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Yannis Behrakis / Reuters
Manolis Ouranos, a 30-year-old cook, works for the Mavros Gatos (Black Cat) tavern in Psiri neighboorhood in central Athens. Manolis studied at Athens Technology University (TEI) for four years where he received a degree in civil engineering. He hoped to find a permanent job in public sector infrastructure but has been working as a cook for four months instead. He now takes cooking lessons which he funds with his salary as a cook.
Nearly 75 million people ages 15 to 24 are unemployed worldwide and the U.N. labor office predicts “the same high level” for at least the next four years.
For eager university graduates in the crisis-hit European Union where one in five people under the age of 24 are out of work, finding a job is almost impossible. However, the problem isn’t confined to the EU. It’s a global problem and the U.N. expects 12.7 percent of youth globally to be unemployed in 2012. The International Labour Organisation also warns that many are trapped in low paid and low skilled jobs and others have simply given up looking.
In order to illustrate the problem, Reuters photographed portraits of graduates from around the world who have been unable to find work in their degrees and have ended up in service industry jobs.
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Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters
Francesca Baldi, 32, takes care of a seven-month-old baby in a private household in Rome on May 11. Baldi studied for five years at university in Pisa where she received a degree and a doctorate in literature and philosophy. She hoped to find a job as a teacher but has been working as a childminder for five months.
Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Jessica Mazza, a 28 year-old waitress, serves a customer at Novel cafe in Santa Monica, Calif. Mazza studied for five years at Ball State University where she received a degree in painting and business management. She hoped to find a job as an artist but has been working in the cafe for just under a year. Picture taken, April 24.
Noor Khamis / Reuters
Denis Onyango Olang (right), a 26 year-old assistant cook, prepares food in a dimly lit kitchen at a hotel in Nairobi's Kibera slum in the Kenyan capital. Onyango Olang studied statistics and chemistry at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology where he received a degree in science. He has been searching for permanent employment for two years but has decided to make a living working in the slums for the last eight months.
Miguel Vidal / Reuters
Tania Leon, a 29 year-old stewardess, poses for a picture inside a bus in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Leon studied psychology at the University of Santiago de Compostela and received a degree in 2006. She was hoping to find a job as a psychologist but has been working as a stewardess for the last two years.
Dado Ruvic / Reuters
Almin Dzafic, a 30 year-old waiter, serves customers in the Galerija Boris Smoje cafe in Sarajevo. Dzafic studied for four years at Sarajevo University where he received a degree in civil engineering. For the last four years he has tried to find a job in art restoration but has been working as a waiter for two years. He sees his future outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina because he can not find a job.
Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Wael Abo El Saoud, a 25 year-old farmer, harvests wheat on Miet Radie farm about 37 miles northeast of Cairo. Wael studied for four years at Benha University where he received a degree in commerce. He hoped to find a job as a bank accountant but has been working as a farmer for the last five years. He earns between 30 to 60 Egypt pounds a day but does not work all year round.
Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters
Francesco Foglia, 37, poses for a picture as he works as a street sweeper in downtown Rome. Foggia studied for six years at university in Rome where he received a degree and a doctorate in industrial chemistry. He hoped to find a job as a researcher but has been working as a street sweeper for Rome's municipality for two years. Picture taken on April 29.
Peter Andrews / Reuters
Marcin Lubowicki, a 28 year-old deputy manager of a McDonald's restaurant, shows his university diploma in front of the fast food chain in the Arkadia shopping mall, in Warsaw. Lubowicki, who has degree in Russian language from Warsaw University, has been working for McDonald's since 2007. He is planning to stay in his job.
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I am one, seriously surprised by the severe bias in the article (what about the comparison of a degree at 24 and beyond - real unemployment rate at 5.2%), and secondly the ease of which the people completely miss the boat.
Firstly no one ever said, college is for everyone, we are all different and so should our paths. Secondly for those that choose, college isn't about building an expert, it's about expanding capabilities and ones horizons. life, experience and further education if desired teaches more about expertise.
Does everyone make it...hell no, show me anywhere that 100% do make it (except 7 year old soccer, where everyone's a winner!) and I'll buy you a beer ;-)
I'd rather be 25 with a BA/BS degree than 25 with a HS Diploma...Them's just facts....
Boo freakin' hoo!
As a professor with experience and teaching in many parts of the world I see huge differences in the offerings of fully accredited universities. Certainly all college degrees are not equal--neither are all college majors. A degree in painting is not equal to a degree in IT in the job market.
It is plain to see that now is not the time for government austerity. Our employment problems will only get worse so long as governments refuse to act in the interest of the 99%. And eventually, even the 1% will suffer because all their stinking excessive wealth derives from us.
How long must we wait?
