Name: 現在讀大學還值得嗎？ (Is it still worth going to university?)
Uploaded: 2026-01-05T01:21:56.000Z
Duration: 6 min 6 s

Earning a degree used to lead to a steady job with a good salary.

以前拿到學位就能找到一份薪水不錯的穩定工作。

But today, young graduates in the west are finding fewer employment opportunities.

但現在，西方國家的年輕畢業生發現就業機會越來越少。

So is it still worth going to university?

The unemployment rate of young graduates in America is now approaching the same rate for the age group as a whole.

美國年輕畢業生的失業率，現在快跟整個年齡層的整體比率差不多了。

In 2010, there was around a 6 percentage point difference in unemployment between young people and young graduates.

2010年時，年輕人和年輕畢業生之間的失業率差距大約有6個百分點。

But now there's just a 1 percentage point difference between them.

但現在他們之間的差距只剩1個百分點。

In the European Union, the unemployment rate of young people with tertiary education is now approaching the overall rate for that age group.

在歐盟，接受大學教育的年輕人的失業率，現在也快接近該年齡層的整體比率了。

One theory for this is that universities are accepting less talented applicants and then they aren't teaching them very well.

有一種說法是，大學錄取了比較沒那麼有才華的申請者，然後教學品質也不太好。

This could lead to employers not expecting much of a difference between the average graduate and then someone who didn't go to university.

這可能會導致僱主對一般畢業生和沒唸大學的人，期望差異不大。

Another theory is that fewer jobs need graduate level qualifications.

另一種說法是，需要畢業生級別資格的工作變少了。

For example, in the past, you often needed to attend a university in order to understand how to use a computer on the frontiers of science, the strange world of the computer.

舉例來說，以前若想了解如何在科學前沿、電腦這個奇妙的世界裡使用電腦，你通常需要上大學。

But today, almost every everyone can use tech, regardless of whether or not they went to university.

但現在，幾乎每個人都能使用技術，不管有沒有唸大學。

The number of jobs in graduate friendly industries is also decreasing.

適合畢業生的產業中的工作數量也在減少。

Across the EU, the number of 15 to 24 year olds who were employed in finance and insurance fell by 16% from 2009 to 2024.

在整個歐盟，從2009年到2024年，15到24歲在金融保險業就業的年輕人數量減少了16%。

And since 2016, the number of British 20 somethings in law and finance has fallen by 10%.

而且自2016年以來，英國20多歲年輕人進入法律和金融業的人數減少了10%。

It's tempting to blame AI for these waning opportunities.

人們很容易將這些機會減少歸咎於AI。

Yet the decline in graduate jobs started long before ChatGPT.

然而，針對畢業生的工作機會減少，其實在ChatGPT出現很久之前就開始了。

What's more likely is that the industries that traditionally employed graduates have had a tough time lately.

更可能的情況是，傳統上僱用畢業生的產業最近都經歷了艱難時期。

Since the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, the golden age of investment banking is over, so they're spending less money on hiring graduates.

自2007-2009年的全球金融危機以來，投資銀行業的黃金時代已經結束，所以他們在僱用畢業生方面的花費也減少了。

In America, all this is affecting young people's decision on whether or not to attend college.

在美國，這一切都影響著年輕人是否要唸大學的決定。

The number of Americans enrolled in bachelor's programs fell by 5% from 2013 to 2022, according to data from the OECD.

根據經濟合作暨發展組織（OECD）的數據，美國大學部註冊人數從2013年到2022年下降了5%。

Yet in most rich countries where education is cheaper because the state plays a larger role, young people are still applying to universities in droves.

然而，在大多數國家，由於政府扮演更重要的角色，教育成本較低，年輕人仍然蜂擁報考大學。

Excluding America, enrolment across the OECD rose from 28 million to 31 million in the decade 2022.

排除美國，在經濟合作暨發展組織（OECD）國家中，註冊人數在2022年的十年期間從2800萬增加到3100萬。

Perhaps students simply aren't picking the right subjects.

Arts, humanities and social sciences are still proving popular, even inexplicably, journalism.

文學、人文學科和社會科學仍然很受歡迎，甚至連新聞學也令人費解地受歡迎。

If these trends say anything about young people's ideas about the future of work, they truly are in trouble.

