Job options for illiterate and less-educated people

 

Job options for illiterate and less-educated people

Illiteracy in modern times is considered abnormal as there are so many and accessible education opportunities available everywhere. However, it is a fact that still many people are not formally educated in a school or other academic institution.

In the United States, 21% adults are illiterates in 2022 while 54% adults have literacy below 6^th grade level.

In Europe, many countries claim to have 100% literacy rate, but still there are people who are not able to read and write.

In Pakistan, the current literacy rate is 62.3% which means that an estimated population of 60 million is illiterate. Even those who are considered literate include many who are merely able to read and write their names and are not able to perform other tasks that require education.

Illiteracy is not a crime. Many people due to their peculiar socio-economic background, access to education and financial problems are not able to formally enroll in a school. However, it does not mean that employment opportunities are closed for them.

 

Illiterate people also need jobs to earn their living

Every person, whether literate, semi-literate or illiterate, needs a job to earn living. This right cannot be denied. It is the primary responsibility of the state to provide education and health facilities to its citizens. However, providing a job is not the responsibility of a state, but it can provide an enabling and facilitating environment to assist people find work opportunities.

Finding a job is always a difficult and frustrating experience for many people, despite having good academic credentials, knowledge, physical fitness and connections.

Imagine how difficult it would be for a person with no formal education or work experience to find an opportunity to earn wages.

It does not necessarily mean that he/she is not able to do a job. There are jobs for literate as well as illiterate people in the world. However, one must keep in mind that persons with no formal education or literacy will end up doing jobs that are menial, labor-intensive, low-waged and at times not socially respected in the world.

In this article, we will discuss the options for uneducated, illiterate or semi-educated people who want to work and make a livelihood for their families.

 

Job options for illiterate or less educated people

Majority of the people living in developing countries like Pakistan prefer to work for someone else rather than starting their own business. A major reason for this choice is the lack of financial resources, necessary experience or guidance in starting a business.

With population rising at an astronomical pace and number of people with formal school, college or university education rising, the competition for white collar jobs has reached to a cut-throat level. Where does this scenario put the people who do not hold formal educational qualifications?

An encouraging thing is that it is not the end of the world for illiterate people. There are still plenty of opportunities available in various sectors that do not require formal education. However, it is always good for a person to learn some kind of reading and writing to help him/her in his work.

Such people can still try their luck in several fields and earn a reasonable income.  

Some options for people with low level or no formal education in Pakistan are as below. It must be remembered that some of the roles described below require an educational level up to middle (school grade 8) or matriculation (school grade 10).

 

Government jobs:

•          Driver
•          Gardener
•          Dispatch Rider
•          Security Guard
•          Naib Qasid/Peon

 

Private jobs:

•          Delivery Boy
•          Vegetable/Fruit markets
•          Driver
•          Security Guard
•          Jobs at petrol stations
•          Departmental stores
•          Cleaners jobs
•          Labour in construction industry

Technical/vocational skills:

•          Electrician
•          Plumber
•          Auto mechanic
•          Graphic designer
•          Crane operator

Business options:

Staring own business or to become part of some already established business is something that does not require a formal education. A person intending to start his/her own business with limited economic resources can start in the following fields:

•          Agri businesses
•          Spare parts
•          Vegetable/Fruits shop
•          Garments business with small stocks