marcus Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 As tuition fees rise, students leaving with record debts etc. Wouldn't the money be better spent on educational establishments specifically geared towards a particular career? Examples being schools of Psychology, sociology etc. The number of people i have bumped into that have a degree but work in a completley unrelated field to the qualification they gained, is this not a waste of money? Iv'e interviewed numerous candidates, who smugly tell me of thier art or history degree, but give me 6 months experience of hard graft in a care envirioment it will beat the degree every time. Does anyone think that some university courses be funded by business in order for them to establish a workforce for the future? Has anyone studied for say history, then gone to work in a bank? Interested what people think, on the presuption you actually understand what i am wittering about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 One of the main reasons I am against student grants is their habit of taking a degree in "Art History" or some other useless rubbish, then going on to work in (surprise!) something completely unrelated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rog Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 My MSc was fully funded by my employer (ITT) as was a years sabbatical in Germany at amongst other places PTB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stavros Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 AFAIK, Employer-funded / Sponsored Degree courses are becoming more common these days. The advantages being that you get to study for a qualification that will improve your ability to do your job and advance your career prospects and your employer benefits from a better-qualified, more productive and better-motivated employee. The only downside is that you should be prepared for your employer / future employer to ask you to sign an agreement tying you to the company for a specified period once you’ve completed the course. The last thing that they will want is to invest a considerable amount of money in you just for you to go and get a better paid job elsewhere. Someone else might be able to shed some more light on this but I think some accountancy firms / auditers provide this kind of sponsorship. Stav. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea&Biscuits Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Well I dont mean to sound weird but education is not JUST about the job tht you get at the end of it is it? Are you working on a Manx idea or a UK idea cause i know that when I first came UK I got a job in admin/clerical, however soon realised that to get the real money and move up I had to have a degree and it could have been in anything. My degree is in history, I work in Educational Admin, most people i work with have a range from Art to Psychology - and in essense we all work in admin. I would not have got this job if I did not have a degree and this is why in the UK young people feel the pressure to study to degree level. Im all up for more apprentaships, vocational qualifications being more widely recognised and available, however these things pigeon hole you into a career also. Education to me means confidence, self awareness and knowing your ability, this I think resonates when looking for a job to aim higher. I am a much better person for studying and ok I am in the same kind of job I did when I didnt have a degree and no I dont earn that much more money and yes im in £15K worth of debt but the degree of satisfaction I gained from it and the actual social status that comes with a degree is worth it. Most people I know have degrees. I really hate it when people see one degree as better than the other. When i tell people my degree was in history they kind of scoff and go "what was the point of that" which angers me so much! Yet if I say "IT" they like "oh you must earn so much blah blah" History is one of the oldest subjects, its a gruelling degree, it requires research skills and great analyitical skills, so it really angers me when people make out like its useless and that i was sat round drinkin an smoking all day! Also a degree in whatever subject Alex, whether it be Art History (which is not rubbish) prepares you study at high level using various skills. Its also usually the people who go on negatively about degrees are the ones who havent got one and have worked all their life and feel bitter cause they never got to have a laugh, indulge themselves in wonderful education and go into jobs at a higher level than if you didnt! I used to be one of them people till I went to Uni at 25 - it changed my life amazingly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Obtaining a degree simply demonstrates someone's ability to study and work. I know plenty of people with degrees in obscure subjects who've gone on to work in trust administration and accountancy. The subject is irrelevant mostly, it's just to show capability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I did BA Graphic Design and am now a Graphic Designer - tadaa! But I agree with Ans - its a capabilty thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcus Posted August 17, 2005 Author Share Posted August 17, 2005 I did BA Graphic Design and am now a Graphic Designer - tadaa! But I agree with Ans - its a capabilty thing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I agree to some degree...ha ha pun yea? Capability to study etc. i agree, but relevant to the position?...really important i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
