Bing said:So, from the above it's not the universities that are the problem per se, it is the societal expectation and the education systems that is to blame for pushing people in the wrong direction. In some cases. What you are actually saying is that we should be better at identifying what young people are truly good at early on, and mentoring them towards the path that is right for them. The fact that there are a bunch of ex-polytechnics and colleges now classed as universities does not help with the quality of degrees available, and also does not help limit demand...
I still believe a good degree from a good university is an advantage and a benefit to society - it's not all about learning by rote and churning out knowledge parrot fashion (though accountancy is pretty much applied maths, and is largely bound by immutable rules that do need learned that way). It also doesn't equip you to run a multinational company - I suffered a similar shock to Kevin when I left university and realised that all the organisational management, business strategy, global marketing techniques etc. were worthless to me in the very simple and bottom of the chain job I started in. However I think that a having good degree demonstrates tenacity, independence, creativity, an ability to learn, to absorb large amounts of information and come to informed opinions that you can put forward eloquently and coherently, and (sometimes) intelligence. Cueball is right in suggesting common sense is by no means a guaranteed outcome of a university education, and of course all of the above can be learned through just getting a job and doing it well. Oh, and whilst having a degree is a tick box on just about every job description I have seen recently, it is just that and worth no more after a few years working experience, unless it's related to a professional discipline. I have no illusions that my own degree, despite being a good grade and from an excellent university, is worth any more than a tick in that box.
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Spot on Bing.
