There is an opinion that countries should invest more in vocational training instead of university education. While acknowledging the reasons for such an approach, I believe that it is only suitable for a small number of countries. In fact, investment in universities should still be prioritised, given how bachelor’s degree holds can contribute to a country.
Admittedly, for countries with a surplus of bachelor’s degree holders, such as China, Korea, or Vietnam, it is reasonable to focus on vocational training. This is because, when there are too many university graduates, this would limit their employment opportunities and make competition even fiercer. This gives rise to higher unemployment rate, a waste of human resources, and a feeling of disappointment and discontentment among university students. Meanwhile, in this case, few people are high-skilled laborers, such as hairdresser and car mechanics, lowering people’s quality of life. Therefore, countries with a superfluous number of university students would indeed benefit greatly from redirecting resources towards trade schools.
However, for most other countries where bachelor’s degree holders are appreciated and given good opportunities, expending on university education would yield far greater benefits. The reason for is that the university curriculum equips learners with a wide range of skills, including self-studying abilities, research abilities, as well as up-to-date and in-depth insights into different aspects of life, rendering them more resourceful and adaptable to any changes in the job market. The holistic provision of knowledge in university also gives them a multidisciplinary perspective, enabling the graduates to be more flexible to solving problems and making innovations. In fact, such a set of skills are more useful than knowing how to do only a limited number of tasks which are taught in trade schools. Also, university graduates are more capable of surviving in the age of automation, when machineries have replaced many human workers in factories for the sake of higher productivity and reduced operation costs.
In conclusion, some countries might reap more benefits if their budget is directed to vocational training. However, I am convinced that allocating money to university education could produce a more adaptable and resourceful workforce that can thrive in any volatile (biến động) setting. Therefore, most countries should prioritise professional over vocational training.