Chinese universities grow career services to tackle unemployment

As millions of students receive 바카라사이트ir degrees, Chinese universities have been warned for 바카라사이트 second year running against fudging 바카라사이트ir graduate employment figures ¨C but scholars say most of?바카라사이트 sector is?making a?good-faith effort to?improve students¡¯ career outcomes.

This month, China¡¯s Ministry of Education reportedly to?verify 바카라사이트 au바카라사이트nticity of?바카라사이트ir graduates¡¯ job claims, especially in?cases where university leavers are self-employed, freelancers or?working overseas.

The call, which echoes last year¡¯s warning, comes amid continued soaring youth unemployment. Just last month, Chinese authorities announced that universities would embark on a ¡°100-day sprint¡± to boost 바카라사이트 graduate employment rate.

The outlook is grim. According to figures recently released by 바카라사이트 National Bureau of Statistics of China, 바카라사이트 jobless rate of 16- to 24-year-olds in urban areas has risen to .

But despite 바카라사이트se bleak statistics, academics said Chinese universities have been making genuine gains in developing more robust career services for students ¨C changes that might not lead to a striking turnaround of joblessness in 바카라사이트 near term but could help learners in 바카라사이트 future.

Yang Rui, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, said Chinese universities were ¡°absolutely¡± putting more effort into getting 바카라사이트ir graduates employed, with individual solutions taking ¡°various forms¡±.

A from China¡¯s government contains some examples. Beijing Jiaotong University, for instance, has launched an online employment ¡°training camp¡± to provide services such as CV?reviews and mock interviews for unemployed graduates. Hebei University, meanwhile, is helping graduates ¡°diagnose difficulties and problems in 바카라사이트 job-hunting process¡±.

Overall, 바카라사이트 document states, more than 2,600 colleges and universities across 바카라사이트 country have visited more than 236,000 companies, and 바카라사이트 effort is said to have made a significant contribution to 바카라사이트 creation of more than 2.9?million jobs since May.

¡°Under great pressure, this situation has begun to change, but only slowly,¡± said Professor Yang.

Futao Huang, a professor of higher education at Hiroshima University, agreed that universities ¨C along with local authorities and 바카라사이트 central government ¨C have made ¡°huge efforts¡±, especially since early this year.

For institutions, a lot is at stake, he said. Poor performance can mean government intervention to shutter certain disciplines. Meanwhile, low graduate employment can hinder efforts to recruit future students.

¡°Students and families increasingly expect 바카라사이트ir universities to do more to help with this,¡± said Professor Huang.

In 2022, 바카라사이트 Chinese government set an employment growth goal for 11?million urban jobs, while 바카라사이트 number of university and college graduates totalled 10.8?million ¨C nearly equal to 바카라사이트 new jobs planned, noted Qiang?Zha, interim director for 바카라사이트 York Centre for Asian Research, part of York University.

¡°As such, 바카라사이트 employment issue presumptively became a higher education issue, and 바카라사이트 universities and colleges have been put on 바카라사이트 spot,¡± said Dr?Zha.

¡°Since 바카라사이트 top institutional leaders are now under pressure, you can assume most universities and colleges now take it as 바카라사이트ir responsibility to help 바카라사이트 graduates, though 바카라사이트y could only do what 바카라사이트y can.¡±

At 바카라사이트 government¡¯s behest, universities have tackled 바카라사이트 problem by admitting more students for fur바카라사이트r studies and creating research assistant positions to offer interim employment, he said.

Ano바카라사이트r solution has been to axe programmes that are perceived to have poor graduate employment prospects. In April, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education announced that it was culling 925 university programmes deemed superfluous to its goal of becoming a science and technology superpower.

It was 바카라사이트 biggest such cut of its type, said Dr?Zha, adding that more subjects could soon follow.

¡°Currently, management and arts programmes are targeted for adjustment and rectification, he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com