Viewing 13 posts - 121 through 133 (of 133 total)
  • Was Uni Worth it?
  • molgrips
    Free Member

    If the debt issue weeds out some of the less committed, it’ll be a good thing tbh.

    The Major govt (wasn’t it?) making everyone go to ‘university’ was a mistake I reckon. Training yes, university no. The area is completely confused now and lacks a lot of focus. I cannot think of a reason why anyone other than students the highly academic or theoretical subjects should go to uni.

    Everyone would be happier if people got vocational or on the job training to the required level – even if that were a really high practical level. Practically minded students would get their hands dirty; employers would be in charge of what their students learnt and be able to make it much more useful; and the govt should have to cover far fewer loans for tuition and living expenses.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    Who do you think pays for on the job training and apprenticeships? Mostthings cannot be taught purely on the job except for low level stuff like admin
    Many are trained in colleges because they cannot get industry placements [jobs] and we train people to be a mechanic or work in animal care with little hope of finding actual employment in these fields. we have a huge oversupply of labour to jobs a massive one in many areas. [child care, hairdressing, construction, beauty etc]

    employers would be in charge of what their students learnt and be able to make it much more useful;

    excellent let them pay for the training they require then rather than us. We make students pay for degrees but then pay for the training for [in some cases] billion profitted multinationals [ Mc donalds for example] – actually many of the more astute ones actually have their own training academies to claim the fees themselves – rather than via college- and actually get free training and make a profit on it. We may be subsisising the wrong folk IMHO. You are correct it is a disjointed approach.
    Apprenticeships/vocational training depends on the availability of jobs which are not always there and alone is not a solution unless the jobs exist in which case why does industry not train its own folk?
    CITB do a reasonable job in construction to be fair via levvies.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Apprenticeships/vocational training depends on the availability of jobs which are not always there

    An excellent point.

    mboy
    Free Member

    actually many of the more astute ones actually have their own training academies to claim the fees themselves – rather than via college- and actually get free training and make a profit on it. We may be subsisising the wrong folk IMHO.

    I used to work for a training firm (doing work with lots of local manufacturing businesses). Our company rightly got paid on the successful completion of the candidates passing their coursework/portfolios. Doesn’t stop the companys (though it is better now than it used to be) registering every one of its employees to go through the same training course too (even though we were all significantly higher in ability already, hence we were doing the training) to claim upwards of £1k back on its bottom line for every one of us staff.

    There are LOTS of loopholes in the training world, and there are many manu unscrupulous companies out there looking to exploit them!

    Sad really, as those trying to make a quick/easy buck are spoiling it for the rest, as they’re fudging the figures which makes govt. sponsored training schemes look like a waste of money, which in turn leads to the govt. pulling out a big chunk of funding. Which in turn has contributed to 2 of my 4 redundancies inside the last 2 1/2 years!

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    Junkyard – Member

    Please note at least 75% are expected to be worse off or no better off …this is the govts own calculations

    those calculations are wrong – i’ve seen them, they’re hilarious!

    i’ve recently recieved a statement from the student loans company:

    i graduated in 2002 owing £12,000.

    and after paying for 9 years, i owe £11,000. My repayments are so small they barely exceed the interest. i don’t expect to pay it off in the next 21 years.

    i’d be £600/year better off under the new system. and i earn a very representative salary.

    project
    Free Member

    Whats needed is a cap on over subscribed uni courses, and the lack of proper jobs assosiated withthem, also wahts wrong with doing a degeree part time at night or day realease, the old sandwich course etc.

    So if you want to do a degreein english you find a comapny to sponsor you, they pay your course fees and you work for them in the ample holidays you get, you then agre to satay withthem and put something back into their company for a few years.

    It used to work that way with bus and lorry driving , you applied for a job, got trained and worked for the company for 2 years, if you left you agreeed to pay back the training costs.

    FuzzyWuzzy
    Full Member

    My Uni experience was largely a waste of time, dropped out after a year and the only thing I had to show for it was a bit of debt and a police caution (I fully embraced the student life :p ). Met some good people there but not in contact with any of them these days.

    Not regretted not having a degree since, working in IT they’re not really relevant for most jobs although can be used as an easy filter. If I’d wanted to do the whole management fast-track thing then I guess I would have needed one but the management part of my job is the bit I hate most so not regretted that I didn’t fast-track either…

    ericemel
    Free Member

    I went twice

    Once at 18 I dropped out, still worth every penny as I met the most amazing people and gained a lot of life experience. Spent 5 years in Bournemouth.

    Second was as a ‘mature’ student at 23 – passed and that has also got me to where I am today. I am in senior management of a major company and I probably wouldn’t employ someone now without a degree.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    It’s a choice you have to make individually surely. If you do a pointless degree with no career prospects in a field you don’t really enjoy and won’t use then you can’t really claim university isn’t worth it – your choices were poor.

    I personally chose a degree I enjoyed, got into a job I can’t do without it and a postgrad degree and enjoy doing and while financially it probably hasn’t made much difference up to now, I love doing what i do where I do it, and that can’t be obtained elsewhere.

    xiphon
    Free Member

    Given the chance, I would not have gone to Uni (left with nothing… which kind of puts me in both camps – student loan + no degree!!).

    Wished someone had sat down with me, and explained what other options there were….. perhaps it was a pride thing from my family? You don’t have any other choice but University/degree?

    Despite no degree, I’m still in a strong technical position within the IT industry. Got here through hard work, starting at the bottom (1st line telephone tech support! Yay!)

    I accept that in some professions, a Degree is an essential requirement – but I hope GCSE/A-level students today have more guidance and information than I did.

    To the OP : Who said you have to pay for their University? That’s what student loans are for + part time jobs. It *doesn’t* have to cost you a penny.

    brassneck
    Full Member

    It’s all about developing the mind. Which, if you have the aptitude for what’s in store, is worth it at any price.

    Which is lovely if you have a nice middle class family background to fall back on. When you’ve no safety net at all, you tend to think a bit more about the bottom line. Where will I live and how will I eat were fairly high on my agenda, thinking is a bit further down the pyramid of needs.

    xiphon are you my clone? 😀

    HansRey
    Full Member

    i wouldn’t study in the UK again. In fact, i’m not going to. It has been a good experience, but if my uni …
    1) gave a damn about students
    2) helped those who needed help
    3) knew how to teach and support
    … it would have been more beneficial to me

    CharlieMungus
    Free Member

    or if you knew how to learn.

Viewing 13 posts - 121 through 133 (of 133 total)

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