Ellen Daunt, IntoUniversity’s Head of Student Opportunities, welcomes new data that helps young people understand the potential salary implications of degree courses, but urges caution around using this alone to inform choices.
The Social Mobility Commission has recently published a report that outlines the potential earnings associated with studying different higher education qualifications with the aim of providing young people, their families and teachers with this information to help them make decisions about their education after leaving school. This is a really important and welcomed piece of research to support young people to make informed decisions about their futures. Studying for a higher education qualification is an investment and the employability and earning potential after studying is an important consideration when choosing a course. This is particularly the case for young people who face disadvantage as the financial implications of studying at university are even more pronounced, so having clear information about which course may improve their ability to secure a good job and a good salary is highly beneficial when making an informed decision.
Equally, we are keen to ensure that salary and employability are considered as one part of the decision-making process but that young people and their adults at home also understand there are a wide range of other benefits to completing a higher education course. For example, studying a course that will provide a sense of fulfilment, the cultural capital gained from the university environment, or learning for learning’s sake should not be under-valued. Salary and employability are important considerations and are completely valid motivations, but they are not the only way to define success or the return on investment of a higher education. There are also social measures of success such as greater job satisfaction and working in a career that has a social purpose. By focusing solely on salary we risk putting off students from certain backgrounds studying in humanities and arts subjects where they are already underrepresented.
In addition to this, the pathway into a career after university is rarely linear. Studying at a degree level opens up a variety of career opportunities as well as a wealth of opportunities for growth, exploration and transferable skills. There are, of course, university degrees that lend themselves to a more direct career pathway, such as Medicine and Dentistry. However, many people will study at university and end up pursuing completely different careers to the subject they studied. There are both positive and negative sides to this; the job market can be really competitive and some will struggle to get a job in the subject they have qualified for despite wanting to pursue that more linear career path, whereas others will thrive in something completely different that they perhaps hadn’t considered when first applying for their university course. Therefore, the SMC’s report can be an incredibly useful tool for those who may have an idea already of the career they may want after studying, but young people who are unsure or are interested in courses with reported lower earning potential should not be discouraged. The experience of studying at a higher education institution and the transferable skills that come as a result are also really important, as employers highly value and actively seek well-rounded individuals who can demonstrate a range of skills and competencies aside from their qualifications. Furthermore, whilst certain courses may lead to higher salary earnings, research shows that higher education, regardless of subject, is likely to have a positive impact on salary earnings, compared to not pursuing higher education at all.
Students like Harlem are a great example. Harlem is now a Board Fellow for IntoUniversity, but she first walked into an IntoUniversity centre over 15 years ago. She did an undergraduate degree in BA English Literature and History at Durham University, and had ambitions of being a lawyer. But as she approached the end of her time at Durham she decided that career wasn’t for her. She instead went on to do her teacher training at the University of Cambridge, and has now established a rewarding degree as a primary school teacher. You can read more about her inspiring story here.
At IntoUniversity we aim to ensure that young people are well-informed of all their options to ensure they can make the right decisions for them and their personal aspirations. We offer a range of different programmes and opportunities to prepare them for their next steps after finishing school. For example, our local learning centres take young people on trips to universities and provide workshops on a variety of different topics to expose them from a young age to the breadth of different courses available. Additionally, our Student Opportunities team works with a wide range of organisations and corporate partners across all industries to offer work experiences and internships so that young people have the opportunity to experience a work environment, network with professionals, and be better informed about the variety of different careers and pathways out there.
All in all, empowering young people and their families with more information about the pathways available to them is always a good thing, but data like this needs to be contextualised properly. The decision to pursue a specific course is rarely black and white and whilst salary potential is a big factor for many, it is often just one facet of the decision-making process. Therefore, it is important that we build on this research and we make a range of information available for young people and their families to provide a fully rounded picture of the benefits of higher education and what success looks like.
