That’s a problem. Here’s one Chinese college’s attempt to reverse the trend, and comments from Chinese netizens on the effort. Enjoy; -Rand.

There always seem to be  problems with China’s college education area. Sometimes people criticize on the general system; sometimes colleges disgust their students; parents blame universities for being too nice or too mean on their babies; when school authorities decide to do something for change, it’s just not good enough.

Before reading through the following post from qq.com, let’s get to know some factors on Chinese university students employment issue. As experts concluded, China’s graduates employment is facing three major problems:

1. On supply aspect, China’s higher education has entered to a popular level. Domestic annual graduates increased from 2.12 millions in 2003, 4.13 millions in 2006 to 6.11 millions in 2009. And this number is 6 times to 2001, when colleges first applied enrollment expansion – 1 million graduates only.

2.  On demand aspect, globalization and tech development form the time-background. Globalization and knowledge economy require graduates to be high-standard, diverse and flexible, which college graduates can’t adapt to in time.

3. Integrate the above two aspects, structural unemployment furthers employability issue. Gallup Market Research showed that in 2007, only 70% graduates are able to meet their jobs’ requirement. Seller’s market is gradually changing into buyer’s one.

Zhengzhou University Assigned Students to Earn 600 RMB by Mental Work during Winter Holiday.

“Earn a net income of RMB 600 during 35 days in holidays; Earn the money by mental work instead of physical ones.” Jan. 25, 2010, Zhengzhou University announced the beginning of winter holiday, when its students were assigned the above schoolwork.
“University students must start their career by their wisdom and create job opportunities for migrant workers instead of taking their job.” Sun Xincheng, The university’s deputy secretary of party committee said, the purpose of assigning this work is to bring up the students’ business sense. If they just do simple physical work, going to college would be a waste.

Special assignment requires earning money, but not by grabbing migrant workers’ jobs.

The Education College of Zhengzhou University’s winter assignment includes three practices. One of them is: earning RMB 600 by lawful method in five weeks’ winter holiday.

In details, it requires students must try their best to do mental work. The examination will measure the ratio of brainwork, working video and photo if needed. When assigning the schoolwork, the teacher concluded in one word – do not grab migrant workers’ jobs. Except the grade four students, there are more than 300 students in Zhengzhou University have been assigned the work.

Students’ reaction 70% students find the schoolwork difficult.

The journalist did a survey on 50 Zhengzhou University students randomly – 72% students found to complete the task is somehow difficult; 10% students thought they couldn’t accomplish it; only 18% students considered it easy.

Ding, a grade three student, said, “The winter holiday only lasts for 35 days. Apart from one week’s Spring Festival, there are only more than 20 days. Moreover, Spring Festival breaks the holiday into two parts – the time is too short to find a work.”

Zhang, student of Politics of Thinking, argues that the city lacks manual labor during Spring Festival and companies that require mental labor don’t hire part-times these days. It is easy to find a job of distributing flyers, but it’s also manual labor.

Rural students take 60%~70% in total student number of Education College of Zhengzhou University. The special task baffled many of them. Jin said that his home is located in Xingyang country and no one needs tutoring there – no mental work, and no money earning.