When I left school in 1977, I walked out of the gates after my last exam and with no career advice went straight into an electrical apprenticeship, as that’s where most boys went then. A very small number went on to college and university.
Most 16-year-olds haven’t a clue what they want in life – I have five children, so I have some knowledge about this. Three obtained degrees, one didn’t and he has done well with college qualifications. My youngest is following his dream in music. I so wish I’d had the opportunities he now has.
It’s true having a degree can make you more employable. My daughter has given up teaching, sick of working 60+ hours a week, no free weekends, constant targets, stress, no life basically. Chained to an education system that is at breaking point.
She has now moved into industry, working for a global engineering company. She has a chemistry degree but no engineering background, but that...