Dropping out of college to work as a factory worker is "profitable" in the short term, "harmful" in the long term.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, the total number of candidates registered for the 2019 national high school exam was 886,650, of which 652,980 (accounting for nearly 74%) registered for university admission, more than 230,000 candidates did not register for university admission this year. Notably, in many localities, nearly 70% of students did not register for the university entrance exam.

Drop out of college to work early

In 2019, there were 230,000 candidates who did not register for university admission. (Illustration photo)

Although her family's economic conditions are quite stable and she has good academic results, Nguyen Thu Hang (Que Vo - Bac Ninh) still did not register for university admission but decided to graduate from high school and go to work as a worker in an industrial park near her home.

Sharing the reason for dropping out of school, Hang said she did not want to waste time, effort and money on university because she heard many people say that after finishing school, they would go to work as factory workers or stay home unemployed.

Hang confided that she had previously intended to go to university, but after hearing many people talk about it and witnessing some seniors who graduated from university but could not find a satisfactory job, she decided to give up.

…And awakening

Hang quickly found a job at an electronic components manufacturing company in an industrial park near her home. Every day, the young girl leaves home at 6:30 a.m. and returns home at 7 p.m.

“At first, I thought that working would give me money to support my family and allow me to do whatever I wanted. However, the limited time of a worker left me with no time to do anything else…” Hang shared.

In industrial parks, most workers are exhausted when they have to work overtime for 12 hours, including Saturdays and Sundays. In particular, each worker only does one job on a pre-set production line.

The fear of not being able to find a job after graduating from university is one of the reasons why many young people "refuse" to go to university and work as factory workers. (Illustration photo)

“I gradually feel bored with the life of a worker; tired of working overtime continuously; feel extremely suffocated by the stuffy and noisy atmosphere at the company... I'm scared! If I stay a worker forever, I will become a machine, and even when I'm old, I will only live one boring and tiring day like that,” Hang confided.

After more than a year working as a worker at Que Vo Industrial Park, I have witnessed many cases of people being laid off indefinitely due to poor health, being over the working age, pregnant, having small children, etc.; young couples struggling to make ends meet with a meager worker salary, etc. Hang is really worried about her future. “I realized that a worker’s salary only brings me immediate “benefits” and I need to change before it’s too late…” Hang said.

After all, the 19-year-old girl decided to quit her job as a factory worker - a "10-day like 1" job - to continue her studies. Hang was determined to take the university entrance exam to start a new journey. She is currently a second-year student at Dai Nam University. In addition to studying in the classroom, Hang takes advantage of her time working part-time to earn more income and gain experience. In her free time, she and her friends go on picnics, join the student volunteer team...

“Going to school, the money is not as comfortable as when working as a factory worker, but I get to experience a completely different life. And I believe my change is the right one…”

Go to work early or go to college?

University gives us the best opportunities and conditions to access basic knowledge and keep up with modern life.

Sharing with us, Dr. Le Dac Son - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dai Nam University expressed his opinion: University is not the only way to study; a university degree does not guarantee anyone a more comfortable life if that person does not try, does not make an effort to study and accumulate knowledge. However, going to university is a great competitive advantage. University gives us the best opportunities and conditions to access basic knowledge, to keep up with modern life. A university degree is an important passport that takes you to domestic and international agencies, businesses and organizations.

According to Dr. Le Dac Son, going to work early can help solve immediate economic problems, but its consequences for individuals, families and society are huge.

“When you reach the age of 30-35, past the recruitment age, your muscle strength has declined, and women are busy with pregnancy and young children, which company still wants to keep and hire you? Without knowledge and without a career, what will you do to continue to earn an income to support yourself and your family? Not to mention, the 4.0 technology revolution is strongly impacting and changing people's lives every day; without knowledge, how can you keep up with those changes to survive and develop? And of course, a country of "all workers" cannot develop..." Dr. Le Dac Son shared.

Statistics show that more than 90% of Dai Nam University graduates have jobs in their majors and are highly appreciated by businesses.

As the head of a university, Dr. Le Dac Son affirmed that the number of bachelors and masters who are well-trained, have studied for real, but have no degrees and have to "hang up their degrees" to work as workers after graduation is not there. Most of the unemployed bachelors and masters are due to lack of professional knowledge, no working skills, no practical experience. 4 or 5 years of studying at university, passively approaching knowledge, not making an effort to learn, not being proactive in experiencing, just running around to get a degree and hoping to graduate and get into a state agency to enjoy a lifetime tenure. When they cannot get into the state, they struggle to run to businesses but are not able to work and the inevitable consequence is unemployment.

“Young people who are capable of entering university should choose a major that suits their strengths and a university that suits their abilities to study and improve. Those who are not qualified to enter university should consider choosing to study at a college or vocational school so that they can have a career to make a living in the future… Cases of people who did not go to university but still became billionaires like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are very rare, they are meant to be motivational and self-esteem, not constructive for young people to follow. Only by studying can people have enough knowledge to integrate and develop with society…”, Dr. Le Dac Son advised.

 Thu Hoe