What are you "waiting" for? Sounds as though you think that the "government's" job is to take care of you. If you are so resentful of the "1%" and their "stinking excessive wealth" and you're thinking that that wealth is "derived from you (us)...then why don't you act upon your frustration and do something about it?...start your own company..take the risk that successful people have to take in order to make that "stinking excessive wealth" you're talking about.Otherwise, stop complaining...your situation is no ones fault but your own. Me? I'm part of the 100%...as far as I'm concerned, there is no 99% or 1%.
Many great posts, but in all, this isn't news, it's "let's focus on the lowest common denominator", a trend that seems to drive American media - and readership - a lot lately.
Gimme a litre o' cola
College has been pushed to the point of the absurd. Years ago, some went to college, but many others made good livings learning trades. We've lost the system of apprenticeship, in which an expert in a given trade or craft would teach the young. The emphasis on getting a college degree has also hurt higher institutions of learning in an ethical way of sorts. People once went to college to become better, more rounded people, in addition to acquiring skills that might prepare them for a career. Professors were geared to this noble notion. Today, emphasis is on the almighty dollar. Most seemingly go to college so that they can make more money, period. There's nothing wrong with making a good living, but a joy of leaning for its own sake plays little part in the equation. Colleges are often diploma mills.
"If everyone goes to college, who's gonna clean the fish?"
- Rodney Dangerfield
I
College is over rated.
At least their not protesting.
At least 3 things flashed across my mine...
1. All the manufacturing jobs are now in China. We have stop producing things. Even military parts are now fakes from China. The rich and powerful are making a lot more profit, at the expense of no jobs for our children.
2. The advertisement industry brain washed our children to believe in vanity spending. Jobs are for robots and immigrants. Government and parents provide for us so we live like artist, singers, and movie stars. It is disgusting to get our hands dirty, like grandpa used to.
3. If high school students can find summer jobs but college students are unemployed, the decision process of accepting a job is well worth a study. Educators should hold nation wide discussions on "what is an entry level job and how does that get the camel into the tent?"
It's not having a formal education that helps get people ahead. It's about what they get formally educated in. They need to pick things that are in demand, not just whatever feels good. Sometimes your personal passion just doesn't pay the bills.
Today is no worse than in the past. I graduated from a first-rate university with top grades in 1964. Off and on, I had to work as a waitress, a secretary, a receptionist, and later a typesetter between jobs. That's what most college graduates have to do. It takes time to find the job that's just right for you. For people in their forties who are without work: Start a business doing what you've always wanted to do. I did. At age 42, I unexpectedly found myself without a job. So I paid all my bills and I started an advertising business on the $50 that I had left. It was highly successful for ten years. I sold it at that point because I was so exhausted. Then I moved to another city and started a new career there. My advice? Just keep working hard and everything will ultimately work out for you.
If the spelling, grammar, and the inability of many to put together a coherent sentence in the above posts is anything to go by then is it any wonder so many people can't find jobs. If you can't communicate effectively, whether orally or through writing, then you will be judged to be less intelligent than someone who can. As a consequence, you will lose out on potential job opportunities to the person who is perceived to be more intelligent, whether that person is truly more intelligent or talented than you or not. It is a sad fact of life.
I have personally been told by past employers that they picked to interview me over others because they were impressed with the cover letter that I sent with my resume. The ability to write well allowed me to get my foot in the door and ultimately helped me land the job. Being able to write well doesn't guarantee that you will get a job but every little bit helps, especially in the current job market. JMHO.
It's funny that no music majors are pictured here. As a musician I have been told all my life that music is a frivolous degree, and there are no jobs to be had in the field. I came to terms with this, and decided to enroll in a commercial cooking program at a local college. I now have a diploma in cooking, have no debt to my name, and am paying my bills. I still really want to study music, and I auditioned and was offered a scholarship at a state university. The scholarship, combined with state and federal grants, will cover the cost of tuition. I plan to cook through school to pay my bills, gaining job experience in my trade. I've accepted the fact that I may never make enough from music alone to survive, but I want to study it full time in order to better myself.
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence. NOW is the correct time to study contact your local University also check for an interesting article called High Speed Universities on web
That' what High Speed Universities is all about, to further the education of students. They need more than a high school degree today, they need at least 2 years of college, preferrably 4, and then we're going to work with communities so they can grow economically and create more jobs for our young people
I recently just graduated with my Masters in marketing. I grew up believing I needed a degree but once I had that degree it was all about getting my foot in the door and gaining experience. Before graduation, I was searching for international jobs. I was lucky enough to find one and will be moving to my new location and adventure next month
Having sent all of my kids to college and having a college education myself, I recommend that if you are considering going to college...get a degree in a field that will lead to a job...healthcare is a huge field (2 year and 4 year degrees or certificate programs)...that's the field that I'm working in...we need nurses and rehab therapists...physical and occupational therapists...also training in the latest medical technologies...research the areas that are being recognized as growth industries, do lots of research...all my kids are in fields that have kept them employed...
If you are a teacher or have teaching credentials, you can get a pretty decent job teaching overseas. I know someone who is teaching English in Qatar and is making amazing money (tax free).