Too much emphasis is placed on going university for academic education. People should be encouraged to do vocational training, because there is a lack of qualified tradespeople such as electricians or plumbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It goes without saying that

society

always needs a skilled workforce to function. Employees of different professions contribute differently to the thriving of the community, and

therefore

I disagree with the statement that vocational courses should be given any more weight than before. The fact that many people deem it more important to take tertiary education than a vocational training program has resulted in a shortage of qualified workers. It is universally accepted that knowledge and qualifications gained from university can help one to have a head start over other candidates when it comes to job hunting. In Vietnam,

for instance

, a majority of high school graduates are content to spend four to five years more studying at a university with the hope for a bright career ahead.

This

results in a lack of skilled manual workers

such

as plumbers and electricians in

society

.

However

, if we encourage more people to become blue-collar workers,

then

there will be a shortage of while-collar workers who may

otherwise

create more wealth for

society

.

For example

, fewer engineers would mean lower productivity; a dearth of scientists may inhibit scientific discoveries which can provide us with a better life in the future.

In contrast

, those doing blue-collar jobs may face redundancy when too many applicants compete for the same position. An unbalanced workforce might,

therefore

, hold

society

back from development in the long term. In conclusion, the workforce will adjust itself to cater for the need of the community, so there is no need to direct young people to follow a particular career path.