Graduates fail to make job grade (note 1), complain bosses

University graduates are failing to meet growing job market needs (note 2) for “soft-skills (韌性技巧),” employers say.

Of 326 senior company executives polled (受訪) last month, 80 percent said graduates are lacking skills especially related to multitasked (同步處理) management and problem-solving skills, according to the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association.

 

Sixty-four percent of decision makers-mainly in trading, retail and marketing, and manufacturing-said new graduates lack business sense and global vision (note 3).

 

“Besides high education qualifications, employers look for those who are enthusiastic (有熱誠) and actually capable of contributing more than the listed items in the selection criteria,” said Paul Lam Kwan-sing, vice president of City University of Hong Kong, which commissioned the survey. Of the most critical factors in hiring new staff, about 70 percent of enterprises require “business and common sense” among employees.

 

About 75 percent of employers hire new university graduates.

 

Most enterprises consider “multi-tasked management skills” (92 percent), and the “ability to handle the job independently as well as all the miscellaneous tasks” (84 percent) as important element for promotion.

 

“However, the post-8-s and 90s often await instructions (指示) from heads at the management level, and are reluctant to devote time and soul at work, especially those of affluent (富裕) family backgrounds,” association official Stella Lee Wai-fan said.

 

“As compared to graduates in the last generation, I observe the declining standards of new staff, who neither contribute utmost efforts (note 4), nor dedicated 100 percent energy”

 

Lee said she supports the education reform because it adds an extra year to better equip students with essential moral attributes (特質) for career advancement and bridges the gap (note 5) to meet basic job requirements.

 

(note 1) fail to make job grade=對就業的要求不合格

Failing to plan is planning to fail=不計畫就一定註定失敗

Make a failing grade=考試或功課不合格

 

(note 2) meet growing job market needs=能應付就業市場增長中的最新要求

Absence makes the heart grow fonder=一日不見, 如隔三秋 (the lack of something increases the desire for it)

 

(note 3) lack business sense and global vision=沒有商業頭腦和國際視野

Take a nonstop global flight=作一次環繞世界一周的不著陸飛行

Global system of communication=全球通信系統

Global consciousness=全球意識

 

(note 4) contribute utmost effort=貢獻最大的力量

Utmost=極度的,極端的

Do one’s utmost=盡所有力量, 竭力

Make the utmost of=充分利用

 

(note 5) bridges the gap=補救不足之處

Bridge over obstacles=越過障礙

A bridge too far=力有不棣 (biting off more than you can chew)

Suspension bridge=吊橋, 懸索橋

Burn one’s bridges (behind one)=破釜沉舟

Victor, don’t cross the bridge until you come to it=Victor, 不要杞人憂天