Students choosing skill-based courses as graduates regret academic courses

University applications have seen a fall in recent years as people are entering the world of work at younger ages, with the country finding itself in the middle of a boom for academic alternatives. Seeing a shift in the way young people are making their future decisions, training specialist The Knowledge Academy has investigated which British industries are offering the best education opportunities.

While applications for higher education courses in the UK have dropped by 5% since last year, the types of courses being chosen has seen a change from more academic courses like English Literature to more hands-on qualifications. Certificates in the language and culture sectors were cut in half this year, yet certificates in the Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care sector rose by 117%.

Recent graduates regularly find themselves working in non-graduate roles, and many admit they wish they had joined the working world earlier to be better prepared as 46% of grads go into positions that don’t require their skills. Nearly one in three grads also revealed they left uni and ended in a position where they were earning a lower wage than their equivalents with apprenticeships instead, and experts are commending students for finding the avenues that best suit them.

“Today, young people are not expected to follow the familiar – and nor should they have to,” said The Knowledge Academy’s David Baker. “It is obvious from the changes we are witnessing in education and the workplace that we need to provide – and support – alternative pathways to higher levels of education and qualification.”

The Knowledge Academy found that schools and universities are not producing enough candidates with the relevant skills urgently needed to enter work. The issue becomes much more urgent following the news that bosses will need to find a million new managers by 2020.

“Additional courses, whether independently sourced or found through work, are just as valuable to individual progression than the typical University degree and we should celebrate the option.”

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