What's the value of a degree?: Chris Ashurst

Job: Self employed, Pest Control Company
Left education: 1974

"I never had the opportunity to study for exams at school because I had to go to work from a very early age to earn money for family. I think that is when my real education started; I found out that if you had the right approach towards people and were willing to listen, work hard, you would get rewarded.

I would say that it comes down to the individual and what they want to gain from their time at university. I have several friends who studied hard at uni and ended up working in an office environment and being told what to do 5 days a week for very little money. But they say they enjoyed there time at uni; doing very little but partying and smoking dope.

If two people go for an interview and one has been to uni and has good qualifications but a bad attitude and lack of manners, and the other person has a better personal manner, asks the right questions and has some working knowledge and experience, as an employer, I would be willing to take on the person without the certificate. After all, a degree may not mean you can do the job!!

I think tuition fees are a lot of money and it will take time to pay back. Having been working for myself most of my life, if I had the chance again to go to uni, would I go? The answer is no. Learning about life and work is being out there and doing it and working your way up to what you want!! A degree or two will not make you a different person than you are inside. It just takes longer for you to get want you want in life.

There are many very successful men and women out there who have no qualification at all, but they became millionaires because they worked at it!! I had lunch today with a friend who is a multimillionaire; he always sat at the back of the class and has only ever passed one test and that was a driving test!!  And his secret was never take NO as an answer."

What's the value of a degree?: Mona Hadad

Studying: First year Journalism
Graduation: 2014

£1 billion new plan to help reduce youth unemployment

The Government has recently announced that it will pour £1 billion into helping young people into permanent employment.


The money will be used to extend the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Programme, which tackles the problems youths face in securing a job.


The Government acknowledges that young people lack the skills employers look for and is working with businesses to help provide young people with their first taste of work.


500,000 new opportunities, such as apprenticeships and work placements, will be offered to young people through the so-called Youth Contact.


Cash payments will be available to businesses when they employ a 18-24 year-old from the Work Programme.


Jobcentre Plus will increase its support through weekly, as opposed to fortnightly, signing-on meetings, which will give the unemployed more time to talk to advisors.

Optimism for Jobs
 Emma L Brown

40,000 new businesses will be supported by the New Enterprise Allowance, which is designed to give financial aid and expert advice to the long-term unemployed, who want to launch their own business.


Sector-based work academies have already been launched to provide youths will relevant training, work experience and a guaranteed interview with a prospective employer.

What's the value of a degree?: Amanda French

Job: Specialist Physiotherapist
Left education: 1982


"When I qualified in Physiotherapy in 1982, it was a diploma course at that stage; it became a degree course within years. Therefore I do not hold a degree, unlike most physiotherapists in the workplace. This has not been detrimental to my career up to now, but may have some impact on my job prospects in the future. Most posts are now advertised as requiring a degree qualification!


I think in this uncertain world, where job prospects may become challenged, a degree will give a potential employee the edge over others, as it demonstrates a certain level of achievement, ability and aptitude to work hard.


It’s a very interesting question now that I come to think about it; one of my daughter's friends went straight from college to an accountancy firm to train over a 5 year period. If my daughter gets the job she wants (to train as an accountant), after her Law degree, she will be one year behind in terms of time to qualify, and will have her student debt also. On the plus side, she will have expanded her horizons by meeting all the diverse people; surely her friend (the trainee accountant) will not have had this wonderful life experience sat in an office (probably with a grumpy old man for company!)


The debt is undoubtedly a burden to young people starting out in life and can only be justified (in my opinion) if there are suitable jobs out in the work place which graduates are eligible to apply for. I believe the culture for young people has been to expect and to enjoy the “university lifestyle” and that may be the main attraction when applying, rather than an added benefit. Therefore, some courses that do not hold good job prospects may not justify the debt at the end of the three years.


I remember watching a documentary on TV a few years ago, in which mid-twenty something’s were interviewed and spoke about qualifications they had and what they were currently earning. It was clear even then that the top earners did not necessarily have a degree. The moral of that one is that if you have your head screwed on, can think outside the box and are prepared to work hard; you can make it happen no matter what.


My nephew is currently doing an apprenticeship to be a heating engineer. So he is earning on the job and will have a good qualification at the end of his time. I don’t believe he is disadvantaged by not doing a degree and his earning expectation will only be limited by his imagination.


Thinking of someone who lived in Manchester and passed his degree course by the skin of his teeth, I do not think it has been or will be useful to him at all. I don’t believe his employment prospects have been aided or that they ever will be due to having the degree (Heck, that sounds very judgmental and I hope he proves me wrong!)


I think that due to the increases in fees, potential students will consider more carefully the benefits of going to university and that is a good thing (Do we really need so many sports journalists?) I also foresee the downfall of Mr Property owner who charges a lot of money for student accommodation and will soon have fewer students giving him a fat income. Bring it on!!


Although I believe that a degree is respected and valued in the work place, in conclusion, and against my initial reaction, I think in the majority of cases a degree is not always a worthwhile addition to someone’s education."

What's the value of a degree?: Tim Newman

Job: Finance Director Fitness First UK
Left education: 1982


"A degree is worth every penny, but the value for money element depends on university choice and course.


For me, a good university is one of the old redbricks (currently called the Russell Group). In my view, the good courses are the more traditional academic ones, such as, Economics, Law, Maths, Modern Languages, English, History, Natural Science, Geography etc. These are the courses, if you have studied at a good university, which will attract the attention of future employers, assuming you want to go into a profession, business or teaching.


Having said this, the university experience is probably a great one at most places, as students have the chance to go deeply into a subject they are interested in, and enjoy all the extra-curricular activities including sport, drama, politics...and socialising.


The good news for students is that they have nothing to lose – if they choose not to work they don’t have to pay back the tuition fees. If students do work after university the amount they pay depends on how much they earn."