Colleges asked to push practical skills

Deputies and members at the two sessions are urging an evolution of China's undergraduate education, with more application-oriented approaches, to tackle the mismatch between supply and demand in the labor market.

The call was made ahead of what was anticipated to be the "toughest year" for employment, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, with an estimated record number of 7.49 million college graduates flocking into the job market this year, dimming graduates' employment prospects.

He Hua, a deputy of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said that apart from the slower economic growth, the pessimistic employment outlook can be attributed to China's homogeneous undergraduate education, which has taken a toll on graduates' versatility and skills, making them less competitive in the labor market.

"On the one hand, college graduates face difficulty in finding jobs, while on the other hand, there is a shortage of talent with practical skills. This problem indicates that our education structure, especially undergraduate programs, should be adjusted toward strengthening applied skill and knowledge training," He, president of Kunming University, told China Daily on Friday.

China will face a shortfall of about 24 million highly skilled workers by 2020, said Li-Kai Chen, a partner with market consultancy McKinsey & Co.

To address the issue, said He, local colleges should be guided to transform their undergraduate programs to application-oriented patterns, as highlighted in the annual Government Work Report presented by Premier Li Keqiang.

Some colleges, for instance Hainan University, have taken steps to streamline subjects and curricula to meet the growing demand for diverse talent.

At Hainan University, which is on South China's Hainan Island, more than 20 professions - one-third of its total subjects - are closely connected with practical demands in featured businesses like tourism, tropical agriculture and marine aquaculture.

Thanks to this cultivation of practical talent, the university's net employment rate for graduates has surpassed 90 percent, higher than the national average, said Li Jianbao, an NPC deputy and president of the university.