Eric Skoff graduated from university two years ago, but he’s still struggling to find a full time job despite having two degrees in humanities. When he finished university, he worked as a barista, and at one point ran after-school programs, all jobs that he’s overqualified for. His story has become a familiar one for many recent Canadian graduates with arts degrees.
According to a new study from Statistics Canada, one-third of young Canadians who graduated with a university degree in humanities are overqualified in their current employment. People like Skoff haven’t been able to find an appropriate job in their chosen field. Skoff believes it’s a new issue for Generation Y.
“I think children were always making more than their parents. Their parents..a lot of them came over from Europe, and then the baby boomers, they’re always being more successful. But I think this has been the first generation where the younger generation is not going to be as successful as their parents,” Skoff says.
Critics say the education system needs a greater focus on the trades, especially in British Columbia where one of the key parts of the B.C. Liberal government’s longterm economic strategy, is an expanded liquefied natural gas industry. A study, commissioned by the B.C. Natural Gas Workforce Strategy Committee, estimates that 75,000 skilled workers will be needed once five LNG plants are operational. As well, a further 60,000 workers will be needed for the construction phase.
“We do need young people to enter the trades and almost every trade,” says Tom Sigurdson of the B.C. Building Trades Council.
In contrast to the humanities, the study says fewer than 15 percent of grads with a degree in education, health, architecture or engineering were overqualified for jobs in their chosen field.
Supporters of university arts degrees say degrees teach critical thinking that is needed to help prepare students for their future.
As for Skoff, he’s still on the hunt for a job that complements what he studied and paid thousands of dollars in tuition for.
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