It’s the time of year when a migration of students to universities begins anew. While the appeal of university life appears relatively undimmed for plenty of young people wanting to leave the nest and make a new life for themselves, there’s an increasingly vocal side asking if university is important to career success. NotGoingToUni is a website showing young people the alternatives to going to university. As a result its research may not be entirely objective, but these days it can be a struggle to find any research free of any possible ulterior motive. Besides, a recent NotGoingToUni report offers some serious food for thought regarding the world of work.
Apprenticeships Give Career Satisfaction
Having spoken with nearly 2,700 people aged 21-30, its research found 68 per cent who had taken an apprenticeship were fully satisfied with their career. This is opposed to just 26 per cent of university graduates. Therefore, young people who embark on apprenticeships are three times more likely to be happier in their jobs than those who went to university. It’s a bold statistic.
Key reasons given for graduates’ unhappiness included insufficient preparation and knowledge of a chosen area, a lack of vocational relevance in their degree, and the lack of a good working relationship with an employer.
[Read our post: 7 job hunting tips for new graduates]
Over-qualification And Skills Mismatch
These findings echo those of another, which claims there is broad over-qualification and a skills mismatch in the graduate labour market. A CIPD commissioned report said that a rise in the volume of graduates hasn’t been matched by a rise in highly-skilled jobs, according to the report, with many people finding themselves in work that would traditionally have been done by those without a university education.European comparisons indicate this is a specific issue for the UK, as its 58.8 per cent of graduates in non-graduate jobs is outstripped only by Greece and Estonia.Overall, this CIPD report can be seen to question the number, and possibly efficiency of universities in the UK, relative to jobs market needs. There’s a clear appeal for refocusing on alternative routes into work for young people. Such an appeal has been discouraged by some, responding that this is overstated, citing the growth in high-skilled roles for future generations, and that many reach managerial occupations soon after graduating.Still there appears to be a numeric disparity between the thousands graduating from hundreds of institutions around the UK, and the number of graduate-ready jobs available for people when they leave education.
Nothing Really Guarantees Job Satisfaction
Of course it’s impossible to fully guarantee job satisfaction throughout the course of a working life, whatever your path. And those starting out might always be less likely to respond positively to their role, simply because they’re at the lower rungs and starting from scratch is hard.But getting into the full-time workplace sooner rather than later, whether through apprenticeship or any other means, could enable young people to steal a march on those going through the mill of university.If you’re seeking a first foot in the door in the sectors of construction, catering, office administration or care, get in touch.
