在本专栏中，我会编写一些常见话题的写作素材和观点。本期的素材话题为How to bridge the gap between education and work？(如何缩短教育和就业之间的差距)。
在谈论到大学生找工作、技能差距、大学教育等话题时，都可以参考下面的素材和观点。
蓝色标注的为相关话题词汇和表达。
Social Trends社会趋势
1 Senior students of today are usually confronted with the dilemma of whether to continue their studies or seek work immediately upon graduation. Those opting for the latter may face the prospect of failing to find decent jobs, as the labour market is increasingly competitive and employment prospects gloomier.
如今的大学高年级学生经常面临着继续读书还是毕业后立马就业的困境。随着劳动力市场竞争越来越大且就业前景更加黯淡，那些选择后者的学生可能会面临找不到好工作的情况。
2 As is the case in many countries, there is a mismatch between what is learnt in the classroom and what employers expect from prospective employees. Educational qualifications, it turns out, are not necessarily a measure of one's competence, but serve as an effective, if not optimal, way for recruiters to select those most likely to be qualified. This has in recent years prompted a mania among the young for pursuing ever-higher levels of education simply to meet the entry requirement for many jobs, with no notable increase in sought-after talent.
学生在课堂中所学的内容和雇主期望潜在雇员所拥有的能力之间存在差距，在很多国家都存在这种情况。事实证明，教育资历并不一定能证明一个人的能力，但是教育资历却是招聘者选拔最有可能合格的应聘者一个有效方式，即便不是最佳方式。这在近些年导致了年轻人狂热地追求越来越高层次的教育，仅仅为了满足很多工作所要求的门槛条件，而备受青睐的人才数量并没有明显的提升。
Measures措施
Universities高校
Universities should introduce more courses on practical skills, geared towards students hoping to embark on a vocational track, while imparting theoretical knowledge to those choosing an academic track. Besides making higher education more vocationally-oriented, educational institutions should also place greater emphasis on the cultivation of soft skills, such as teamwork and problem-solving, that are vital to career development.
高校在向走学术路线的学生灌输理论知识的同时，也应当引入更多关于实用技能的课程，专门针对希望走职业路线的学生。除了使高等教育更加职业化之外，教育院校也应该更加重视培养对职业发展很重要的软技能，比如团队合作和解决问题的能力。
Companies企业
By offering various internships and targeted training programmes, companies can help facilitate the transference of skills students acquire at school to the workplace. Public enterprises should take the lead by co-operating with designated universities and colleges to develop talent, which, if successful, could be duplicated by the private sector.
通过提供各类实习和针对性的培训方案，企业可以帮助促进学生将在学校学到的技能转到职场中。公共企业应带头与指定的高校合作来培养人才，如果这样做有效果的话，也许可以被私有部门模仿。
Individuals个人
School education and corporate training alone do not suffice to guarantee life-long employment. Technological change makes it imperative for people to constantly upgrade their skills throughout their working life.
光靠学校教育和企业培训并不足以保持一辈子有工作。科技变更使得人们在其职业生涯中需要不断更新技能。
举例：With the rise of the Internet economy in the last few years, for example, some adventurous youth have carved out a niche as live-streamers, deploying their verbal dexterity and marketing skills to earn a living. Conversely, many bricks-and-mortar stores that have been reluctant to shift online have seen their patrons taper off.
例如，随着网络经济在近几年的兴起，一些敢于尝试新事物的年轻人找准商机成为了网络直播者，利用其口才和营销技能来谋生。相反，很多不愿线上化的实体店商家的顾客数量在不断下降。
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