Kreetika Kumar 
The attrition rates for scholarship and loan schemes are alarmingly high, pointing to a significant issue that demands urgent attention.
This has been highlighted by Professor Hitendra Pillay of Queensland University of Technology as he presented his findings on the Human Capital Development Plan.
Pillay says a lack of guidance is driving a surge of students into degree programs, contributing to an unacceptably high dropout rate.
He adds that Fiji does not have the capacity to absorb all the graduates coming out of universities.
“Again, the very reason is that you don’t need that many people in the degree programs. And halfway through, people realize, even if I finish this, what am I going to do? So they drop out after the third and fourth years.”
Pillay states that universities need to start thinking about how they can diversify and desegregate different aspects of the labour market.
Meanwhile, Pillay reviewed the priority areas for scholarships and study loans and presented his findings on the Human Capital Development Plan, which was handed over to the Assistance Minister of Finance, Esrom Immanuel.
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