Can Hong Kong graduates cope in the workplace?

Just how tough are our university students? A recent survey conducted jointly by social enterprise Solution on Wheels and charity Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) found that of 1,000 people interviewed (118 of whom were undergraduates), only 7.5 per cent thought students could tolerate being reprimanded and only 9.5 per cent felt young people could deal with boredom.

Vincent Wong, CEO of Solution on Wheels, suggests such scepticism might be due to the public's higher expectation of university graduates. He believes graduates would cope better with both issues once they found employment.

Eric Chan, a medical student who participated in the project, says: "Students need to face reality, as making mistakes at work is far more serious than in school."

The report also said that young people should not expect sudden riches after graduating.

While the survey may not have been entirely scientific, and the sample may have been small, its findings do seem to fit the common perceptions in society of young people. The question is why do these persist?

Certainly, in a civilised community we expect citizens to treat each other with proper respect, regardless of seniority. But, unfortunately, the fact remains that in a workplace those offering advice are not always entirely courteous.