Tan Kin Lian's Blog: More grads join jobless queues

Saturday, March 06, 2010

More grads join jobless queues

Read this article by Seah Cheang Nee published in The Star, Malaysia.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...: The logical course of action would be to;
- refuse to go to university unless you are sponsored by a scholarship.

- why work so hard in university just to be unemployed after graduation?

- a cheaper, better, faster way to become unemployed is just to refuse to go to university.

- if every Singaporean did this, the government and universities will be offering all kinds of incentives to get you into university.

- instead, young Singaporeans are gambling (taking loans and choosing to study instead of working) that a university degree will be a good long term "investment."; March 06, 2010 9:19 AM
Tan Kin Lian said...: Too many people are spending too much money to get a university degree that does not help them to get a better paying job.

It is better to get vocational skills, rather than a general degree. A vocational skill is one that is relevant to the job, e.g. if you are a chef, you need to know how to cook and use the different ingredients.

It is all right to get a degree if you have entry into a local university (that is subsidised by the government) or you are on scholarship.

But, if you have to spend a lot of money, you must weigh the cost and benefits, i.e. the return on your investment.; March 06, 2010 9:53 AM
Anonymous said...: I find it strange that The Star, Malaysia, should want to comment on the situation of unemployed graduates in Singapore.

Malaysia has about 40,000 unemployed graduates ( reported last year). Many more are underemployed. The govt held `campaigns' to get unemployed graduates to become farmers, hawkers at the `Pasar Tani' ( like a night market ), entrepreneurs in cottage industries etc.

Many graduates with degrees in education ( trained to be teachers ) have not been placed in the teaching service.

Many graduates too are holding relief teaching posts for many years, become tutors etc.

Every year, more and more graduates poured out of the many universities there.

One vacant job in the civil service advertised, attracts thousands of applicants.

By comparison, our unemployed graduate situation is much better.; March 06, 2010 12:37 PM
Retired and Jobless said...: I was influenced to take up the Advanced Certificate in Training & Development ( ACTA ), in 2008.

It is a course of study that allows you to deliver programmes that WDA has approved ( bearing the WSQ mark )
Soon after, I managed to get a contract to teach some modules for some training providers.

As we all know, SPUR funding has dried up and the economy has picked up. Employers are not sending their workers for courses.

ACTA is a type of vocational training. Depending on the circumstances, it may not provide an income. ( like my situation )

Industries may suddenly change and whatever vocational training that you may have, it becomes useless very quickly... same as for degrees.; March 06, 2010 2:13 PM
Ex-Con said...: The private education industry in Singapore is just like the insurance industry, that is to say more or less a con job. Frankly, doesn't matter if you have degree or not, if you are doing a job that does not have high barriers to entry and does not have entrenched high paying culture, you are just living on borrowed time. Even traditional entrenched professions like lawyers and doctors are slowing facing the heat of cheaper foreigners.

In Singapore, the problem is exacerbated by having no goalkeeper to control the numbers and quality of foreigners coming in for jobs. In UK and Australia, where there are strong labour laws and rights for their citizens, even those with only ITE-equivalent certificates can earn a decent living and raise families. Many famous chefs like Jamie Oliver barely pass 'O'-levels. At ages of 16 or 17, they attend their equivalent of ITE and seek apprenticeships to work from bottom up.

I looked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and checked the salary figures. In Nov 2009, the average weekly income for construction industry is A$1,269/week.

For the hotel & food retail sector, the weekly wage is A$954/week.

The above salaries are for normal working hours, excluding OT pay and bonuses.

While the incomes may be skewed by the higher income earners in their respective industry, but Australia has quite a low income-gap problem, and therefore the figures shown are quite representative of the typical worker in that industry.

Now you know why blue-collar workers in such countries are still able to enjoy life, raise families and plan a future for themselves and their children.; March 06, 2010 2:20 PM
Anonymous said...: My graduated with a Master's degree
in mid Dec last year, and he took
two months to get a job, but he is
forced to accept a new graduate's pay, forced to accept a probation
of about one year, and without CPF
from employer, as his pay is subsidized by the Govt. And he
considers himself lucky, as many of
his faulty mates are still looking for job. There is a sea of foreigners to compete with him for jobs.; March 06, 2010 5:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Yes! too many people are spending money to get a DEGREE that do not guarantee a job. I know there are many families wanting their children in pursuit of paper qualifications that some will end up instead of getting a "Marriage Certificate" thus ending their parents hopes & aspirations.

Be realistic, there are not enough jobs in this globalised world!; March 06, 2010 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Your son is Better than others as he has a Master's degree. But as compare to foreign talent, Master degree and PhD are common e.g. China.

He to draw a new graduate pay because he has to be Cheaper and worst, need govt subsidy & on contract without CPF.

All the above, the employer is hoping that with your son's youth and hunger for a job, he will be faster.

So what is the conclusion?

Faster, Cheaper and Better is the new slogan. We, the Citizen of Singapore, must support and contribute so as to increase productivity by 2-3% yearly in the hope of having higher pay.

I am wondering aloud when our govt will ask for a pay increase after election for the reason of "very long have not increase salary already".

Overcome recession and start recovery

Increase GDP due to IRs

Achieved Productivity by 2-3% yearly through Faster, Cheaper and Better program.

Reduction of foreigners.

Somehow, as a layman in politics, it looks like the deaf frogs created the problems and glorified themselves for solving it.....; March 07, 2010 9:58 PM