Hired for Impressive Credentials, But Lacking Practical Skills... Diplomas Flood the Market, Yet Qualified New Hires Are Scarce [University Transformation] ④

Survey of Top 30 Companies: Only 6.7% Say "University Education Contributes to Nurturing Ideal Talent"
Most Rate College Admissions as Ineffective; Standardized Selection Process Seen as Obstacle
Over One Year of Retraining Needed for New Hires; "La

Major domestic companies have diagnosed that university education and college admissions systems are failing to keep pace with the workforce demands of industry. Due to insufficient cultivation of talent with creativity and practical skills, a structure has become entrenched where graduates require extensive retraining before they can be deployed in the field. This, in turn, is deepening the mismatch in the youth employment market and increasing the burden on corporate competitiveness. There was especially strong demand for universities to nurture creative talent and supply them to companies.

According to a survey conducted by Asia Economy from September 15 to 19, 2025, targeting human resources and recruitment managers at the top 30 companies, only 2 companies (6.7%) responded that "university education contributes to fostering the ideal talent needed by companies." Of the remaining 28 companies (93.3%), 19 (63.3%) answered "average level," and 9 (30.0%) said "it does not help." This suggests that the mismatch between university education and industrial workforce demand is becoming entrenched.

Perceptions regarding the college admissions system were not much different. Not a single company responded that "university admissions contribute to cultivating the talent needed by companies." Nineteen companies (63.3%) said it "remains at an average level," 9 (30.0%) evaluated that it "does not contribute," and 2 (6.7%) stated it "does not contribute at all." The standardized selection method, which is heavily score-oriented, fails to reflect students' aptitudes and capabilities in detail, and is even seen as an obstacle to selecting talent with creativity and practical skills. Some interpret this as a structural problem in the education system, where the emphasis on fairness in admissions has resulted in the failure to reflect the diverse skills needed by industry.

The gap between universities and the field was also evident in the assessment of major-related competencies. While industry demand was concentrated in science, engineering, and information technology fields at 20 companies (66.7%), only 6 companies (20.0%) believed that graduates' major-related skills could be immediately applied in the field. In contrast, 23 companies (76.7%) responded "average," indicating that the knowledge acquired at university is not directly connected to industry requirements.

The time required to independently deploy new hires to the field was also lengthy. Half of the responding companies, 15 (50.0%), said that "about one year of retraining is needed," while 10 (33.3%) answered that "it takes more than two years." The fact that 83.3% of companies said at least one year of retraining is required reveals that a university diploma does not guarantee immediate job performance. For young people, this means they must go through a long adaptation process even after being hired, raising concerns about career interruptions and decreased labor efficiency.

Retraining is mainly focused on "problem-solving and project execution skills" (14 companies, 46.7%) and "basic practical skills" (10 companies, 33.3%). This indicates that while students may learn major-related knowledge at university, they lack fundamental skills such as solving complex problems encountered in actual work processes or operating equipment and programs. Some companies directly criticized, "University education still focuses on exams and theory, so students do not gain 'real problem-solving experience.'"

Companies stressed the need for a fundamental transformation of university education to overcome these limitations. One HR manager at a major company said, "It is not enough to have strong major-related knowledge; practical, field-oriented education that can be immediately applied at work must be strengthened. Systematic development of problem-solving and collaboration skills through company-linked field training is necessary." Another company representative pointed out, "University education remains stuck in past theories and fails to foster creative problem-solving skills. Education must change so that students can understand industry trends and real corporate needs, and prepare for workplace character and leadership as well."

This survey revealed that Korean universities, while focusing on academic achievement, are failing to fulfill their role in cultivating talent that reflects social and industrial needs. If the gap with industry is not resolved, young people will inevitably have to undergo extended retraining even after finding employment, and companies will face greater burdens. If this structure persists in the long term, it is highly likely to negatively affect national competitiveness. In particular, as competition among companies intensifies on the global stage, if universities do not shift to education that combines creativity and practical skills, the debate over the "uselessness of university" could further spread.

Experts believe that as the pace of industrial change is much faster than in the past, educational delays can have even more serious consequences. The skills required in new industries can change dramatically within just two to three years, but university curricula largely remain based on decades-old frameworks. There are also clear structural limitations: curriculum reform takes a long time, and faculty research topics often differ from the technologies needed in the field. This gap is especially pronounced in key industries such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and biotechnology, where rapid technological catch-up is essential for corporate survival, but universities remain bound by traditional disciplines and lack flexibility.

The CEO of a major domestic conglomerate emphasized, "The gap between education and industrial demand is not simply a matter of teaching methods, but stems from the lack of a collaborative structure. Since a degree alone cannot ensure adaptation to the workplace, universities must change to a structure that can develop practical skills together with companies."

Leading universities overseas are actively addressing this issue by strengthening industry-academia cooperation. Some universities in the United States and Europe recognize corporate projects as regular credits from the undergraduate level and require at least six months of field experience before graduation. These education systems are designed so that students can be assigned to jobs immediately upon graduation, which is a stark contrast to the rigid structure of Korean universities. In Korea, internships are often optional and short-term, making it difficult for students to accumulate the practical skills required by companies.

Park Namgi, an honorary professor at Gwangju National University of Education, said, "Universities need to cultivate basic skills that can be used in any company, while also operating systems such as 'track programs' that allow students to study multiple majors together, and 'micro-degree programs' that allow small groups to focus intensively on specific fields."