MYANMAR people insist that degrees earned at government universities are helpful when applying for international jobs and university placements, which is why enrolment remains high.

“The certificates from the government are very useful when we apply to schools or for jobs,” said U Aung Kyaw San, managing director of Smart Resource Centre. The centre has recently sent more than 50 students to Singapore to further their education.

Every domestic company and overseas university asks to see transcripts and education certificates before offering a job or accepting a student, proof that government certificates are vital.

More than 700,000 post-matriculation students crowd the desks of student affairs departments at universities to register each year – knowing full well that university qualifications are more highly regarded than private education certificates.

Myanmar has 156 universities and offers more than 50 different degrees depending on matriculation results and career aspirations.

Among these, medicine and engineering degrees are popular in Myanmar because they can lead to prestigious careers that benefit both the public and graduates. Yearly, about 7000 outstanding students out of 700,000 get the chance to study in these two disciplines.

Computer degrees have become the third most popular choice in Myanmar, with more than 5000 graduating in the field every year.

Another option is the Universities of Foreign Languages, which offer an array of foreign languages to graduates. Every year about 700 students study English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, German or Russian in a regular diploma course, which is completely different to the shorter human-resource development courses.

Apart from these popular subjects, private businesses often favour job applicants who have completed private education courses – especially when they are related to a specific industry.

U Aye Kyaw, managing director of Myanmar Human Resource Company Limited, said private institutions are more flexible to industry demands than government universities.

“Companies want skilled labour and private education institutions always provide the required qualifications. So the private sector links graduates to workplaces,” he said.

Today, private education institutions play a leading role in providing qualified human-resources training to the country. About 500 private training schools offer English and other languages, accounting, computer skills and management and supply well-trained graduates.

With ever increasing numbers of international companies looking to open businesses in Myanmar, the importance of training and educational facilities – and the degrees and qualifications they provide – can only grow.