We regret going to university, say more than half of North West graduates in new survey
Study by Barclays Apprenticeships found that 64% of young people in the region felt under pressure to go to university from their parents or friends. Tony McDonough reports
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More than half of recent graduates in the North West say they regret going to university with many saying their degree was not necessary for their current job, a new survey has found.
A study published on Thursday by Barclays Apprenticeships revealed 52% of graduates who left university in the last five years say they wish they had taken a more direct route into their careers.
The study found that 64% of young people in the region felt under pressure to go to university, with 29% citing this pressure as coming from their parents and 18% saying it was from their friends.
And 71% felt their parents would have been disappointed if they had not gone to university and when asked their reasons for choosing university, 15% admitted they went purely to please their parents.
Other routes
However, in the same survey 49% of parents of students or graduates say they would not have been disappointed had their child not gone to university and instead considered other routes.
In fact, 66% said they would actually encourage their child to do an apprenticeship over a university degree, revealing a significant shift in attitudes compared to 2016, when 65% of parents in the North West felt university was the best option for their child.
Parents are also becoming increasingly knowledgeable about higher education with 63% of those polled now aware of degree level apprenticeships, compared to only 20% in 2016.
The Barclays Apprenticeships study also spoke to employers with 59% saying they valued degree apprenticeships as highly as a university degree and 85% saying they would hire someone who had done an apprenticeship or a degree via the apprenticeship route.
Change perceptions
Commenting on the survey, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Anne Milton, said: “Our universities are world-class, but there are other routes to a successful career.
“We want to change the perception that one route is better than any other. Doing an apprenticeship brings amazing opportunities; you are earning while you are learning, and getting really valuable skills that will make you an attractive prospect to businesses.
“There are high-quality apprenticeships available right up to degree level in lots of sectors at the cutting edge including engineering, aerospace, nursing and nuclear.”