One of the biggest challenges faced in Sri Lanka’s economy has been reduced to a simple tagline: jobs without people and people without jobs. Variations of this tagline are seen scattered across government pamphlets, industry white papers and economic reports, all aiming to get to the bottom of a pervasive question: do we really have a skills shortage?

The latest report of the Department of Census and Statistics Sri Lanka states that 21.6% of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are currently unemployed, with 8.8% of the unemployed labour force possessing higher education qualifications. Despite this implicit suggestion of a surplus in labour supply, employers are experiencing a lack of technical expertise as well as a severe talent mismatch, with too many graduates holding qualifications employers don’t need.

So why is this? Naomi Pinkerton, the HR Manager of Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG), has a theory. From her perspective, the major deficiency in Sri Lanka’s job market has far less to do with the qualifications of individual job seekers. “What we are calling a skills shortage is really a communications problem,” she asserts.

As internet penetration rates grow in emerging and frontier markets such as Sri Lanka, with substantial investments in the IT sector, we can see an increase in online job applications. Getting one’s application noticed through the World Wide Web, however, is the challenge. In a digital hiring environment the difference between landing an interview and ending up in the rejection pile can literally come down to semantics. “I don’t think the problem is necessarily with the skills themselves, but how these skills are incorporated and adapted to a specific job role. Very few applicants go the extra mile to explain how their background and skills will contribute to their success in a certain role,” Naomi Pinkerton says.

Universities and other Educational bodies may claim they’re not in the business of selling job credentials, but that is undeniably what the majority of students think they’re buying. In the end, the philosophical standoff between educators and employers places far too much responsibility on young people to navigate a system that frankly has no clear blueprint.

The solution to the “skills shortage” isn’t likely to be found in funneling students into trades programs or more technical degrees. It will only come when educators and employers finally have some serious discussions, and likely with government oversight. “Online career platforms should especially contribute to this cause by means of closer collaborations between educational institutions and employers,” affirms Sascha Woelk, the Managing Director of Everjobs, currently the fastest growing career platform in Sri Lanka. “And with this, we can begin to resolve these challenges faced by jobseekers and employers so they’re more informed and as a result, better-equipped in the job market.”

About Everjobs: Everjobs is a job portal currently operating in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Cameroon. Launched in March 2015 and led by co-founder Ronald Schuurs, Everjobs aims to become the leading job portal in fast growing economies finding the right match for both, employers and candidates. The company is backed by the Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG).

Photo caption: Sascha Woelk, Managing Director of Everjobs Sri Lanka