The skills gap between graduates and the job market has reached an alarming level, according to a recent survey released by National Taiwan University’s (NTU) Center for Public Policy and Law, with three out of seven college graduates encountering difficulties landing a job that matches their education.
The poll shows that while nearly 70 percent of young people are enrolled in universities, only 40 percent of the available jobs need a higher degree.
Lee Yan-yi (李彥儀), director of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Technological and Vocational Education, said there is a skills gap, but attributed it to “non-educational” factors.
“Taiwan’s economy is heavily reliant on original equipment manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs],” Lee said. “Rapid changes in the market mean that many young job seekers often face very different job prospects after they complete six years of education in pursuit of a college diploma and a postgraduate degree.”
In an effort to bridge the gap, Lee said the education ministry, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Economic Affairs have joined hands to establish an interministerial communication platform for their deputies.
“The Ministry of Education has also submitted a draft bill called the Technical and Vocational Education Law (技術及職業教育法) to the Executive Yuan for review. It seeks to include career exploration courses into the elementary-school curriculum and offer occupational preparation training to senior-high school and university students,” Lee said.
“We intend to assist the younger generation in expanding its expertise and developing more practical skills,” she added.
NTU Institute of Applied Mechanics professor Wang Li-sheng (王立昇) said the nation is facing a shortage of manual workers and operators, as SMEs make up nearly 90 percent of all businesses, but most college graduates are reluctant to take this kind of job.
“Take the manufacturing and service industries as an example, less than 40 percent of the job vacancies in these industries require a college degree,” Wang said.
“I believe the biggest problem with our education system is the overemphasis on academic qualifications and credentials,” he said.
Machine tool manufacturer Hiwin Technologies Corp chairman Eric Chuo (卓永財) said the gap was a result of a lack of practical training courses offered by universities.
“It has led to an increase in the number of students who, despite being a mechanics major, have never touched an actual motor in their lives,” Chuo said.
Lai Shu-li (賴樹立), deputy director of the labor ministry’s Workforce Development Agency, said the widening gap could be seen in the ages of participants in the ministry’s vocational training programs.
“Most of the participants in the past were middle-aged people, but over the past three years, 90 percent of them were young adults,” Lai said.
Yang Tsung-pin (楊宗斌), deputy director of online job bank yes123’s public relations department, said universities had mushroomed over the past decade, which had depreciated the value of a university diploma and further worsened the skills gap.
“Our past surveys show that most employers place more emphasis on the job seekers’ employable skills rather than their education level,” Yang said, urging students to work to develop multiple job-related skill sets and obtain as many skill certificates as possible to increase their chances of finding employment.
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