| Degree no job guarantee in China | |
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| Feb 20, 2008 01:40 |   |
 | Several times, I have been told that I underestimated China's education and employment capacity. Several months ago, I started a thread " How to bridge China's top-notch talents' gap?" I was criticized for 'the pessimistic outlook" about China's talents' pool. Today, I came across an article written by a news reporter of Los Angeles Times. After reading through the writer's writing, I become more concerned about China's booming enrollment and the ambition of China's education. Let's see how is the situation in a westerner's eyes. Booming enrollment is making it harder for graduates to find work. By Don Lee, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer February 18, 2008 |
| Feb 20, 2008 01:43 | #1 |
| WUHAN, CHINA -- Sun Yuanping skipped her college graduation ceremony for a job interview. It was an all-day affair and the bookish 22-year-old felt good about it. After all, she has degrees in marketing and botany from a well-regarded school in this central Chinese city, and she ranked in the top fifth of her class. Sun never heard back from that prospective employer nor from dozens of other companies and government agencies where she has applied since she graduated in June. Recently, after tearful self-reflection and long nights tossing in bed, she pared down her expectations and began sending her resume to small businesses offering salaries as low as $140 a month, a third of what she had hoped to make. As each jobless day passes and Sun lives off a $100 monthly allowance from her parents, she feels more and more guilty. "All along, I thought if I went to a good university, everything would be fine," Sun said on a recent snowy afternoon. Her eyes welled with tears as she went on. "At first, it was hard to believe. I considered myself to be quite excellent. I'm struggling to accept this." |
| Feb 20, 2008 01:45 | #2 |
| Until the start of this decade, a college degree in China put you in elite circles. The government arranged jobs for graduates in public agencies or state-owned enterprises. Unemployment wasn't an issue. But of the nearly 5 million young people who graduated in June, about 1.45 million were still unemployed in the fall, according to a study published last month by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Researchers estimated that by year-end, about 75% of the recent graduates had found jobs. China's graduate employment rate compares favorably with countries such as Japan, where 68% got jobs by the end of the year. No such comprehensive statistic exists for the United States. But Yang Dongping, a Beijing scholar who wrote the academy's report, cautioned that many schools in China were known to exaggerate placement figures. Whatever the true numbers, Yang said, "Without doubt, it's harder and harder for graduates to find jobs." That is evident in Wuhan, a city of about 10 million on the Yangtze River. Based on employment contracts and school certificates, officials said, the employment rate for university graduates in this city by year-end fell from 83% in 2003 to 73% in 2006. Their average monthly take-home pay is $200 to $240 -- compared with about $160 for all Wuhan residents. In part, the falling hiring rates reflect booming enrollment at Chinese universities and the opening of new schools, many of them second-rate. About 5.6 million Chinese are expected to graduate from two- and four-year colleges this year, five times the number in 2001. |
| Feb 20, 2008 01:46 | #3 |
| But the rising joblessness also mirrors broader problems in China's education system and economy, as well as inflated expectations of many graduates. Researchers and company recruiters say too many students are coming out of universities unprepared for the marketplace. Many undergraduate institutions have aggressively expanded programs in fields such as law, where there are relatively few openings for those without advanced degrees. Of most concern, company managers say, is that many students lack creativity and analytical ability, having been drilled in memorizing and reciting facts. "Universities should train students more according to the needs of the job market and encourage them to be more innovative," said Ji Xueqing, general manager of the Shanghai branch of software maker Ufida Co. Last year, he said, his branch hired about 600 staffers, including fresh graduates. For each position, there were seven to eight candidates. "With development, our society will need more experienced workers, and companies will have higher requirements," Ji said. "It's going to get harder for [new graduates] to find a satisfactory job." That worries government officials. "When the employment situation is difficult, relations between teachers and students are tense," said Yang Yiyong, vice director of economic research at the National Development and Reform Commission, a powerful policymaking agency in Beijing. A year and a half ago in China's central Henan province, students at Shengda College rioted after they discovered that their diplomas didn't bear the name of the school's more-prestigious affiliate, Zhengzhou University. Students, worried that the change would hurt their job prospects, ransacked offices, smashed windows and scuffled with police. "Education is a very large expense for ordinary families. Of course they want to get a return after graduation," Yang said. Since then, the central government has moved to slow enrollment growth. And cities have eased resident permit rules to allow job seekers greater mobility. More universities have beefed up their career counseling and job centers. Still, Yang said, "in the near future, the placement situation for graduates will remain very severe. We haven't reached the peak for college graduates. . . . Therefore, they should adopt a more modest attitude when looking for jobs." |
