Students warned not to waste time and money on uni

Successful A Level students have been told to ditch going to university unless they can land a job so they avoid wasting time and money, from a man with more titles than you can count. 

Sir John Stuttard, expert in education and business, warned that for many, going to university is a poor choice.

Sir John said with bleakness that “we have the prospect of many graduates leaving university with large debts and with degrees in subjects that give little or no career choice — other than to work in coffee shops and bars.”

Sir John Stuttard, former Lord Mayor of London, says there’s no shame in “going down the vocational route”

The education system in the UK has let down post A level students by offering university as the only choice “with few other higher education alternatives presented.”

To Sir John, it was a “sad day” when technical colleges were turned into Universities so that now there is a lack of vocational training on offer resulting in careers.

But he showed some optimism for the future with employment straight from school and apprenticeships on the up. “Many more businesses, such as accountancy firms, are now again recruiting directly from school … offering the traditional apprenticeships.”

He appealed to A Level students to consider not going to university, saying there is no stigma against people who “have gone down the vocational route”.