Graduate unemployment 'at a 17-year high'

UnderPressure

worldtraveller wrote: »

Firstly, who is comparing a particular degree, as you state? I'm talking about overall rates of employment of students.

Secondly, of course one University can be better than another, by, for example, having better teaching staff and facilities and therefore better educated students.

How can any of that possibly have any relevance to the final classification of the degree???

I think you delude yourself with ideas of grandeur!

worldtraveller

UnderPressure wrote: »

How can any of that possibly have any relevance to the final classification of the degree???

I think you delude yourself with ideas of grandeur!

:rotfl:

You mention degree classification again, I didn't!

I think you may have a very big chip on your shoulder!

Lokolo

worldtraveller wrote: »

Firstly, who is comparing a particular degree, as you state? I'm talking about overall rates of employment of students.

Secondly, of course one University can be better than another, by, for example, having better teaching staff and facilities and therefore better educated students.

Another reason is that a large number of Surrey students work in industry for a year as part of their degree, thus obtaining very valuable experience.

I don't believe this. I think the teaching staff have very little to do with it as university is about self-learning, rather than being taught.

Just a lot of the higher universities can demand better students even though they might not be "the best uni".

My uni and course has very low entry requirements. But because of the course content being quite difficult, has a very high dropout rate (first year there were around 70-80 students, final year has just over 20). The resources at uni are brilliant, library brilliant, teachers are OK, but as said earlier, most of it is learning by youself.

However, when people look at my university they'll think I'm useless, when I'm far from it (and had my placement in one of the best companies in the world!). Although there are 2 campuses, the one I'm at is awesome. The other one, well, not so much.

Silly people.

gingerdad

I have to add the job was a fairly well paid and not a burger flipper....

When i first started work i worked for British Midland in their Reservations department, the job required A levels, but most of the staff they took on were graduates that was 1994 still in touch with a number of them now and some have gone on to great careers, others area not doing so well. for the record i never made it to uni... quiet happy in my current Marketing Director role (and i know i can't spell very well)

UnderPressure

worldtraveller wrote: »

:rotfl:

You mention degree classification again, I didn't!

I think you may have a very big chip on your shoulder!

Really? Me? mmmmmmmmm I dont think so....................

Maybe you should have a look in a mirror to see what one looks like or do they not have these at Surrey??????

Oh dear oh dear think it may be best if we just agree to disagree on this one.

Peace out

ukcarper

worldtraveller wrote: »

Maybe they should try my old university, the University of Surrey, whose graduates are the most employable in the UK again.

96.9% of those that got first degrees from full-time courses in 2008-09 were employed or in further study.

Over the last 15 years they have had the lowest average unemployment rate in the country.

Do you think that is due to the subjects offered?

abaxas

Maybe if a degree had any educational value, people would be more employable?

worldtraveller

ukcarper wrote: »

Do you think that is due to the subjects offered?

Surely much of it is, but also, as stated, many of the courses include a year in industry.

tr3mor

UnderPressure wrote: »

Sorry I have to say that although I am quite sure your figures will be factually correct the whole concept of one Uni being better than another is simply a crock of 5hi*! Or at least should be, if an employer is comparing UK education to foreign education then fair enough but to compare a degree which is essentially the same no matter where you gain it, is quite frankly ridiculous, how can the standard of a degree be determined from the uni it has been gained when we all study and learn exactly the same thing and everything is marked and graded using exactly the same rules?

I don't know what university you have been to. At most universities, lecturers set their own courses based on their specialisms and own marking schemes. The difficulty tends to be targeted at the standard of students who are let on the course in the first place.

Hence it's obvious that some universities and some degrees are better than others.

:money:

bristol_pilot

UnderPressure wrote: »

The whole thing is a shambles if we are not careful we are going to write off a whole generation, a generation that ARE the future of this country, time will of course tell but if a graduate is to commit 4-6 years of their life to study to only graduate and have no employment opportunity or at best manage to get a job then get taxed to death by the government and have next to no prospect of ever being able to buy their own property....................... Would you hang around??

Indeed. My advice to a well-qualified young graduate today would be to emigrate. Especially those with good degrees in technical subjects like physics and engineering. The world at large values you (and your British degree), even if your home country has no use for you (basically because the UK doesn't make anything anymore). And my advice to a budding mature student is 'don't bother'!

'Twas ever thus. Back in the early '90s I was a young grad and 80% of the people where I worked lost their job (I didn't - one of the lucky ones). Of those that went, those who had been working long enough to establish a track record were able to secure other employment. But some of those recent grads have never worked again at a professional level. We had a lost generation last time and the same is happening again.

Only when UK plc wakes up and starts making and selling stuff again will we get out of this mess. We cannot survive on a combination of servicing the mega-rich and selling houses to each other.