Recent research released on February 14th by the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) has revealed that 16-18 year olds across the UK have confused views on studying for a degree, and where it can lead. The AAT have deduced that this is a result of school leavers lacking career guidance, which has prevented them from making informed choices about their future and securing graduate jobs down the line.
Although 79% of the 16-18 year olds participating in the survey did say they still planned to go to university despite the huge increase in tuition fees, 61% of those surveyed revealed that they didn't know these raised tuition fees alone could leave them with a debt of up to £27,000 after completing a merely three-year degree course. This shows an inadequate lack of guidance from the schools, as these teenagers were intending on applying to university without knowing the financial cost of it. Although it is positive that the majority of the surveyed teenagers were planning on intending higher education, it is a worry that such a high proportion of these teens were unaware of what the consequences the raised fees could have on them. As Jane Scott Paul (the Chief Executive at AAT) commented, 'Too many young people opt for university as a default option without any knowledge of the return they will get on their investment or any awareness of the alternatives open to them.'
Jane Scott Paul went on to state that 'Young people must have access to independent career advice and guidance early on so that they can make informed choices between university or the alternative routes which lead into other career paths.' With 45% of those surveyed deeming a degree necessary to work in accounting, 36% believing it imperative to have a degree to be an engineer and 22% thinking it vital to work in IT, it does seem as if many teens are misadvised about their studying for a degree and where it can lead. As Jane Scott Paul declared, 'Careers advice is failing our young people.'
