Only a 15% of the graduates in Iran have enough job skills to enter the market, said the deputy minister of cooperatives, labor, and social welfare to Mehr news agency. Kourosh Parand said some graduates decide to continue their academic careers because of the lack of junior positions available. The official stressed that career and technical education (CTE) was crucial in the current situation where the country is moving towards a positive GDP. Parand added that official statistics said each single dollar invested in CTE in 2012, yielded an added value of $15. He said there are 4.5 million students in the country, 66% of whom are earning bachelor’s degree, while only 23.3% study for associate degree.
