Vocational courses can be a quicker path to a job than a general degree
Many students pursue degrees that don't meet employers' needs when vocational training can be a much quicker path to a decent job, writes Elaine Yau
When Angel Lau Yin-wai left school in 2008, she didn't join the other students in the scramble for a university place. She opted instead for a higher diploma programme in entertainment technology at the Institute of Vocational Education.
Lau loved the theatre and knew her future lay in the field. In Form Three she was already seeking out technicians at the Tai Po Civic Centre to learn more about stage management. Her school used its auditorium for many activities, and she seized the chance to find out what the crew's work involved and how to join the profession. She also picked up practical tips about lighting and projection, and operating the sound system.
Youth should think about their career path earlierand get the right training
So after completing Form Five, she didn't hesitate: "I didn't want to study Form Six at all because I wanted to get technical training in stage management as early as possible."
Lau's decision to take the vocational route instead of the usual academic path has paid off. Internships with dance, arts and drama groups during her training led to a couple of job offers after graduation.
"But I decided to do freelance work, which put me in contact with different industry players," the 24-year-old explains. "After one year of freelancing, I found a job as a technician at the Academic Community Hall of Baptist University."
Few of the students receiving their Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education results next week will make choices like Angel's. Since the education reforms of 2009, school leavers have forsaken vocational training in the hope of securing a degree qualification, either directly or indirectly through associate degree courses.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to secure more comfortable, better-paying jobs. The problem is that most wind up in general programmes that don't necessarily meet employers' needs, recruitment experts and vocational educators say.