Apparently, more than a quarter of graduates have not found any work three and a half years after bidding farewell to university.
Of the other three quarters, we do not know how many are in basic jobs for which a degree is a complete waste of time.
Furthermore, it is simply not possible to calculate how many young people are in jobs which 25 years ago would not have required a degree at all. This is a most regrettable consequence of shoehorning too many people into university - entrance requirements for many ordinary jobs become ridiculously demanding and this has a knock on effect to lower grade jobs.How long before you will need 'A' Levels to stack shelves at ASDA? Conversely, how many times will you be accused of being 'over-qualified' for much basic work?
Remember that all of this is against a backcloth of absurdly high costs to the individual for H.E. in our 'Brave New Well-Educated World.'
Oh for the pre-dumbed down days when a degree was a truly worthy achievement and grants were in place for those sufficiently worthy beings who had genuinely earned a place in the educational elite.
As a Careers Teacher for 35 years, I have watched these changes with utter dismay and my pupils are now advised: "Only go to uni if you HAVE to have a degree for your chosen path. The only exception to this is that handful of people whose lives would be miserable if they were not to follow a discipline which they love.
For ALL others, I would recommend leaving school post Sixth Form; finding a job - basic if necessary; earn money; do not pay high university fees; gain experience in the work place and get a degree through the OU - just in case you later hit a glass ceiling.
My route is more practical than those promoted by Sixth Forms which are desperate to 'improve their stats' by shoving every pupil into uni whether it be in their best interests or not!
