You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Some people think it is very important to get a university education. Others feel we should encourage more young people to take up a trade such as plumbing, painting or building to ensure a good balance of skills in our society. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer
While some opine that university education is a must, others, however, emphasise the need for vocational training and practical skills more. No doubt skills on practical works like plumbing, painting, repairing, automobiles etc. are essential for the young generation to start a career early, but university education offers something more and creates a better future generation. This essay will discuss both aspects and point out my opinion.
To begin with, university education has a paramount importance in shaping someone’s ability, perspective and knowledge. That is why a person is thought to be prepared to start a career or open a business only when he completes his tertiary education. Many organisations, for instance, seek employees who have university degrees and research indicates that university graduates are more adept at learning new things in the corporate world, taking challenges, leading a team and bringing innovations. Thus taking up trade education or courses instead of getting admitted to a college or university would build up a generation who would be skilled in some particular fields, no doubt, but not ready to lead the country by contributing in a more efficient manner in their respective job or business fields. In many countries, such as India, a plumber, electrician or a painter have no scope to enhance their career in prestigious corporations or ever become a white collar employee. Furthermore, the society does not consider them as skilled employees since they do not have the necessary education to excel. Thus taking up university education in those countries is the only option to gather knowledge and secure a good career.
With regards to the trade courses to have a skilled workforce in a country, I believe that only a few developed countries should encourage their young population to start their career in such fields where they can have decent jobs. For instance, Finland already has this educational setup and they are quite successful. Furthermore, skilled people will never be unemployed and thus would contribute to the national economy at an early age.
To conclude, though having trade related courses and vocational education to start a career early and to maintain a social skill balance us a good option, I believe that university education is far more beneficial. It should be ensured by the government that deserving students get university education though there is no harm in including some trade-related training courses in university to make them more skilled.