A third of university graduates are in jobs that do not need a degree, according to figures.

 

Many are stacking shelves, washing dishes or working in bars, figures prepared for the Press Association by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) showed.

 

The agency said 34.4% of UK students who finished their first degrees in 2004-05 and went into full-time jobs were in "non-graduate" work.

 

The National Union of Students said the statistics would make teenagers think twice before going to university and taking on the debt of tuition fees.

 

The Hesa statistics showed 65.6% of university leavers in 2005 were in jobs which used their degrees. These included software designers, teachers, solicitors and retail managers. But the other third were in non-graduate occupations, working as bar staff, kitchen assistants, secretaries, farm labourers, and factory workers, postal staff, among other jobs.

 

From todays Sunday Express.

 

With one third not working in their chosen career,are too many students going to University and doing worthless courses which will not get them their desired job and be saddled with debt for years.

 

Should more students leaving school return to apprenticeships as plumbers,electricians,builders etc, which are now in much demand due to a skill shortage. They would certainly earn more as a plumber than working stacking shelves in a supermarket.

 

 

I never went to university and I have done perfectly well in my chosen career, application, hard work, graft and determination gets you far further in life than some bit of paper

Well I'm currently at University and I personally love the EXPERIENCE of the 'University Life' and my degree would certainly be USEFUL for getting jobs.. I'm doing a Drama degree and would like to become a teacher afterwards or maybe drive myself into more debt by going to Drama School :lol:

 

However my brother did an English degree and he's struggling to get a job because he has never done any paid work and so it also leads me to point out that experience is also needed to get particularly good jobs which is sometimes forgotten.

I want to go to University, I probably need to in order to get into the film industry.

nice to have, but far from essential.

 

These days, work and life experience is FAR more important.

 

Companies like BT, for example, have found how unpopular employing graduates at higher level positions is - I worked there for a while and the graduates would come in at lower/middle level management jobs....and have to be trained by non-managers. Ludicrous.

a degree might help, but if you havnt got the gumption then youll never get on.

I don't think degrees are as essential as they were once thought to be.

 

I know people who have degrees and are thick as mud - maybe degrees are not as challenging as they used to be. I am doing a part time degree as I work because alot of people go to university and get their degree but then can't get a job as they have no work experience.

I don't think degrees are as essential as they were once thought to be.

 

I know people who have degrees and are thick as mud - maybe degrees are not as challenging as they used to be. I am doing a part time degree as I work because alot of people go to university and get their degree but then can't get a job as they have no work experience.

 

Most people do work experience at school though which helps a bit.

In my post I wasn't diminishing the achievements of passing a degree, just that lack of a degree has not held me back :)

In my post I wasn't diminishing the achievements of passing a degree, just that lack of a degree has not held me back :)

Suppose it all depends what you want to do really as your career. ^_^

Edited July 23, 200618 yr by x-The_Royston_Poisoner-x

Suppose it all depends what you want to do really as your career. ^_^

 

true :) yeah my area business development/recruitment relies more on work ethic and communication as opposed to academic abilities so I have got on fine in the industry ^_^ part of me wishes I had done uni though

I loved the experience of Uni and I'm glad I got my degree ( many years ago). But it wasn't necessary for the career I ended up in. <_<

I want to go to University, I probably need to in order to get into the film industry.

 

i would say you dont need to now, best work get cash, then go to a proper film school abroad when you are older when you can afford film stuff/living overseas.

i would say you dont need to now, best work get cash, then go to a proper film school abroad when you are older when you can afford film stuff/living overseas.

 

:mellow: i don't want to live abroad thanks.

And the head of 6th form said I do need to go to Uni anyway.

I think there's a very small percentage of jobs that actually demand degrees these days.

 

And the film industry certainly isn't one of them..... this business, more than most, is jobs for the boys, who you know....and work experience is absolutely essential. One of my best mates directs Dr Who - and the whole TV/film industry is incredibly incestuous.

Edited July 24, 200618 yr by russt68

I think i have to go to uni because I want to get into the television industry e.g presenting, and my careers advisor says I need a degree in anything, so she's basically saying if you get a degree you'll get a job, which i really don't see as happening, but im still going to go to uni, Ive always wanted to and ive always wanted to get a degree. If I got a degree i'd be the second person ever in my family history to get one.

 

Then again, it's not necessary, my parents never got degrees and theyve done amazingly well in the business industry.

 

I also think that having the experience of working is vital. My cousin who got a degree in business assumed that he'd be able to get a 30G + job, but in reality he's 27, on the dole and lives with his mum :lol:

uni and degrees are nice to have - but your careers officer is talking baloney if he/she says you need a degree to get into TV presenting etc.

 

Try to make some contacts in the BBC, or your local ITV HQ. Send them a letter telling them what you want to do - ask can you come down to visit the studios, or ask if they have any work placements - anything to make some contacts there. It's a foot in the door, and your bravery in actually having the balls to ask would go down well.

 

I see you're Welsh, too..... the Welsh TV companies are reknowned for nepotism - but it's absolutely worth a go - send some letters... you may be surprised....

Ive sent things to radio before but never really got a response, but yeah Ill find some contacts for tv as well thanks for the advice :)

 

she said that because its a tough industry a degree would put me above all the others trying to get in the industry, but she wasnt very precise with what type of degree :lol:

I'd go for the work experience over the degree - but she's right in that for any job, a degree looks good.

 

When I interviewed people for jobs, though, if anything, a degree tended to put me off, to be honest - give me a few years hard graft over a fresh-starter with an impressive piece of paper.

 

And as for the no response from the stations - bombard them with emails, letters, phone calls - persistence always pays off.

Edited July 24, 200618 yr by russt68

I'd go for the work experience over the degree - but she's right in that for any job, a degree looks good.

 

When I interviewed people for jobs, though, if anything, a degree tended to put me off, to be honest - give me a few years hard graft over a fresh-starter with an impressive piece of paper.

 

And as for the no response from the stations - bombard them with emails, letters, phone calls - persistence always pays off.

 

Totally agree, when I interview people a degree doesn't impress me too much, previous experience,willingness to learn are more important to me.

 

I never went to Uni either and it didn't hold me back in my career.