and actual labor market demands, driving graduate unemployment.

To build a resilient economy, we must urgently destigmatize technical and vocational training. Skills in plumbing, electrical engineering, solar technology installation, software coding, and modern precision agriculture are the bedrock of rapid industrial development and self-employment.

Government and private industry must join forces to fund modern equipment for vocational training centers and establish robust national apprenticeship programs that guarantee hands-on experience for our youth.