After a full day of work, Li Yiran’s efforts are far from over. She continues developing a website product focused on AI programming.
The 26-year-old graduated from University College London in 2024 currently works at a private firm in a position related to her economics major in Shanghai. The position, which took her quite a bit of effort to secure, offers decent pay, but it falls short of the expectations she once held for someone with her academic background. Now, she is exploring other paths.
A recent report by US’ National Public Radio noted that the unemployment rate among recent graduates is close to 6 percent this spring, making it the most challenging job market in the last decade. But this employment crisis is just the tip of the global iceberg.
Too many young people across the globe are not in employment, education, or training, and opportunities to access decent jobs remain limited in emerging and developing economies, according to a report titled Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 released by the International Labour Organization in August 2024.
The report also said that there are not enough high-skill jobs for the supply of educated youth, especially in middle-income countries, widening the gap between education systems and labor market needs.
China also faces similar problems. According to the latest 2024-2025 statistical overview of Beijing’s education development, issued by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, the number of postgraduate graduates now exceeds that of undergraduates in the city.
To address these challenges, China is realigning education policies, vocational systems, and talent cultivation pathways to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Rewriting personal credentials
Li said she began preparing her resume as early as when she started her graduate course, only to realize that a "high degree" was no longer as advantageous as she’d imagined - whether in China or abroad.
"When I was discouraged by all the news about the job market, even my parents suggested I consider doing a PhD. But the longer I hesitated, the more I realized that the old model of just ’getting more degrees’ no longer worked," Li told the Global Times.
Like many of her peers, Li used to believe in the logic that "studying hard would lead to a good job." Adjusting one’s expectations and staying motivated in today’s job climate has become a real challenge for her.
As a business major with no technical background or internship experience, Li knew that switching careers would be a long shot - but she still wanted to try.
"I’ve followed the AI industry closely since I first used ChatGPT in 2023. It wasn’t an impulsive interest. People often question me - ’Is this realistic with blank background?’ or ’Is your current job really that bad?’ But honestly, after all these years in school, AI is the only field that’s ever genuinely excited me. Even if the field is still developing, I want to keep up with the technology and see where it can take me."
Li is far from alone. Social media platforms in China are flooded with people considering similar pivots into emerging tech. She received practical advice that helped her adjust her initial, overly academic approach.
"For example, I started learning theory through free online courses. But an AI strategy product manager advised me not to get bogged down by machine learning or math. For someone like me, having project experience and knowing the boundaries of models is more important. I needed to pick an industry, integrate my existing strengths, and start working on AI-related projects, whether in data, model building, or business implementation."
Many of her peers are doing the same - brushing up on AI skills to prepare for possible future opportunities, despite holding what seem to be "impressive" academic credentials.
Beyond AI, some people are investing in practical skills linked to traditional industries such as manufacturing and services. On Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote), the hashtag "skill enhancement" has attracted over 65 million views, with users exchanging tips on tailoring, cosmetology, and more. Some are taking vocational courses, while others are self-learning through online platforms.
This trend has even sparked "skill exchange" initiatives across the country. Recently, a barbecue research institute is set to be established in Yueyang, Central China’s Hunan Province to cultivate talent to promote local barbecue industry and culinary culture, with the enrollment of students beginning next year, expecting to train 1,000 barbecue chefs within three years.
At the same time, events themed around skill sharing are growing in number, with participation from elite institutions like Tongji University in Shanghai and Xiamen University in East China’s Fujian. These exchanges offer participants a chance to broaden their understanding through interaction.
At the national level, the government is also encouraging upskilling. The State Council’s employment promotion and labor protection office recently issued guidelines for a nationwide vocational training campaign from 2025 to the end of 2027. The goal is to deliver subsidized training to more than 30 million people, particularly in high-tech and high-demand sectors, the Xinhua News Agency reported in July.
