IMN Content - Lifestyle and Consumer Content

Employers Unimpressed by Degrees: Is University Still Worth It?

With the release of this year’s ‘A’ level results over half a million school leavers have applied to university in one of the harshest graduate employment climates in over a decade
Lifestyle - 18 August 2011   Download IconContent available for download:  
Audio | Interview with Clare Morely| Login to Download

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
  News Hooks:

Today see’s the release of the ‘A’ level results, with 566,000 school leavers having applied to university in one of the harshest graduate employment climates in over a decade: 55% of the class of 2011 are expected to be either unemployed or underemployed in jobs that don’t need a degree, and in hardest hit areas graduates were still struggling to find work six months after graduating. Graduate unemployment has risen faster – from 11% to 20% - than any other social group in the UK.

The beginning of this year saw civil unrest, with students up and down the country protesting at the announcement that tuition fees would hit a record high of £9,000 a year. With the average student debt rising to £45,000 in 2012, a degree for many is no longer financially viable.

With more than 45 students applying for each graduate job available in 2011 competition for employment is fierce. One in ten employers found that graduates basic numeracy skills were not up to scratch, whilst 17% were not satisfied with graduate’s standards of literacy. Almost three quarters (70%) of employers said that university students need to develop their employability skills, with recruiters ranking self management, problem solving and team working as more important than a degree subject or result.

. Introduction:

With ‘A’ Level results out today, students up and down the country will be finding out whether they have been accepted for a place at university. The increase in applicant’s means gaining a degree is still highly regarded by school leavers despite a bleak graduate employment market and the huge levels of debt associated with the fee increase. Graduating from university isn’t held in the same esteem by employers, with recruiters ranking self management, problem solving and team working as more important than a degree subject or result.

So, with rising debt levels and a bleak job market, do the benefits of going to university really outweigh the costs?

Joining us to discuss this further is Clare Morley, the Global Development Director from AAT.

. Suggested Questions:

What does the research show about graduate unemployment rates in our area?

Is a degree still a passport to success?

Are there other options apart from university for school leavers this summer?

What advice would you give to anyone who is considering a vocational qualification this summer?

Does the job market look brighter for those who take an alternative path to university?

Is it too late for people to consider a vocational qualification?

Where can we find out more information?