University students are running the risk of graduating with limited job options.
A leading organisation in skills development and apprenticeship schemes has urged schools to provide more robust career advice, based on current labour market insight, to ensure that young people are aware of the full range of career options available.
The calls from City & Guilds for students to be able to have the tools to make more informed decisions about their futures follows new research which suggests there will be an excess of graduates in years to come.
Analysis by City & Guilds reveals that 40% of young people are turning towards university compared to 35% of young people at the same time last year. However, separate labour market research from Lightcast shows that only 29% of UK jobs typically require a degree level qualification.
Commenting on the findings, David Phillips, Managing Director of City & Guilds, said: “While university is the right path for some, it’s certainly not the only option. Our recent Great Jobs research shone a light on the essential jobs that make up 50% of all UK employment opportunities, many of which rely on vocational routes such as traineeships, apprenticeships, and T Levels.”
City & Guilds’ research suggests that girls are more likely to take the degree route, with almost half (47%) of girls aged between 17-19 considering going to university, compared to under a third (31%) of boys.
This might correlate with girls being more preoccupied with future earnings, with more than half (54%) making their post-school choice based on what they believe is the best way to get a good job with a good salary, compared to just 44% of boys.
However, this could prove to be erroneous, Phillips suggests, who wants to see students armed with more information before deciding on their next step
He said: “It’s reassuring to see that young people are already thinking ahead about the career options available to them.
“However, as the UK battles against a volatile labour market, with a potential recession on the horizon and a cost-of-living crisis, it’s more important than ever that young people make informed decisions about their futures.”
Do you think schools are doing enough to present the wide range of different education options available to students upon leaving school?
