Colleges asked to push practical skills

Deputies and members at the two sessions are urging an evolution of China's undergraduate education, with more application-oriented approaches, to tackle the mismatch between supply and demand in the labor market.

The call was made ahead of what was anticipated to be the "toughest year" for employment, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, with an estimated record number of 7.49 million college graduates flocking into the job market this year, dimming graduates' employment prospects.

He Hua, a deputy of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said that apart from the slower economic growth, the pessimistic employment outlook can be attributed to China's homogeneous undergraduate education, which has taken a toll on graduates' versatility and skills, making them less competitive in the labor market.