Writing Feedback / "The function of university" ielts writing [6]

Q: Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer.

What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?

There has been much discussion on whether universities should provide practical skills for graduates. In this essay, I will compare and contrast two typical opinions regarding this issue.

It is reasonable for some to argue that the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace should be provided to university graduates. To start with, many graduates get unemployed as soon as they leave their universities. This is mainly due to the fact that a large number of universities underestimate the importance of fostering students who have employable skills. Moreover, it is widely accepted that companies nowadays welcome more graduates who has mastered enough practical skills, for that they will decrease companies' training cost and increase production efficiency. A more significant factor that should be taken into account is an increasingly large number of graduates return to technical schools in order to obtain employable skills for a better job. After all, nobody can avoid taking such an approach to adopt social life.

By contrast, others may claim that the true function of a university should be giving access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer. Apparently, universities are always regarded as institutions where abundant educational resources gather. It is, therefore, not necessary for a certain course or a type of training to the students by a university. In addition, these courses or trainings will cost a lot and the income of the university should be affected. So the truth lies somewhere closer to the fact that a university should only provide access to the information and knowledge, rather than offer selected courses that are just suitable for employer's rate.

Having considered the respective merits of both views, I think the main function of a university remains as the provider of knowledge and access to various resources. Also, I would suggest that it be helpful if theoretical knowledge and practical, employable skills go hand in hand, which ensures to shape a bright future for the graduates.