The initiative focuses on alleviating skill shortages in advanced manufacturing, the digital economy, low-altitude industries, transportation, rural development, and lifestyle services. Key groups targeted include corporate employees, college graduates, and migrant workers.
"These training efforts not only help workers boost their employ-ability but also promote growth in key sectors, creating new job opportunities," said Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at the National Institute of Education Sciences.
Beyond exam scores
While those already in higher education or the workforce are seeking "re-education," many students fresh out of high school are rethinking what kind of education best suits the new reality.
One student in Zhejiang chose to forgo a traditional college path and instead applied to a vocational military training program - determined to fulfill her dream of joining the armed forces. Meanwhile, the admissions cutoff score for the Shanghai Customs College exceeded that of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in early-round placements this year. Such unconventional choices are drawing public attention as the higher-education admissions season gets underway across China, chinanews.com reported.
Recent years have seen a clear shift in how students and parents approach college applications. Rather than just chasing prestigious schools, they now consider program offerings and career prospects more seriously, the reported said.
Chu believes this change is directly linked to evolving labor market demands.
"There is now a clear gap between the perceived value of degrees and what society actually needs. It’s not that degrees have lost value entirely - it’s that job opportunities and career directions are changing," Chu told the Global Times.
This shift is also forcing changes in undergraduate education. A recent controversy arose when Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College began admitting students who already held bachelor’s degrees, according to Henan Daily.
"Undergraduate degrees are technically higher than vocational ones," Chu said. "But the reason so many degree-holders are enrolling in vocational programs is that they want concrete skills to help them find work. Still, there’s no guarantee that even practical training will lead to employment."
"This situation has emerged from our long-standing obsession with credentials and standardized knowledge," Chu said.
Beyond university applications, Chu said that the legacy of the imperial examination system still influences China’s education system. The national college entrance exam, also known as the gaokao, has long been seen as the best way to change one’s destiny.
Chu said that it’s a moment that calls for clearer thinking and independent judgment. "In human history, every major leap forward has been preceded by shifts in mindset. If China wants to become a true education powerhouse, it must critically re-examine its traditions - especially its exam-driven culture - and return to the core of education: Real learning, evaluated through practical relevance, supported by modern tools and systems."
Building future talent
China’s economy will continue to evolve, and the demand for interdisciplinary talent will grow. In response, the country’s education system should adapt to meet the changing needs of both society and students, Chu said.
China is acting on this vision. In a recent action plan, four government agencies in Beijing jointly announced accelerated reforms to integrate vocational and academic education. By 2027, China plans to establish two new vocational universities and four new types of high-level colleges, experimenting with more diverse talent development models, according to Beijing Municipal Education Commission.
In April 2025, the Ministry of Education approved 29 new undergraduate majors - including AI education, low-altitude engineering, and geriatric medicine - designed to align educational offerings with emerging societal needs, reported CCTV News.
"These new majors reflect national development priorities, market demand, and broader social needs," Chu explained. "They fall into three main categories: Majors linked to major national projects, those related to AI and new technologies, and those focused on public service sectors like eldercare."
One area of strong momentum is "New Engineering," which has seen rising government support and student interest, Chu added.
According to China’s Ministry of Education, this initiative, launched by it in 2017, aims to promote interdisciplinary programs tailored to future industries such as AI and data science, intelligent manufacturing, robotics, and bioengineering.
This shift in academic structure aligns with China’s strategy to drive economic growth through technological innovation and high-end manufacturing. "In a market economy, we should assess people based on their ability to achieve results," Chu said. "China’s education system is still transitioning in this direction, but we are making progress."
For Li, "degree inflation" doesn’t mean people no longer value knowledge; it means that employers are placing more emphasis on skills beyond formal credentials. This shift is not a crisis, she believes, but a realignment with the digital future.
"My goal is to be ready - not to rely on traditional degrees alone, but to become a new kind of talent, fluent in both theory and practice," said Li.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0722/c90000-20343411.html