| Feb 20, 2008 01:47 | #4 |
| Like many Chinese graduates, Cheng Xiaohui is the first in his family to go to college -- the first, in fact, in his entire farming village of 300, about 100 miles northwest of Wuhan. Two years ago, the 25-year-old graduated from China Three Gorges University in western Hubei province, majoring in environmental engineering. The job market didn't look good, so Cheng moved here to pursue a master's degree in environmental engineering at Wuhan University of Technology. He graduates this June but has been applying for jobs since October. "I want to go to a large design institute, not a small private company," Cheng said, warming his hands with a cup of hot chocolate. For now, he said, he's holding out for a salary of at least $300 a month. "I have a lot of pressure. . . . I can't find some job that any migrant worker can do," said Cheng, an earnest man with deep lines on his face. "Every year, most of my family's income is used for tuition. My parents never mention income. They just say, 'Focus on your studies.' " Undergraduate tuition at Three Gorges University runs $1,300 to $1,800 a year. For living expenses, Cheng said, he borrowed about $800 a year from the government |
| Feb 20, 2008 19:47 | #5 |
| As an outsider looking in, I didn’t have any idea how serious the unemployment in China is. To be honest, there was a time when I assumed it was very easy for the Chinese people to get a job in China because of the booming economy and the barrage of foreign investments. It was only last December when I learned how tough it was when my Chinese friend sent me his resume. He wanted me to check it for him before he sends out copies of them. I was confused at first how come he was sending out resumes in English, but anyway, what floored me was when he told me that he already sent out close to 50 resumes to different companies and he never got any response. Not even one! He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Masters Degree in International Trade from Dalian University of Technology, has work experience in Information Technology and he can communicate in English really well. You would think companies would want him. "Of most concern, company managers say, is that many students lack creativity and analytical ability, having been drilled in memorizing and reciting facts. Universities should train students more according to the needs of the job market and encourage them to be more innovative." Memorization of facts in school will prove useless on the job. Company owners and hiring managers want people who are skillful, innovative, imaginative and good at problem-solving, but the biggest factor is attitude and the ability to work in a team. No matter how intelligent the person is, he won’t be an asset for the company if he can’t get along with his co-workers or he is always calling in sick. At work during hiring, the very first thing we always look at is attitude. Why? It is very easy to teach someone how to use office machines and programs, but how do you teach people how to be considerate and kind so he/she can get along with everyone? |
| Feb 20, 2008 20:33 | #6 |
| " Until the start of this decade, a college degree in China put you in elite circles. The government arranged jobs for graduates in public agencies or state-owned enterprises. Unemployment wasn't an issue. " That has been a past. College graduates are ready to compete aggressively for every job opportunity, whereas not long ago they were asked just to sit idle and wait for whatever was to be assigned to them by the government. |
| Feb 21, 2008 04:13 | #7 |
| A degree in any country should never be a guarantee of a job. I know of many people in my home city who have bought their degree, paid another student to do all their work for them. A person should get a job based on their ability not a piece of paper |
| Feb 21, 2008 20:43 | #8 |
| The oversize of its population always make China's issues complicated. The suppy relatively exceeds the demand. |
| Feb 21, 2008 21:50 | #9 |
| the belief of no security in job whips human being to develop themselves. that is cruel side of capitalism. |
| Feb 21, 2008 23:15 | #10 |
| The same problem exists in the United States for the college graduates. And I believe part of the problem is that the universities(local and national level) aren't being honest with the students in regards to prospective employment opportunities i.e. the enrollments would be dropping and the colleges(universities) would not want to see their revenue decreasing. So... the graduates are stuck with an expensive degree and jobs(if any) that do not compensate for that expense. |
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