Degrees of choices

A question I get asked often is “are degrees worth it?”.?

While the motivation to ask this question varies, my answer couldn’t be more unhelpful as it is both yes and no. That’s because the topic is deeply nuanced. Something that current UK prime minister Rishi Sunak needs to learn.?

Headlines a few weeks ago reported that he wanted to replace “rip-off” degrees. I’m sure that the flurry of media attention was exactly what he wanted. After all, that is what happens when elections are due, simply put we’ll be promised a lot of “good things” and less “current bad thing”. He also had other “fun” ideas like bringing back military service and some sort of unpaid weekend volunteering. Details are…fuzzy.?

If we trust 18-year-olds to vote and choose who leads the country to represent their interests, we owe them the respect of letting them make their own decisions. Even if it is to undertake a degree that someone thinks “is a rip off” or not go to university at all.

For context, I work with corporate adult learners. I have worked for higher and professional education companies in the past. I’ve changed my mind on all things education about a thousand times because, in my opinion being open to new approaches and ideas is pretty essential to life.?

So are degrees worth it?

Firstly I loved my degree. So this will bias my opinion. I do think higher education as a whole is worthwhile pursuing whether it’s for a career or the sheer pleasure of learning. There is a huge benefit to studying a topic in a certain level of detail. From the topic itself to the research and critical thinking skills used. Universities, colleges and online programmes are great spaces for this. And getting a degree is an achievement. For many people, it can be life-changing, not just because of what you learn or how, but the wider life experiences that can go with it. But there are drawbacks, the way many courses are structured won’t suit everyone, and neither will the university experience as a whole.?

Then there is the cost. A traditional undergraduate course in the UK can leave students in a crippling amount of debt. I was in the first cohort of people who had student loans rather than grants. I would never have been able to predict the debt horror show.

What I think is missing, is information for 15 - 18 year olds to make an informed decision with.

I’m not sure how many of them have access to information on alternative pathways. And while the internet is brimming with information. If you don’t know something exists, the web isn’t going to magically manifest it for you.?

Let’s look at Teaching and Accountancy, two careers where the obvious route is to get a degree first.

When it comes to being a Teacher the most common route is to complete an undergrad degree in your subject and then spend an extra year doing a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education). But not everyone has the time and means to spend a year training, even on salaried courses. A less advertised route is The Graduate Teacher Training track (GTTR). This allows people who work in schools to qualify as Teachers, without leaving the school or giving up their income. And there are other routes too. This highlights the importance of having more than one option to get into the same career. The schools work with universities to help people qualify in one of the various routes. This means people who get into Teaching later in life, have opportunities that consider the experience they already have. It also allows those who can’t afford a traditional PGCE other pathways.

Like Teaching, Accountancy also offers routes to certification for those with degrees, those who learn on the job with apprenticeships, and those who work their way up in a firm. There are numerous examples where having a flexible approach is helpful to both students and employers. This field has several different awarding bodies that are wise to these different paths and make sure the qualifications are obtainable.??

As I’ve mentioned apprenticeships in Accountancy, I should probably cover these as well. This is where people are paid to train on the job, the government allocates funding for these schemes to allow employers to take on staff and reduce the overhead of training. But like degrees, not all apprenticeships are made equal, they have been under a lot of scrutiny after dropout rates of 47% were published by an Education and Skills report. Sought-after roles are highly competitive and can exclude costs for equipment and ongoing professional training. Not to mention that the salary can often be minimum wage. Apprenticeships have helped many people access careers and can be transformative, but they need to be navigated with care.?

All of the options I’ve covered demonstrate why I might say “no” when it comes to the value of a degree.? Because what needs to be considered is the person in front of me. What route would work best for them?

Sometimes it is hard to put aside our own lived experiences and enforce routes we understand or that seem safe. But I think it’s wrong to limit the choices people make, or dictate what is or isn’t valuable to them. Instead, I advocate for providing good advice that is tailored to the individual. Then let them decide what they want to do.

They might get it wrong, they might get it right, they might change their mind six times and that’s okay.