When Skies Are Grey Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 University or any form of additional learning is not simply about the piece of paper that you get at the end. Certainly being a Manxie who went out and came back the degree was more about personal development then the crappy desmond I got at the end of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesemonster2005 Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 The number of people i have bumped into that have a degree but work in a completley unrelated field to the qualification they gained, is this not a waste of money? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't like this Manx attitude that studying an arts subject is a waste of time or that studying somewthing and working in another field is a waste of time. It's not about the job you get or the value of the degree it's about the experience and the art of studying something (whether it be history, art history or history of woodlouse) for a sustained period of time. My degree was in Computer Science. It taught me lots but was a waste of time and utterly dull. I worked for two years in this field then gave up and now I teach English to the Poles. It's not related to my degree in any way but it's more rewarding for others and myself plus importantly it's enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ButterflyMaiden Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 Obtaining a degree simply demonstrates someone's ability to study and work. I know plenty of people with degrees in obscure subjects who've gone on to work in trust administration and accountancy. The subject is irrelevant mostly, it's just to show capability. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This is ok as far as it goes and even then only in the context of a first degree. Young people intending to study for a degree should think hard, beforehand, about what their expectations are. For example, anyone with ambitions to be an engineer needs to obtain a degree which is accreditied by the engineering institutions .. not all engineering degrees are accepted by the professional institutions. Similarly, anyone wishing to study economics at Masters level and beyond needs to check their first degree meets the prerequisites of the higher degree course. However, as Ans has implied, the educational content is roughly the same no matter what the subject and demonstrates capability. Its probably worth noting that a somewhat less than subtle change was made to the content of UK first degrees approximately 10 years ago. Successive UK governments have wanted higher education to be available to and accessible to a much larger student body than was previously the case. This policy had to be reconciled with the maintenance of educational content .. and this, in turn, was achieved by increasing breadth of study at the expense of depth. no doubt everyone is familiar with the ensuing arguments about standards and the value of degrees. It is also probably worth noting it isnt necessarily the case that students need to attend a university to gain a first degree. There are now numerous providers, who offer perfectly good degrees, in a very wide subject area on a part time basis or via some form of distance learning. This method has the distinct advantage of allowing young people, or older people, to work for their living while studying. However, beware of (unfounded) academic snobbery if you choose this route ! In summary, it is very much in the interest of the country for people to be exposed to higher education. The content of degree courses has undergone a less than subtle shift in recent years. If you are intending to study for a degree please take plenty of time and advice before you commit yourself to a particular course .you may live to regret your course choice otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Dolce_Vita Posted August 17, 2005 Share Posted August 17, 2005 I chose to study History because it is something I am very interested in. There are plenty of skills I have accrued whilst studying for my agree and I it surprised me when I could easily put these into use when I undertook a project in the workplace. Moreover, my going to university has broadened my mind a lot and given me a lot of confidence and independance. This would not have happened if I took the easy and, for me, the dull route and took a job when I completed my A levels. If I was set on permanently living on the Isle of Man and getting a job in the finance sector I would have done that and not go to university. It does seem like a backward step to return to the Island to do that now. Of course, if someone wants to return to the Island it would be advantageous to study a degree that is orientated around finance, economics, law etc. but not everyone wants that. From my experience it seems a lot of the criteria for employing people rests much on skills and work experience. It might be besides the point but in regard to what you were saying Tea and Biscuits if I ask someone what degree they chose to study and it was history I would find that really interesting and many other subjects. Of course, it someone said I.T. to me I would immediately imagine that their talents must have a high demand but it hardly interests me a great deal. One thing I have noticed though is the difference in attitude and outlook between those on the island who chose to go to university and those who chose not to. This may sound unfair but it is a perception that I cannot deny. I do notice the difference when speaking to my friends at other universities and going back to the Island and meeting old friends. The former seem a lot more bolder and 'easy going'. I would say that going to university, in itself, is a big thing. As to whether employers see that I don't know. Circumstances didn't give me much chance to carefully choose my degree but I am well aware of the skills it has given me and how to begin putting them to use. I could have chosen to do something in accounting or banking but why when I am not interested in that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puddy Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 It's not just on the Island though. I remember at uni how students used to take the p*ss out of others who they thought were on 'Mickey Mouse' courses. Media Studies students suffered badly I seem to recall. And I must admit to laughing very loudly when I saw a picture of an art student hippy who I used to know after his degree. He was wearing a suit, working in a bank, and he'd obviously had a major haircut and a wash too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallybug Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I really hate it when people see one degree as better than the other. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I really hate it when people think you need a degree to do a job that could quite easily be done by someone without a degree (or even A-levels in my case ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 If we are expected to decide on our university subjects at 17, nobody should be surprised if some of us change our minds about our chosen careers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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