The harsh reality is that many degrees are not fulfilling business needs. At a time when the government is telling us that the UK needs more and more employable graduates, many thousands of today's university leavers are finding out, all too late, that their choice of degree subject was ill-advised.
It is true that there does need to be an increase in the number of people entering higher education, but it is essential that they graduate with skills relative to the needs of employers. A recent report published by the University of Durham highlighted that students are now much less likely to opt for what they perceive as tougher subjects like science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), qualifications valued by businesses everywhere.
"Engineering needs people who are good at maths and physics," a spokeswoman at Siemens in Manchester told the Chamber. "However, it's important to realise that it's not just one business that faces a shortage of highly qualified people in these subjects - it's the elephant in the room for many employers." Employers have also expressed concerns about more general skills. Research from the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) found that 56 per cent of the 200 businesses surveyed had concerns about literacy and leadership skills and 55 per cent expressed worries about `soft skills', such as problem-solving and the ability to communicate.
Graduate recruiters are now placing increasing importance on work experience as a demonstration of ability.
Before we blame universities and students for these shortcomings, we need to look at what is going wrong in our school system. There have been claims that many schools `teach to test' as the pressure mounts on teachers to achieve results, making it difficult to develop a range of personal skills.
The government has recognised that the education system needs to change and has laid out plans for school pupils to study `personal and thinking skills' as a way of developing the qualities needed in the workplace from an early age.
It is essential that the graduates and employees of tomorrow are science-savvy and able to think, and work, independently. If these kinds of skills are sidelined and overshadowed by an obsession with targets and grades, the UK not only runs the risk of devaluing education at all levels, but also placing the future of its economy in serious jeopardy.
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