Degree no job guarantee in China

Degree no job guarantee in China
Feb 22, 2008 12:10	#11
GRIZ326 Points: Join Date: Jun 12, 2006 Status: Offline	A degree, by itself, is no guarantee of a job in the USA and probably in most countries of the world. The problem of a glut of people with an undesirable degree has to do with the life-cycle of the need: industry cannot find qualified workers; schools sees opportunity to provide valuable education; industry either finds workers or work-arounds to satisfy the need; students graduate with the specialized training to a reduced market opportunity. >>>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. This continues to be a red herring used by educators, individuals and organizations unable to verbalize the short-comings of the students they taught or the employees they hired. Rote learning teaches students how to "learn to learn" which is lost in most modern educational methods. Our experience hiring Asian workers is very good. If there is a frequently seen short-coming it is in the willingness of a good Asian employee to assert a point of view or to independently make a decision. These issues appear to be more connected to matters of face than to a failure of education. Once they understand that they are on our team and that we need their thoughts and need for them to make decisions, they quickly get on board.

Feb 22, 2008 12:10

#11

GRIZ326
Points:
Join Date: Jun 12, 2006
Status: Offline

A degree, by itself, is no guarantee of a job in the USA and probably in most countries of the world.

The problem of a glut of people with an undesirable degree has to do with the life-cycle of the need: industry cannot find qualified workers; schools sees opportunity to provide valuable education; industry either finds workers or work-arounds to satisfy the need; students graduate with the specialized training to a reduced market opportunity.

>>>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.

This continues to be a red herring used by educators, individuals and organizations unable to verbalize the short-comings of the students they taught or the employees they hired. Rote learning teaches students how to "learn to learn" which is lost in most modern educational methods. Our experience hiring Asian workers is very good. If there is a frequently seen short-coming it is in the willingness of a good Asian employee to assert a point of view or to independently make a decision. These issues appear to be more connected to matters of face than to a failure of education. Once they understand that they are on our team and that we need their thoughts and need for them to make decisions, they quickly get on board.

Feb 23, 2008 10:10	#12
JCNILE123 Points: Join Date: Mar 30, 2006 Status: Offline	Quote, (The oversize of its population always make China's issues complicated. The supply relatively exceeds the demand. ) Yes, right on target. More educated people = many futures internal social problems for China. Pandemonium?

Feb 24, 2008 02:43

#13

APAULT
Points:
Join Date: Mar 11, 2006
Status: Offline

Never have I agreed so much with the previous posters!

We do have the same issues in many countries.

China is turning out too many substandard BA students who believe they are well educated, whereas they are really ready for clerical work. I work in a second tier private university where students can pay to come if they didn't have the marks to enter government unis. They are all lovely young people, but their English Major degrees are not much use to industry. A simple improvement would be to introduce combined courses of something and English, such as Business, Engineering, computers or whatever. Even so we are turning out too many BA graduates without their being enough jobs. There are also many employers blatantly ignoring the Labour Laws and exploiting their workers. So yes it is very tough on the young as as JC says, it is a potentially explosive situation.

As an aside: will foreign newspapers ever learn that it is meaningless to quote wages in their own currency and context. China is still a developing economy and we cannot expect the same levels of wages - but prices are also much lower and basic accommodation is often provided free.

The base rate for paying income tax is about to be raised from 1600rmb to 2000rmb a month in March. This will exclude over 70% of the workforce, so we get some idea of typical incomes.

Feb 24, 2008 09:28

#14

MARRIE
Points:
Join Date: Jan 7, 2008
Status: Offline

‘’China is turning out too many substandard BA students who believe they are well educated, whereas they are really ready for clerical work.’’

I think Paul has insight of it. That did happen 10 years ago, ie,, we had 10 engineering grads, 7 of them assigned to executive office (almost 100% of women eng grads were assigned daily clerical stuff ). In another words, they have no ideas what they learned. And access to high education is much harder in China than in the west and different majors have got their own threshold (things changed today, I guess). In order to get 100% of entry to uni, they just choose the major that could guarantee the access other than that they really have interest in.

Things could change now with china more opening to outside world. The idea of 4 year uni. Definitely has no guarantee of job is acceptable, I have5 younger cousins, 4 serve in IT, one of them now in Melbourn running web-related small business, one serves in US auditing firm in Shanghai. I am told they still learning while working and 4 yr uni life just set up foundations of learning potential in their fields.

Feb 24, 2008 19:57	#15
BBQQ Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	It is undeniable that many university students hold fake diploma, which should be responsible for their unemployment. However, that is not the only reason for the low employment rate. Many universities allure students by promising good job opportunities after the graduation. Most second-tier universities expand their enrollment just for more profits.

Feb 26, 2008 19:16

#16

GUEST1959

The unemployment of university graduates is also due to their high expectations. In fact, there are jobs available for new graduates, but they are unglamorous middle management position – factory managers, local bureaucrats even police officers. Many of new graduates expect jobs with high-tech companies, multinationals or the top levels of government. Some would rather go without work than consign themselves to what they perceive as drudgery.

Mar 1, 2008 20:34

#17

GUEST1755

Quote:
"A degree, by itself, is no guarantee of a job in the USA and probably in most countries of the world."

Hey, if a degree is no guarantee of a job, some Chinese parents in rural areas would have asked their kids to drop out schooling. Maybe, you guys don't umnderstand the sufferings of many Chinese poor families. Some parents devoted the whole life to financing their children to get a degree for the sake of a good job hence a better life. If a degree doesn't work, why do they waste their time and humble income to buy a share without any rising potential?

Mar 5, 2008 03:43	#18
GUESTRAIN	GUEST1755, you are wrong. Despite of that a degree does not ensure a job opportunity, Chinese parents remain confident in the power of education and knowledge. They still send their kids to go to college. " Knowledge is not useless." Knowlege might benifit you for the whole life.

Mar 6, 2008 12:41	#19
GRIZ326 Points: Join Date: Jun 12, 2006 Status: Offline	GUEST1755, education is your ticket in the door - some where. If you studied, you will eventually discover how to find your place. It may not be easy to find an open door, but the educated person has already proven an ability to persist.

Mar 9, 2008 04:17	#20
GUEST1755	To Griz326, Your points are comprehensible, but you don't understand how difficult for a poor family to afford the high education expenses. Now that receiving education can not ensure job opportunities, for poor families, sending their students to receive education means nothing. Even worse, the poor families will be trapped more deeply by the debts for receiving education.

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