The Battle Between University Education and Vocational Training:

Vocational training—a more favored option as diplomas are watered down

Jimmy C. 12, RCHK

        One of the most important events of one’s life is the day when you sit down and take the test—the test that determines your career, your future and your status. The competition for entering the best universities and receiving degrees has grown to be more and more intense over the years, as more and more graduates strive for a good career in today’s competitive society. Because of this, more parents are encouraging their children to take on university education, to graduate, and to get a high-paying career. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of graduates, which creates a problem. The growing number of graduates means that the degrees you earn and your diploma will decrease in value. With you graduation certificate becoming worthless, graduates will have a difficult time obtaining a sufficient job. There is a cure: don’t cram yourself into a university, and take on vocational training instead. Vocational training is superior to university education in today’s society because it helps you attain a more stable job, the tuition is cheaper, and vocational training provides a much more focused education.

         Firstly, adapting vocational training will assist you in finding a more stable career. Vocational training provides education and tutoring towards one specified career, such as a hotel servicer or an electrical engineer. Compared to university education, vocational training is much more focused on a career, whereas university education is mainly targeted at subjects such as biology or literature, as well as achievements such as degrees and diplomas. Because vocational training provides education associated with a specific career as well as real life situations, vocational training can provide many advantages that university education does not. One of these includes work experience. If you study a specific career, chances are you are more familiar with the procedures and the details of that career than if you study at university. This will help you get a more stable job as employers today look for employees with high standards and work experience. On the other hand, graduates will have a hard time searching for a career, as diplomas are too common. Graduates will also have to spend more time adapting to the career that they wish to do, as this is not included in the university curriculum. Another advantage that vocational training offers is the students learn actual skills that they would need to master in order for them to develop in a certain career. Again, this is not included in the process of university education. For example, a university student that studies English might wish to become an elementary teacher. However, the student might have mastered the knowledge of English, but they lack the skills that are required to tutor children. This advantage of learning skills for the career through vocational education is also a bonus to help you find a stable job.

         A second reason is that vocational training is dramatically less expensive compared to university education in terms of tuition fees. The major reason why university education is significantly more expensive than vocational education is because universities are not only just places that provide education like schools; universities also act as research centers as well as other facilities. Students, through tuition fees, provide much of the financial support that is required to conduct these facilities and research centers. Being able to save money throughout the duration of education is very useful as you can make use of the money wisely to help you develop your future career. The money that you can save by adapting vocational education can also be used for life savings in case of an emergency. For the past few years, the cost for university education ahs rapidly risen by 6.5%, a massive increase that has caused financial difficulties for many university students. Considering the expensive cost for university education, it would be good to choose vocational training. Choosing vocational training also help you avoid entering into debt since the tuition is less expensive. In contrast, two-thirds of all graduates leaving university also take a massive debt with them, with the average debt up to $23,000 US dollars, or equivalent to $178,392 Hong Kong Dollars.

         Furthermore, vocational training provides a more focused education on a certain career compared to university education, which teaches a wide range of subjects. Because of this focused education, vocational training lets you focus on developing and advancing on your dream career. Students who adapt vocational education are more likely to be committed and determined towards a single career, as they have the skills and the experience derived from the “focused” style of education that employers are looking for. In fact, a survey revealed that 62% of young teenagers in the United Kingdom know what occupation they wish to be. “With a vocational qualification, you’re more likely to be able to start working sooner, giving you the experience you need to back up what you’re learning,” comments Dick Winterton, the managing director of City & Guilds Awards. In contrast, university education graduates will not be as devoted towards a specific career as vocational training students do. This is partially because the knowledge university graduates will get them a range of similar jobs, which gives them a hard time deciding which job to settle on. This is also partially because, as mentioned before, diplomas and degrees are decreasing in worth and value. Despite providing work experience and skills for the occupation, vocational training also does a better job in letting students understand how the society works in order to become successful in the future.

         To sum up, vocational training is a great alternative for young people who have strong determination for a career. Vocational training is less expensive; more focused compared to university education, and will guarantee a more stable job. After all, Bill Gates never took on university, yet he still became one of the richest people in the world!