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China Wants Fewer College Grads, More Skilled Workers. Sound Familiar?

tonyget

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China Wants Fewer College Grads, More Skilled Workers. Sound Familiar? - Businessweek


The U.S. and China differ in many ways. But when it comes to education, there’s one striking similarity. In both countries a mismatch exists between what young people learn and the skills employers need. Just as in the U.S., China’s university graduates—some 7 million each year—are struggling to find jobs.

Now China has a new approach to fixing its problematic education system: It will train many more of its young people in skills-based vocational institutions (China has both vocational high schools and vocational colleges), rather than having them go to regular high schools and universities for academic studies, reports the China Daily today.

“The rise of the Chinese economy is accompanied with quality improvements of Chinese products and services,” said premier Li Keqiang, speaking at a national vocational education confab in Beijing on June 23. “Imagine the scale and level of Chinese products and services if most of the 900-million-strong labor force can be trained to master medium- and high-level skills.”

A guideline issued by China’s State Council on Sunday aims to increase the number of students in vocational educational institutions from 29.34 million now, to 38.3 million by 2020. The total that year will be made up of 23.5 million studying at vocational high schools and 14.8 million in vocational colleges; the latter usually run programs lasting two to three years.

Some 600 universities could be converted into vocational colleges, adding to the 1,300 China already has, which graduated around 6 million students last year. While China already has the world’s largest number of vocational institutes (13,600 schools and colleges), they are underfunded, need upgraded facilities, and suffer faculty shortages, according to Ge Daokui, the director responsible for vocational studies at the education ministry.

National education authorities intend to start fixing the problems by requiring that local governments ensure adequate education funds are budgeted for vocational institutes. New policies will also encourage the creation of private vocational academies by offering preferential loans as well as favorable tax policies.

Convincing parents to encourage their children to choose vocational training over academic studies will be tough. As is true in many other parts of the world, getting a university degree grants one higher social status. But by emphasizing the high level support behind the latest policy shift, Beijing is trying to change attitudes towards skills-based education.

“Now the top leadership, including Premier Li Keqiang, are redefining modern vocational education,” said Liu Qiaoli, a researcher at the Beijing-based National Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the education ministry. “He connects it with improving people’s livelihoods and the country’s development, and he acknowledges the essential role of vocational education.”
 
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@Peter C

Apparently, in both US and China, college education does not equal good job.
 
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@Peter C

Apparently, in both US and China, college education does not equal good job.

The reason is because in College, you go through a BROAD set of educational courses such as Literature, Communication, History and all. Which doesn't teach you "Adaptability" and getting accustomed to today's job market where everything happens with tools, technology and advanced engineering.

When you graduate without having too much exposure to advance technical skills.....you'll have a hard time in adapting to any work situation. Plus traditional education lacks the "reasoning" and "problem solving" skills in many ways. This is where India takes a lead over others. Their educational system is heavily focused on Engineering, Science and Technology. You can take a graduate from an Engineering school and through further education, you can teach him communication and other soft skills as he or she is used to working on solving complex issues and problems. But if you take a really soft skilled person from a Communication or History educational background, it'll be VERY difficult for them to learn advance problem solving as their brain has been wired differently and these people will have a hard time in getting comfortable with a demanding work place.
 
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College students(three years)can be trained to skilled workers and technicians. Actually many auto companies have many skilled technicians graduate from college to operate/maintenance robots/dies/stamp machines and are really well paid. An electronic/mechanic technician can be paid more than 100K per year that is higher than most white collars.
Its true that technicians are badly needed in many industries in China.
 
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This is where India takes a lead over others. Their educational system is heavily focused on Engineering, Science and Technology. You can take a graduate from an Engineering school and through further education, you can teach him communication and other soft skills as he or she is used to working on solving complex issues and problems. But if you take a really soft skilled person from a Communication or History educational background, it'll be VERY difficult for them to learn advance problem solving as their brain has been wired differently and these people will have a hard time in getting comfortable with a demanding work place.


In India, tech is poor kids first choice, the rich kids all go for med/law same as in West
 
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Similar issue here too
Today, an electrician earns as much as an engineer - The Times of India

Sourcing of these skilled workers is becoming harder than before, agrees G R Dastoor, senior VP, industrial relations, Godrej & Boyce, which taps various sources like employee references, employment exchange and head-hunters. But head hunters are also finding it hard to locate workers with these skills.

"Of the 10 electricians required in the industry, we are finding it difficult to get even two. A large infrastructure company recently told us that if we could bring them one lakh welders, fitters, plumbers and electricians, the company would be happy to employ them. That's the kind of demand for these workers," says Chakraborty.

Going to engineering college is a prestige issue, and a lot of people think going to a polytechnic (electrician,mechanic etc) is being a step lower.
 
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China needs less educated people, and more factory workers.
Wrong. Education is that people most concerned in China.
China need more technicians than normal workers for labor markets demand and the industry upgrade.
 
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Europe is particularly affected by this issue, there are too many educated and unemployed youths

The fact that they are educated only make the situation even worse, they'd rather rely on welfare than take unskilled jobs
 
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Hey, Tony, you got same ID in CD, right?
 
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@Peter C

Apparently, in both US and China, college education does not equal good job.
China needs less educated people, and more factory workers.

You are confusing with terms. The "skilled worker or 专科" programs in China refers to vocational education, which is equivalent to undergraduate level degree. The difference is that university degree focuses on fundamental knowledge which follows the research & development route and vocational degree focuses on technical skill which follows the technician route. Both are equivalent level education, just in different fields of specialization.

Where did you get the idea that skill worker and technicians do not need education?
 
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Europe is particularly affected by this issue, there are too many educated and unemployed youths

The fact that they are educated only make the situation even worse, they'd rather rely on welfare than take unskilled jobs
The fact is that some low skilled positions just repeat again and again. Many replaced by automated machines but many positions just cant be replaced.
Sometimes, the works are highly restricted for quality control by routines/process management.
 
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I think it is time to make some changes in the current education system.
 
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