How can people be so greedy?

MissMoneypenny

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Perhaps we should move away from this culture of "everyone needs a Uni education at their own cost", to one of real career path alignment. Fewer people getting degrees, but those who do getting them sponsored with a "guaranteed" job at the end.

Some firms already do this if the student is doing the degree they want.

My sons friend had his maths degree paid for, but during the holidays, he had to work for them and at the end of his degree he is tied into that firm for x years. This did mean that he had a job when he finished uni though.

Other firms allow their staff to take their degrees while they work for them. They pay for the the degree and give a day off per week for study. My friend did her Chemistry degree while working for BP. Another friend did her degree while working for British Aerospace. Two others friends children, are doing their degrees while working for accounting firms. It is much harder and more time consuming this way, but they get a degree and no debt, plus years of work experience and a job at the end of it. I did my degree while working.

Even the government offers to pay for some degrees, if the student then teaches in those subjects for x years.

neas

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Didn't we used to have apprenticeships? What happened to most of those, you can train to learn a trade and then often you would be sponsored to go to uni as well. Maybe we should move away from, everyone needs a uni education and think more about, some people should go to uni and the others should learn a trade. But if we let China make much more of our stuff, there won't be anything to learn soon.

IMO it was just a selling tactic of tony blair "I will get 50% of school leavers into UNI education".... groovy what about the apprenticeships and other NVQ level jobs that are actually needed as well??

In a way i feel the worthwhileness (if its even a word lol) has been reduced by this fact. I mean my friends at school got 3 E's at A -level.. to me that should mean you dont go uni,... u failed and you should go become a plumber or do another trade you'd enjoy. But instead they get accepted on 'clearing'... whereby a lesser uni needs to fill its ranks..

Basically what Im coming to understand is that University are just an industry as well.. more people studying there more profit more money for the people that work there... its all about money sometimes.. and less about soceity.

santashelper_2

it is hard for young people to get on the ladder but many people have been misled even the older generation who took out endowment mortages and were told they would pay off their mortgage and have some savings at the end of this many people ended up loosing out and although their houses have increased in price they have not paid much of their mortgage as the endowment situation put paid to that so no one is a winner and older people are selling their houses at the prices they want to make up for the shortfall they have encountered

MissMoneypenny

neas wrote: »

I.e on my course 50% of people dropped out from year 1 to year 4.

What degree did you do?

laughing_cow

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Well, rather than a generic "state sponsorship" of degrees, how about old-fashioned "employer sponsorship"?

Employers can sponsor a certain number of University places in their preferred qualifications, whether that's Graphic Designers or Accountants, have a say in who can get those places, and pay a subsidy until the candidate is qualified and can begin work (at which point the company starts to get the benefit back).

We are sponsoring someone through art college at the moment. It's not something we do as a general rule, but he came to us to do work experience when he was at school and he is one of the brightest, most creative and responsible kids of his generation so we snapped him up pronto! He has a great work ethic and is grateful for the opportunity; consequently as well as his college fees we also pay him a good rate for his part time work (pro rata 32k). I don't deny that it's difficult for most to get through college without debt these days, but he's proof that it can be done if you've got a good attitude and you're prepared to work hard.

Lotus-eater

neas wrote: »

In a way i feel the worthwhileness (if its even a word lol) has been reduced by this fact. I mean my friends at school got 3 E's at A -level.. to me that should mean you dont go uni,... u failed and you should go become a plumber or do another trade you'd enjoy. But instead they get accepted on 'clearing'... whereby a lesser uni needs to fill its ranks..

Basically what Im coming to understand is that University are just an industry as well.. more people studying there more profit more money for the people that work there... its all about money sometimes.. and less about soceity.

I've actually being saying this for a number of years, IMHO it used to be seen that going to uni and succeeding was a good achievement, now to my generation (and I'm only in my 30's) it just seems like anyone can go to uni and get a degree. Which means it just isn't looked upon as being so special anymore.
I think you're right about the industry, I hadn't thought of it being like that.

neas

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

What degree did you do?

Robotic Engineering AKA Cybernetics

Badger_Lady

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Which means it just isn't looked upon as being so special anymore.

Or worse - it can be looked upon as a lack of creativity, direction or drive.

My Father was, until recently, a senior manager recruiting IT specialists and he often felt that University graduates were "handicapped" by being kept out of the working world for so much longer :rolleyes: .

MissMoneypenny

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I've actually being saying this for a number of years, IMHO it used to be seen that going to uni and succeeding was a good achievement,

Was it? I recall the slowest two people in the bank I first worked in, were both degree educated. Our boss decided to transfer them both to the HR, as they couldn't keep up with everyone else in the office and took too long/were frightened, to make a decision.

I don't think it was any different then (in the 70 and 80s) that it it is now. It is just that we have greater numbers going to university.

MissMoneypenny

Badger_Lady wrote: »

My Father was, until recently, a senior manager recruiting IT specialists and he often felt that University graduates were "handicapped" by being kept out of the working world for so much longer :rolleyes: .

I take it your father didn't have a degree?