Increasing numbers of students who have completed their A-levels are opting to go straight into the workplace rather than university, according to new research.
The Daily Telegraph study has shown a sharp rise in the numbers of students turning their backs on a university degree because of the rise in tuition fees and increased competition for places.
According to the newspaper, employers such as Marks & Spencer, Network Rail, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Grant Thornton and Laing O’Rourke have reported massive rises in applications for A-level entry jobs this summer.
This might be as a result of a more “clued-up” generation who understand that this year competition is going to be at its most extreme.
The Financial Times, in an analysis of applications made to UCAS, revealed that one in three students (200,000) are likely to miss out a university place this year.
Although attending university is still viewed by most schoolchildren as an ambition they would like to achieve, the reality of increased competition, higher course fees and an economic climate where no jobs are guaranteed whether you have a degree or not, is forcing many of them to reconsider what they will do after their A-levels.
