University degree not worth as much as touted

Really2

carolt wrote: »

My MIL is a case in point - first class degree in biochemistry, took time out to have kids, went back to work many years later (and after getting a PHD), still no work experience, in medical admin - couldn't have got her job without a degree. The fact she's been out of the job market for years didn't matter - the degree proved she was of sufficient calibre and had the subject-specific knowledge.

But your point was being trained for a specifc job then it not being available locally again. So although intresting to know it is not the same as your previous point.

My point is once you lose a job in your chosen trained career and that goes and there is nothing local and you cant move. (as per your point earlier)
The degree makes no difference you are looking at a life changing event.

I am not dissing degrees here carol but I think you are failing to realise a degree does not protect you form life changing events.
The majority of people by age with degrees will be the hardest hit by this recession.(under 24's)

Degree or not if there ain't a job you have to re-evaluate what you are going to do.

TBH if the job is not public sector or Law most companies will judge work based experience as relevent as a degree. I could get interviews for jobs the same as mine on experience, perhaps that would change if I was unemployed but I could now (and have in the past)

Hadrian

Kohoutek wrote: »

Going to university is essentially a highly leveraged bet that higher education will improve your earning capacity. For many people, its the wrong decision and results in huge amounts of wasted money for them and the government. The government should heavily subsidise degrees where we need more graduates, such as Engineering or Medicine and increase top-up fees on degree where we need fewer, such as Law.

For subjects with minimal academic or analytical content such as Film Studies or Travel and Tourism the government should simply withdraw all funding. These subjects generally do not produce graduates who add value to the economy or will enjoy high earnings (thus paying lots of taxes back to the government). It's absurd to elevate them as 'degrees'.

Hallelujah!! At least one other person in this mad country with some nouse!

Really2

carolt wrote: »

On the contrary, surely an educated workforce has been proved to be good for the economy as a whole? Compared to our global competition?

Depends what they do? If it is the same as the jobs now it makes no difference.

Unless every job needs one and we forgo assembly, waitresses etc how can it change.

Look at china, the people who have avoid the recession / or longest recessions are the ones that can produce.

Our reliance on service is one of the reason we are struggling to get out. A microbiologist working in Macdonalds still only flips as many burgers that are needed the degree does not create a higher burger demand.

StevieJ

Problem is we now have situation where there are DEGREES and degrees, never the twain shall meet.

lostinrates

Really2 wrote: »

When I was younger degrees were very career related (law, teaching, bichemistry etc) that now seems to be lost and you should now have a degree for the sake of it.
Not sure if that is good or bad, but it can't be very productive for the country as a whole.

Agree with your point bar this: history of art, philosophy...PPE, theology, classics would all have been around, to name a few

StevieJ

lostinrates wrote: »

Agree with your point bar this: history of art, philosophy...PPE, theology, classics would all have been around, to name a few

I think it is the calibre of the participants and the rigour of the degree that creates value added in those fields.

Really2

StevieJ wrote: »

Problem is we now have situation where there are DEGREES and degrees, never the twain shall meet.

What??? so you mean my one in dog shampooing will not cut the mustard.

Three years of pampering poodles and now you tell me.

lostinrates

StevieJ wrote: »

I think it is the calibre of the participants and the rigour of the degree that creates value added in those fields.

History of art drew a lot of duffers and a lot of serious intelligence. Likewise philosophy and theology.

Law in particular often has people coming with different first degrees to later study law, and then a lot of law students were actually interested in political careers.

But calibre, and academic ability is what it is about.

e.g. compare to the american system where undergrad degrees are significantly more generalised, arguably created far, far more rounded grads, and then specialisation to career being post grad. More expensive certainly.

I think that actually there are many career specific degrees now...perhaps to specific....a general knowledge allows you to draw on wider experience/education to add value and originality, or analogy, to your chosen field with knowledge from elsewhere.

StevieJ

Yes LIR but which ever way you look at it many of the degrees today are specific and weak intellectually.

damanpunk

I've done my hnc but not going to Uni positively hasn't held me back (financially at least). If I did go to Uni it would be to do a dedicated subject such as Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, HR etc.

I still may do it in the future at night classes just to keep the brain ticking over.