Too many graduates

Are there substantially more graduates in the UK than the number of graduate jobs available? Why are the government and people in education convincing young people to go to university if they end up doing a non-graduate job but being burdened with huge student debt?

Reply 1

Len Goodman

Yes, unfortunately. You can blame Blair and the Labour Party for that. Their "Education, Education, Education" nonsense and ridiculous target of aiming for 50% of young people to attend university has led to an over-saturation of graduates and not enough jobs for them all. Also it has led to more 18 year olds being forced to go to university when they would be more suited to an apprenticeship.

Reply 2

jelly1000

Original post by Tigerking99

It's highly likely that there are more graduates than graduate jobs available. There is also the issue that a degree on its own doesn't demonstrate competence in the workplace nor does it prepare you for applying for a job. This means so many graduates leave unprepared for the application process and lacking the skills employers desire- some employers would rather leave vacancies unfilled than take on someone they feel isn't good enough. For the government it suits them to have young people going to university bcause it keeps them out of the unemployed figures for 3 years at least. Although at least now they are finally pushing apprenticeships as an alternative. And for schools its the prestige thing- middle class people still hold going to university in higher regard than going to work at 18 so they play to this.

Reply 3

roflcakes1

It depends on what you define as a graduate job. I think the term has become quite skewed these days. There are many jobs that don't technically require a degree to do it, but the employer markets it as a graduate job or does not require a degree but prefers one. I've seen admin jobs where the main responsibilities were filing and photocopying saying they would be ideal for a recent graduate. But I guess this still relates to your point that with so many graduates even these jobs are being allowed to advertise for graduates when they are much more suitable for school leavers. In other cases, the entry job does not require a degree but the degree will help you move up in the company so employers will have a preference for graduates or certain degrees as they know these people can more likely progress in their team and develop a better career there.

Reply 4

Tigerking99

Original post by roflcakes1

Yes exactly, too many graduates mean that traditional non-graduate jobs now require a degree i.e. apparently to become a police officer now you will need a degree.

Reply 5

CTLeafez

Original post by Tigerking99

Yes exactly, too many graduates mean that traditional non-graduate jobs now require a degree i.e. apparently to become a police officer now you will need a degree.

That is false. My sister is applying to be a Police Constable with county police force and she hasn't been to University and I don't believe any specific qualifications are required, more personal qualities.

Reply 6

Tigerking99

Original post by CTLevers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38319283

Reply 7

CTLeafez

Original post by Tigerking99

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38319283

"All new police officers in England and Wales will have to be educated to degree level from 2020, the College of Policing has announced."

"Prospective officers can either complete a three-year "degree apprenticeship", a postgraduate conversion course or a degree".

•

A three-year police constable degree apprenticeship paid for by the force, allowing individuals to "earn while they learn" - spending 80% of their time on the frontline, and the rest completing their degree while receiving a salary

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 8

Tigerking99

Original post by CTLevers

"All new police officers in England and Wales will have to be educated to degree level from 2020, the College of Policing has announced."

Yes exactly I am not saying that you need a degree now, I am saying that the police are embarking on a process to have all new police constables to have a degree level qualification by 2020 which isn't too long away. I have a friend who is a police officer and he thinks that this requirement is ridiculous and that there is no need for them to have degrees, as he himself, as well as half of his team do not have degrees. This is what I have been trying to say about the value of a degree being degraded.

Reply 9

Tigerking99

Original post by CTLevers

•

Yes I know but that is still a degree level qualification like a HND/Apprenticeship of sort. Also more shockingly it says that even graduates will have to take a "postgraduate conversion course" which means that essentially you need a Master's degree to become a police officer or you spend three years doing a degree just on policing. Yes it is good that you get paid while learning if you do the police degree but that is the only good thing about this change.

Reply 10

MagicNMedicine

I've noticed that 95% of the people who complain about there being too many people at university/university isn't worth it any more, either went to university themselves, are at university, or are intending to go to university. Or if they have kids, they intend their kids to go to university.

Reply 11

username2228735

The discussion of the supply of graduates being exponentially higher than the number of jobs available ignores the crucial factor of value. The value of a degree is different for each individual; for some, reading Classics, for example, yields more worth then, say, Engineering which is probably one of the highest paying graduate jobs on the market.

In my opinion the discussion should focus more on the extent to which funding for a degree should be provided.

Reply 12

Voi

On the one hand the government say we need immigration to fill job vacancies, yet on the other people are saying there's no jobs for graduates.

This is why I voted leave and would vote TRUMP.

Reply 13

KardasDragon

Original post by Voi

On the one hand the government say we need immigration to fill job vacancies, yet on the other people are saying there's no jobs for graduates.

This is why I voted leave and would vote TRUMP.

You are aware that immigrants arent taking jobs that would otherwiese go to graduates? Theey either take manual unskilled labour, or specialised senior roles. This is with the notable exception of nursing and doctors who we cant get enough of anyway.

Reply 14

username2769500

Too many farms too! And too many women getting degrees that go on to be housewives and leave potential jobs that would otherwise boots the eeconomy :smile:

Reply 15

Omarthefirst

Original post by JohnGreek

To be fair, you do need to distinguish between those doing a degree which leads to a variety of established career paths at a good uni, and the "BSc in Mickey Mouse" people at the University of Hertfordshire