Destiny of Certification
Ever wondered how hundreds or thousands of people can apply, go through & graduate from a course with certificate, diploma or degree & still end up without a job in that area of study?
For example, a few hundred polytechnic students graduating with a diploma in physiotheraphy or sports science & find it difficult in getting a job in that field? Or worse still, a few hundred students graduating from social work disciplines & wondering how long would it take to get a job with that degree?
I don't know why this thought came to my mind recently, but it kind of like suddenly dawned upon me that there are hundreds & thousands of people out there taking courses (& some take courses after courses) & still struggle to find a job in that field. It seems to me that this could be also one of the reasons why the supply of labour is much more than the demand here.
The way I see it, this trains people to be multi-skilled, to be able to do several kinds of jobs while waiting for the opportunity to apply for a job of their interest or their area of study. Yet it doesn't seem to solve the problem of supply exceeding demand in the workplace.
Let's face it, how many physiotherapists or sports science practioners do we need here at one time in Singapore? How many social workers do we really needs? Maybe a few hundred to perhaps a thousand or so, at max. But every intake, hundreds & thousands of people graduate with a certification such as this & wonder if how many job opportunities are there available in the market.
As it is, it REALLY scares to me, whenever I open up The Straits Times Executive Appointments every Saturday & flip through pages & pages of job openings for those with engineering, banking & high-tech type of science qualifications. It seems to have become a great divide between the extremities of certain favoured occupations & the other so called 'low-end' occupations, which often don't really need a graduate to do these jobs.
This made to really ponder about the opportunity cost of studying for our next certificate, diploma or degree. I mean, after spending hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on upgrading ourselves with certificates, how many are really being put to use? It is really worth the money invested?
For those who do not have much extra or abundant finances, applying for courses can be quite a mental dilema. Some courses may also require full-time study, which means having to give up 2 - 3 years of working life to pursue such a course. How about the opportunity cost of saving up to get married & settle down? Is the expense for further education really worthwhile?
For those who are in their mid life ages & considering studying a course to pursue a career in another industry, there is the opportunity cost of whether this money would be better spent for their children, parents or even paying off the expensive housing in Singapore. In addition, how feasible would it be to start off a career change in a very different industry in their 40s or 50s? How would this few years of full-time or part-time study affect their family life or income?
Of course, I'm pondering about these situations with regards to those who are not very high income earners who have much money to spend. Furthermore, there is a huge vast of all sorts of courses that one can take, but how many of such jobs will be available here? And let's not forget the increasing ageing population in Singapore & the declining birth rate too.
For those who dare venture overseas, some succeed; many don't. Then again, its back to the same idea of opportunity cost towards your family, lifestyle, interests, age, etc. Not to forget that there are also many foreigners & expatriates flooding into Singapore - into our schools, estates & offices. What about the rumours of racism & 2nd-class citizenship in other countries?
The truth is that sometimes I really don't know how or which step to take next. Of course, I'll take whatever that is positive that comes along, but still... so much is uncertain about the thoughts about work. The world is getting all so much complicated. Even every degree has a certain short life span. Some 3 months, some 6 months, others perhaps a year or so. It just creates much more worry & uncertainty for those who may be considering a switch to something else.
I really don't know what else to say... or think...
For example, a few hundred polytechnic students graduating with a diploma in physiotheraphy or sports science & find it difficult in getting a job in that field? Or worse still, a few hundred students graduating from social work disciplines & wondering how long would it take to get a job with that degree?
I don't know why this thought came to my mind recently, but it kind of like suddenly dawned upon me that there are hundreds & thousands of people out there taking courses (& some take courses after courses) & still struggle to find a job in that field. It seems to me that this could be also one of the reasons why the supply of labour is much more than the demand here.
The way I see it, this trains people to be multi-skilled, to be able to do several kinds of jobs while waiting for the opportunity to apply for a job of their interest or their area of study. Yet it doesn't seem to solve the problem of supply exceeding demand in the workplace.
Let's face it, how many physiotherapists or sports science practioners do we need here at one time in Singapore? How many social workers do we really needs? Maybe a few hundred to perhaps a thousand or so, at max. But every intake, hundreds & thousands of people graduate with a certification such as this & wonder if how many job opportunities are there available in the market.
As it is, it REALLY scares to me, whenever I open up The Straits Times Executive Appointments every Saturday & flip through pages & pages of job openings for those with engineering, banking & high-tech type of science qualifications. It seems to have become a great divide between the extremities of certain favoured occupations & the other so called 'low-end' occupations, which often don't really need a graduate to do these jobs.
This made to really ponder about the opportunity cost of studying for our next certificate, diploma or degree. I mean, after spending hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars on upgrading ourselves with certificates, how many are really being put to use? It is really worth the money invested?
For those who do not have much extra or abundant finances, applying for courses can be quite a mental dilema. Some courses may also require full-time study, which means having to give up 2 - 3 years of working life to pursue such a course. How about the opportunity cost of saving up to get married & settle down? Is the expense for further education really worthwhile?
For those who are in their mid life ages & considering studying a course to pursue a career in another industry, there is the opportunity cost of whether this money would be better spent for their children, parents or even paying off the expensive housing in Singapore. In addition, how feasible would it be to start off a career change in a very different industry in their 40s or 50s? How would this few years of full-time or part-time study affect their family life or income?
Of course, I'm pondering about these situations with regards to those who are not very high income earners who have much money to spend. Furthermore, there is a huge vast of all sorts of courses that one can take, but how many of such jobs will be available here? And let's not forget the increasing ageing population in Singapore & the declining birth rate too.
For those who dare venture overseas, some succeed; many don't. Then again, its back to the same idea of opportunity cost towards your family, lifestyle, interests, age, etc. Not to forget that there are also many foreigners & expatriates flooding into Singapore - into our schools, estates & offices. What about the rumours of racism & 2nd-class citizenship in other countries?
The truth is that sometimes I really don't know how or which step to take next. Of course, I'll take whatever that is positive that comes along, but still... so much is uncertain about the thoughts about work. The world is getting all so much complicated. Even every degree has a certain short life span. Some 3 months, some 6 months, others perhaps a year or so. It just creates much more worry & uncertainty for those who may be considering a switch to something else.
I really don't know what else to say... or think...
posted by sumshine @ 3:04 PM
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