China's Employment Market Challenged by 2mn Graduates

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 10, 2003

China's Employment Market Challenged by 2mn Graduates

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Graduate Job Fair in Beijng

Due to the enrollment expansion of China's higher-learning institutions starting in 1999, the employment market today has to go through an ordeal of being submerged by graduates, the then "lucky stars".

By sources from the Ministry of Education, 2003, the first peak year of graduates since expanding university (college) enrolment, will have a total of 2.12 million graduates compared with 1.45 million in 2002. In a breakdown, postgraduates and university (or college) graduates stand at 112,000 in Beijing area, up 26.3 percent. The 2 million more beneficiaries of college admission expansion begin to worry about their employment.

In the past dozens of years, a receiver of higher education would be very easy to get a job, but it has changed recently due to the slowdown increase of job-opportunities in cities. And the enrolment expansion makes it prominent in intellectuals' employment. Though someone raised questions about enrolment expansion beforehand, more people believe that the problem of graduates' employment should be regarded as something structural or rather a superficial surplus in that.

Authoritative statistics show that China's population who has received higher education account for around 5 percent of the nation's total, lagging far behind the developed countries. "China, integrating into the global economy, is confronted with a serious shortage of intellectuals. Even though the country did not increase university (college) enrolment, young men would still have to face the problem, looking for a job." Said education expert Mr. Lu Xin.

He spelled out the present heavy pressure of employment that graduates concentrate their job destination on economic-developed big & medium-sized cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and favor big state-owned enterprises, foreign-funded enterprises or government organs. Nonetheless, different universities (colleges) and majors show a world of difference, seen a ratio of 9 vs. 1 in job opportunities to graduates in Tsinghua University.

The gloomy employment situation evokes reflections on China's higher education system. Mr. Tang Jun with the social security research under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences held that some institutions of higher learning, advocates "education industrialization", have a strong appetite when enrolling students, whereas proven to be disqualified in training students ---- the irrational curricula and students lacking in knowledge and abilities.

The employment question of university (college) graduates also draws high attention from the Chinese government, which together with educational institutions are endeavoring to create a favorable employment environment, such as formulating and publishing some encouraging policies.

Undoubtedly, with the popularization of China's higher education, today's university (or college) students having bid adieu to superiority predecessors will enjoy, and are faced with growingly intense competition of the market. Data suggest that graduates will rise at a rate of 10-30 percent a year according to plans made by education departments. An official with the Ministry of Education confirmed, " China's higher education system is shifting from the one for the elite to another for civilian."

A faculty with People's University said, " As a matter of fact, what makes the graduates feel perplexed is not to get a job but choose a job. For instance, the ratio of graduates to posts is 1vs.1.5 in Beijing. However, graduates at large expect too much of themselves. Whoever is responsible for them is not the society but they themselves." "First getting employed and then finding a career" is the most catching word amid institutions of higher learning this year, but also the most practical choice for the students.

By PD Online Staff Zhu Lizhen

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