With China's ever-expanding enrollment in higher education, most graduates are faced with a tight job market. Once regarded as the social elite, today's university students are losing their shine as the number of graduates far exceeds the market demand. There were 2.12 million graduates in 2003, compared with 2.8 million a year later, 3.38 million in 2005 and 4.13 million in 2006. The number is expected to touch 4.95 million by the end of 2007, more than twice that of 2003.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has been steadily rising. In 2001 alone, there were 340,000 unemployed graduates, accounting for 30 percent of the total. The numbers climbed quickly to 370,000 and 34.5 percent in 2002. In 2005, about 790,000 university graduates failed to find work. This year, the number of job-hunting graduates is a staggering 5 million.

With the number of the unemployed climbing, graduates are forced to take up jobs as butchers, shoe polishers and nursemaids. Some fresh graduates are even in unpaid internships. Every July, the job market reaches its peak. This year, the Zhejiang Shen-Su-Zhe-Wan Expressway Co. Ltd. set out to employ 147 tollbooth clerks in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Of the 1,600 candidates who registered, more than 700 were fresh graduates. In November, a job fair was held for both college and polytechnic school graduates in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. Nearly 30,000 university students thronged into the hosting exhibition center at one point, shattering the glass enclosure and jamming the escalators, leading to a near riot. A similar scene played out at a job fair in Chongqing's Southwest University, when more than 40 graduates vied for the job of golf caddie. The recruiter said he was not surprised by the response, adding that he had received more than 200 resumes for the same job from another university.

Despite this, in late November, Education Ministry Spokesman Wang Xuming claimed that reports of some graduates being forced into occupations such as raising pigs were not any reason for alarm. He said, "Those who regard raising pigs as a humble job are shallow.'' According to Wang, raising pigs scientifically also requires knowledge and skills.

The media was soon on him asking if lowering one's job expectations was the answer to a tight job market. There are now growing appeals for education reform and a close look at the education system.

Survival of the fittest

Fang Jiaping (Qilu Evening News): Those university graduates who put in applications for the job of golf caddie are being practical. At a time when university graduates were rare and demand was greater than supply, few would choose low-income jobs. But today's situation is different and university graduates have to accept this new reality and not be picky.

The controversy about whether or not golf is an aristocratic sport may rage on. But it is true that those who play golf are generally the well-heeled. By taking on the job of caddie, these students will be able to socialize with this elite group and this may result in some employment opportunities. The important thing is to have a job.

Zhang Dongyang (Nanjing Morning Post): It is true that most university graduates find it very hard to find a good job. According to official figures, more than 1 million graduates of this year are still out of work. If one adds to this number those already without a job from previous years, the total could be truly staggering.

Whatever jobs these graduates get, they should view them as valuable experience. In some of China's universities, the courses studied are so far removed from reality that it is important to get a taste of the real world. Nobody can deny that today's golf caddies won't become the owners of a golf course tomorrow. But the work experience can give them the confidence for more demanding jobs in future.

Wang Li (hlj.rednet.cn): A senior high school education is enough for the job of golf caddie. It is a waste of talent for a bachelor's degree holder to take up such a job. Some students are aware of this. They say, "The tough job search forces us to take up anything and then jump to better positions when the opportunity arises!" Despite the reluctance, it sounds better to accept a worse-than-expected offer than remain jobless after graduating.

It is alarming to see the desperation of these graduates. We should improve the system so that human resources can be allocated efficiently. Struggling to reconcile notions of the ideal job with the reality, these graduates need breathing space and the respect and understanding of society. This will help them take a more positive approach to job hunting. There is no shame in graduates working as caddies and earning their own bread. They have the right to make decisions about their career.

Jia Rujun (jxnews.com.cn): Why is it so controversial for university students to be nursemaids or tollbooth clerks? I attribute it to several reasons: First, most degree holders are seen as social elite whom the nation helped financially. People are not able to accept that after a decade of hard work they still cannot land a decent job. Second, the graduates are expected to play a prominent role in promoting social development. But the reality is, their degrees have not even helped them find a job. So there is this sense of disillusionment with the education system. Third, there is guilt over the waste of talent. Fourth, some people could not face the rapidly changing reality in a short term. And, last but not least, the continuous expansion of enrollment in China's universities and colleges has lowered the social status of graduates.

In a society with many degree holders, it is not all that uncommon to find them employed in jobs that are not commensurate with their qualifications. Careers were measured by social status in olden times. Now, careers are decided by the market.

Our employment system should be scientific, flexible, just and transparent enough to provide a free flow of talents to the employers who really need them. University graduates may have to start as nursemaids or tollbooth clerks, and they can also move on to better jobs later on.

Losing ground

Xi Xuchu (zjol.com.cn): The mainstream media have been persuading and even warning graduates to be more practical in job hunting. As the underemployment and unemployment rate surges, students have begun to compromise on earnings.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with being butchers and caddies, but there is no need to get a degree for that. The long-term investment in education is not aimed at a low return on the labor force. The professional knowledge gained in academia should be applied to real work. It is the education system that is problematic, not people's expectations. Some people give the Harvard-graduate-taxi-driver example to make their point, but let's not forget that these are exceptions.

According to some reports, in 2005 alone, 25 million Chinese graduates could not find jobs related to the majors they graduated in, reflecting a loss of more than 900 billion yuan. In industrialized countries, 25 percent of the employed are basic graduates while this figure for China is only 5 percent. Obviously, the problem is China is not a talent surplus but that we don't know how to well use the available talents.

Wang Xudong (dzwww.com): How come China's higher education spending has not produced elite students, but ordinary laborers? Why do these students have to accept average employment after years of hard work on their diplomas? Why should university students be sacrificed to bridge the gap between what academia trains them for and what employers want?

The basic reason of these problems lies in the non-conformity between the existing higher education system and market demand. Against this background, self-adjustment alone is not enough to help the graduates find careers suitable to their aptitude.

Guo Songmin (xinhuanet.com): I am not totally against the idea of university graduates taking up ordinary jobs, but how are education authorities going to explain the reasons for this?

I have not yet found any university constitution talking about training people for ordinary jobs. The Ministry of Education also says all the institutions of higher education are dedicated to cultivating high-caliber professionals. After forking out huge sums of money for their degrees and diplomas, how can one expect these students to accept any job on graduation? Are they entitled to ask for a refund of their educational expenses?

Xu Xiao (hlj.rednet.cn): A tight job market has been exerting a heavy pressure on students in recent years. Since degrees and diplomas are no longer guarantees of success, they have to prove their competence in the field.

Though the basic monthly income is comparatively low at 700 yuan for caddies, the tips can add up to quite a bit. Some reports say that, in China, the annual income for golf caddies is around 20,000-40,000 yuan, if they render professional services. The reason such a position attracts so many applicants is also partly because it can be quite lucrative, compared with the per-capita annual income of Chinese residents of less than 10,000 yuan. Our graduates have become pragmatic about their employment. They are prepared to take on any job to ease the financial pressures first.

However, in this sense, our universities are turning into vocational training centers; they are no longer ivory towers of academic research and development.