如果這些趨勢能說明年輕人對未來工作的想法，那他們真的有麻煩了。

So in the age of AI, what should you study at university?

那麼，在AI時代，你大學應該讀什麼？

As technology improves, the future of work is changing.

隨著技術的進步，未來的工作正在改變。

Too many of the jobs that graduates will have don't even exist yet.

太多畢業生將從事的工作甚至還不存在。

Some young people worry that certain skills they learn might become outdated as technology changes.

有些年輕人擔心，隨著科技的變遷，他們學到的一些技能可能會過時。

Coding, for example, is at risk of becoming obsolete within only a few years.

舉例來說，寫程式的技能可能只在幾年內就面臨淘汰的風險。

According to one study, the percentage of American and British IT professionals who worry that AI tools will make many of their day to day skills obsolete increased from 74% to to 91% in just one year.

一項研究顯示，美國和英國的 IT 專業人士中，擔心 AI 工具會讓許多日常技能過時的比例，在短短一年內從 74% 增加到 91%。

There are some subjects which are likely to stay relevant.

有些學科很可能持續保持相關性。

Robotics, for example, will help people maximize the benefits of technological change and practical jobs like plumbing and carpentry are less likely to be taken over by AI and will remain valued by society.

例如，機器人學將有助於人們最大化科技變革的效益，而水電工和木匠等實務工作較不容易被 AI 取代，並將持續受到社會重視。

These professions often don't require a university qualification and can be learnt in other ways like on apprenticeships.

這些職業通常不需要大學學位，可以透過學徒制等其他方式學習。

But arguably what's more important for students than studying a specific subject is to focus on learning soft skills instead.

但可以說，對學生來說，比起學習特定科目，更重要的是專注培養軟實力。

Things like communication, critical thinking and reliability, as well as empathy and being able to build relationships, all are transferable across multiple industries.

像是溝通、批判性思考、可靠性，以及同理心和建立人際關係的能力，這些都能跨足多個產業。

OECD findings from 2019 demonstrate that people will need to rely on their currently unique human skills to succeed.

經濟合作暨發展組織 (OECD) 2019 年的研究結果顯示，人們需要依靠目前獨有的人類技能才能成功。

Understanding how to learn will be key to developing new skills and adapting in changing times.

瞭解如何學習將是培養新技能和適應變遷時代的關鍵。

The research also suggests that jobs with complex social interactions such as care will still need humans, so developing skills like negotiation and persuasion will be vital.

研究也顯示，需要複雜人際互動的照護類職業，仍然需要人類，是以培養協商和說服等技能將至關重要。

Currently, AI isn't very good at these soft skills.

目前，AI 在這些軟實力方面還不太行。

I understand emotions have a deep meaning, but I can't experience them like you can.

我能理解情感有深刻的意義，但我無法像你們一樣體驗它們。

So if workers can plug the gaps while also being able to transition into emerging industries, then it will help humans to compete with machines.

所以，如果勞工能夠填補這些空缺，同時又能轉型到新興產業，就能幫助人類與機器競爭。

Nearly all degrees will allow you to gain these skills through group projects, presentations and extracurricular activities.

幾乎所有的學位都能讓你透過小組專案、簡報和課外活動來獲得這些技能。

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter which degree you choose to study.

最終，你選擇攻讀哪個學位，其實不太重要。

Perhaps what's even more important is that a student gains work experience or an internship with.

或許更重要的是，學生能獲得工作經驗或實習機會。

Research finds that those who graduated in 2022 and completed internships were 23% more likely to start a full time position within six months of graduation.

研究發現，2022 年畢業並完成實習的學生，在畢業後六個月內找到全職職位的機率高出 23%。

This gap increases further in certain fields like oil, gas and mining, where it rose to 65%.

這個差距在石油、天然氣和礦業等特定領域更加明顯，甚至高達 65%。

Although it's hard to predict how improving technology will change the world of work over the coming decades, one thing is is for sure a student with a variety of skills, a lifelong desire to learn and a good attitude will go far.

雖然很難預測未來幾十年技術的進步將如何改變工作世界，但有一件事是肯定的：擁有多元技能、終身學習的渴望和良好態度的學生，將會走得很遠。