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."

What's the value of a degree?: Mick Pemberton

Are degree's worth the fees? by laurastack@hotmail.co.uk

Previous Job: Lecturer in Engineering
Left education: 1951

What's the value of a degree?: Dawood Fard

Job: Self employed, International student services
Left education: 2010

What's the value of a degree?: Jessica Birchall

Studying: Third year Medicine
Graduation: 2014

What's the value of a degree?: Stewart Darkin

Job: Writer and Freelance Journalist
Left education: 2010


“I think the time when a degree meant a passport to a guaranteed lifetime of higher earnings has long passed.

At the same time fees have been rising, successive governments have tried to get more school leavers into uni. This means a broader selection of courses, with a higher proportion of courses on offer being... how can I put this... 'more accessible' than many of the traditional choices. If you wanted to be an estate agent or run a pub, you used to start with a job with an estate agent or as a bar man and work up. Now you can take a three-year degree in Planning & Property Management or Retail & Catering.

Point being, more people are (or were) being drawn into uni at a time when it has become an increasingly expensive choice. If you're going to be a doctor or a lawyer, fine - you must have a degree and you'll get well paid your whole life, but most people being asked to pay these higher fees will end up managing a pub for Wetherspoons or working in the planning department. The maths doesn’t add up for them.

                         

I have completed two degrees, a BEng in Civil Engineering and then my MA at UCLan. The first time round, I was in the first year that had to take out student loans (for living expenses) instead of grants. I ran up £10k debts in four years and most had more. And that was without fees, still covered by the state then.

I ultimately left engineering because, in truth, it was the wrong career choice in the first place, but I don't regret my first degree in the slightest. That's because it was never an equation of cost/earnings for me. Being at uni (at Oxford Brookes) was just a huge laugh. I spent years caning it and playing at being a grown-up (but without the responsibility) and chasing girls and sleeping for days and watching Countdown. It was awesome.

The thing is, that was a time in my life like no other: to be carefree and young enough to make the most of it. No kids, no credit, no mortgage - just jeans, t-shirts and a library card.

And here's the rub - the government knows this. They charge students more and it upsets people and seems unfair. Especially when you take into account the maths. But they know that the prospect of uni is a drug.

All the people I know who didn't go to uni for some reason (and had the option) have unfinished business. They have cash and are ostensibly happy, for sure, but their experiences are essentially incomplete because a lot of them have never spent two weeks in bed without it mattering.”

The burden of student debt

Lisa Watson
Advice Centre Co-ordinator UCLan

University applications for 2012 entry, the first year that universities can charge up to £9000, are said to be down 12.9% on the previous year. Student debt is a prospect that could account significantly for the dissuasion of potential students. Here, student finance advisor Lisa Watson talks about how students cope with the reality of looming debt.
Student debt by laurastack@hotmail.co.uk


How much will universities charge


Money advice for students

The growth of youth unemployment

Employment is said to be at its highest level in 17 years. The jobs market is a subject that features heavily in society's attitude towards higher education. Some say that many degrees do not lead to jobs, therefore are worthless in the world of work. Others say that in order to even have a chance in the competitive market, a degree is an absolute. In any case, unemployment is a real concern for today's alumni, with up to a quarter of graduates without full-time jobs, three years after graduating. Furthermore, many are in minimum wage jobs, much below their levels of training. However, the government has recently vowed to create more job opportunities for graduates and youths alike.


Data source: DWP Press Office
View Youth unemployment in a larger map


The map above shows the number of 18-24 year-olds claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in October 2011.
The green areas show where claimant numbers are the lowest in comparison to the UK average, in yellow areas there is a generally lower than average amount of claimants, in orange, numbers are on or above the UK average, and in red, they are considerable more.

Why study in the UK?: International students

The perceptions of a UK education vary across the globe, however, we can make certain generalisations on the factors that have attracted international students to the UK depending on what university they attend.


Overseas students, who choose to study at redbrick and other respected universities, are certainly intelligent, but must also come from wealthy families, due to the high tuition fees – around £12000 a year. They tend to be driven and looking to study a specific subject.


In other cases, it’s the university that reaches out to the student. Financially motivated institutions, and those struggling to compete with others, offer cheap courses (£4000 fees) and work permits to attract larger numbers of students. In some cases, they benefit directly from international student recruitment.


In India, the principal reason that students come to the UK to study is a degree guarantees a decent job in India, and opens the door to more executive roles. This is because a UK degree is recognised across the country and allows a competitive edge in a caste system in which it is very difficult to move up the hierarchy.


International students often want to experience the traditional British culture and a good standard of living. Some may also choose to work part-time to help repay their debts. For other young people, studying is seen as short-term immigration and a way of earning and saving money for their return to their home country.


The UK also attracts overseas students who see the move as an opportunity to network and form personal and business contacts, which could benefit them in their pursuit of international work. Few are in search of a career in the UK. This contact-making would be especially important for those living in small rural areas, where the job market is limited.


But as international students generate £10 billion for our economy each year, it seems that the UK needs them more than they need the UK.

The path to a international career
Kaplan International Colleges