Higher Education Commission promotes stronger alignment between education and industry

A National Stakeholders’ Workshop for Promoting Graduate Employability, organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), opened this morning at Landscope Mauritius in Ebène. It brought together representatives of higher education institutions, industry, professional bodies, regulators and other key stakeholders to discuss how graduates can be better prepared for the world of work.

The workshop aimed to promote graduate employability, which refers to the knowledge, skills and competencies that enable graduates to enter employment, adapt to changing workplace requirements and contribute effectively to their chosen sectors.

Discussions focused on strengthening the alignment between higher education and labour-market requirements, with particular emphasis on the Sector-Specific Competency Operational Framework for Professional Qualifications, which covers competency-gap analysis, curriculum alignment and micro-credentials.

The Minister of Tertiary Education, Science and Research, Dr Kaviraj Sharma Sukon; the Chairperson of HEC, Dr Ashveen Kumar Kissoonah; and the Commissioner of HEC, Professor Romeela Mohee, were present at the opening ceremony.

In his address, Minister Sukon highlighted the role of micro-credentials in addressing the mismatch between the skills sought by employers and those available in the labour market. He explained that micro-credentials consist of structured courses with an assessment component, often developed through collaboration between universities and industry. These courses, he said, enable graduates to acquire skills that are directly relevant to workplace requirements.

Dr Sukon recalled that micro-credentials were introduced into the legal framework in 2025, following which six pilot projects were undertaken to familiarise universities and industry with the concept. He indicated that three micro-credentials had already been registered with the HEC, adding that the initiative can contribute to bridging skills gaps and enhancing the employability of graduates.

For his part, Dr Kissoonah stressed that rapid technological advances and transformations in the workplace require higher education to continuously adapt to evolving skills needs. The focus, he underlined, must not only be on producing graduates, but also on ensuring that they acquire the competencies required to contribute meaningfully to specific sectors.

Professor Mohee explained that the initiative brings together universities and professional bodies over a six-month period to map existing programmes against the skills required across different sectors. She indicated that identified gaps can be addressed through micro-credentials, continuous professional development and lifelong learning, while the methodology can also support the development of a National Employability Framework.

10 September 2026

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Topics: Education, Youth, Employment, Equal opportunities