When choosing a future profession, 97 percent of young Ukrainians are guided by salary considerations and the profession’s prestige. Least important to them is the desire for self- realization. These are the conclusions of the national sociological study “Youth of Ukraine: June, 2007,” which was conducted by the State Institute of Family and Youth Development, based on a survey of 1,800 respondents between the ages of 14 and 35. The results of the survey indicate that 30 percent of young Ukrainians are not satisfied with their education, and 50 percent are not working in their field.
Despite the glut of lawyers and economists in Ukraine, the prestige of these professions is not waning. Meanwhile, young people are least attracted by careers in agriculture (5 percent,) engineering (9 percent,) trade and commerce (11 percent) and teaching (14 percent.) Lidia SMOLA, director of the State Institute of Family and Youth Development explains the particular features of career choices among young Ukrainians.
Why are young people so dissatisfied with their education? Did they make a wrong choice or did they study badly?
“When we were formulating the question about satisfaction or dissatisfaction with one’s own profession, we had in mind the education that young people received after graduating from school. The fact that 30 percent of Ukraine’s graduates are not satisfied with their education proves that this education has done little for their self-realization. Take this example: the most popular professions today are those of a lawyer and economist. But after talking to employment agencies, we saw that lawyers and economists top the unemployment lists. Young specialists also become dissatisfied with their education after graduating because they have to start from the beginning with respect to a practical job, because our education is very theoretical. The level of education in Ukraine varies greatly depending on the educational establishment where young people study (everything depends on the level of the lecturers’ preparation and the philosophy of the institution). Therefore, at the moment we are unable to speak about a single higher education. I must admit that everything has to be relearned, especially those young people who did not work anywhere during their studies. On the other hand, young people face the problem of finding a job. They think, ‘I have an education, therefore I must find a job. If I haven’t found one, this means my education is bad.’ One- third of young graduates are not satisfied.
“Sixty percent of young people also said that they would like to advance their educational level. One-third is motivated by the desire to earn more; another third wants to get a prestigious job, and only 20 percent said they are motivated by their personal need for constant development.”
Is the fact that nearly 50 percent of people in Ukraine are not working in their chosen field also connected to pragmatic thinking?
“When we were conducting the research, we phrased the question in the following way: ‘If you are not working in your field, what are the main reasons for this?’ Young people named the lack of jobs (this refers mainly to lawyers and economists). The second reason is financial dissatisfaction. Today’s graduates do not want low-paying jobs even if they do not have any work experience: they are very pragmatic, they want to have everything at once. We also offered a list with different answers to the question, including, ‘What, in your opinion, is the most important thing in a job?’ Among the answers were ‘interesting work,’ ‘possibility to achieve something in your job,’ ‘possibility to show initiative,’ and ‘a respected job,’ ‘a high salary,’ ‘guaranteed days off,’ etc. Ninety-seven percent said they want a ‘well-paid job,’ then ‘a guaranteed job’ (that they won’t lose tomorrow), and third, ‘a job matching their abilities.’ Only 70 percent said that they would like to show initiative in their work, and very few said they are interested in responsible work.”
According to your research, it is least prestigious to work in the countryside. Are young people continuing to flee to the cities?
“We have been conducting these kinds of studies for over 15 years, and during this period we reached the conclusion that the youth drain from the countryside is caused by a number of factors: the impossibility of finding a well-paid job, lack of educational opportunities, and lack of leisure time. We see that there is a constant youth drain from villages to cities, although, of course, some young people stay and work in agriculture. The first reason for leaving for the city is education. However, many are simply looking for jobs. Unfortunately, we have no developed policy focused on how to make young people to stay in the countryside.”
COMMENTARY
Yevhen HOLOVAKHA, deputy director of the Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine:
“The fact that the professions of lawyer and economist are so popular among young people is linked to two reasons. First, it’s the level of respect that a person who studies law or economics enjoys. Whereas 20 years ago the profession of a scientist enjoyed popularity, now changes have taken place in Ukrainian society: the prestige has switched to bankers and lawyers. Second, the residual principle is at work here: in the 1990s there was a critical demand for these professions, but now we are sort of going overboard. Third, these kinds of professions are the most lucrative. Young people are attracted by their financial benefits because there are certain advantages: these professions pay steady salaries, and in the future these young professionals will have a car, an apartment, and other privileges. Generally, young people’s views may be traced to the Western world, to a period when there was a diploma fever, a race for diplomas from educational institutions. A similar race is somewhat widespread in our country.
“Our times are demanding specialists in the fields mentioned above. Although Ukraine does not occupy first place according to the educational level in the fields of law and economics, our specialists can easily compete with foreign ones. Ukraine is a large state. Therefore, when you look at the entire spectrum of fields and professions, you can hardly find another field that would be superseded by law and economics. Looking at society and the state as a whole, one must admit that there is a great demand for professional politicians (prestige, material security, and benefits — the whole kit and caboodle). Therefore, the profession of a qualified politician and, even better, a qualified president, includes the first and last points: prestige and financial security.”
