Universities seen as key to opening doors for top jobs

A poll carried out by financial services giant KPMG has also shown that three-quarters of the students and parents questioned in the region fear higher tuition fees could be a barrier which prevents them or their children from going into higher education.

The figures show concern over the impact of tuition fees – which soar up to £9,000-a-year from September – is slightly higher in Yorkshire than across the rest of the country.

KPMG launched the survey of 1,000 people nationally – 500 parents and 500 school leavers or students – to gauge how people’s attitudes have been affected by the changes to fees introduced this year.

The survey reveals that 63 per cent of those questioned in Yorkshire believe that being set up on a path towards a good career is the main reason for going to university, compared with a national figure of 68 per cent.

This was by far the most popular choice given for wanting to get into higher education.

Only 13 per cent of Yorkshire respondents thought getting a well rounded education was the main reason to go to university while six per cent believed it was “to find yourself” and three per cent said it was to “have fun.”

Nationally the figures showed that parents were more concerned about the impact of fees than current students or school leavers.

Of the parents questioned 77 per cent said that the increase would be a barrier for their child to go to university. Two thirds of current students said that the increase would have been a barrier to them attending, while 69 percent of school leavers planning to go to university feel that the fees could be a barrier.

Despite this, a strong majority still believe that going to university is as important as ever – 71 percent overall, and 78 percent of current school leavers.

One in five parents – 19 per cent – admitted that “part of me hopes my child won’t get in or hadn’t got in to university because of the costs I could face.”

KPMG’s northern education sector director Derrick Jones said: “It is really important for young people and their parents to look at all the options available to them. For many, a traditional route through university will remain the best course. But there are alternatives. Much has been done by Government and businesses to open up access to work experience including internships and apprenticeships, and more sponsored degrees and other schemes have sprung into being.

“From KPMG’s perspective, and that of most large employers, we want to choose the best people from the widest possible pool of talent. That’s why it is also crucial for employers to do more to develop programmes that offer credible, quality alternatives to school leavers for whom traditional degree study is not the best match.

“It’s clear that university is shifting from being the last step in an individual’s education to being the first decisive step in building a career. While we can debate the pros and cons of this, the fact is that young people cannot afford to let the grass grow under their feet in today’s highly competitive environment.

“Return on investment it seems is the order of the day. This appears to be borne out in the recently released UCAS figures which showed a drop in applications and an emphasis on subjects that were perceived to offer better employment prospects, such as science, technology and maths.”

The Yorkshire Post reported last month that applications to the region’s universities have slumped by more than 20,000 for courses starting this year as the figures suggested that Yorkshire is being hit harder than the rest of the country by the Government’s £9,000 tuition fee hike.

Several Yorkshire universities have suffered major drops in numbers this year, including Sheffield Hallam in Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s home city, which had 18 per cent fewer applications – a drop of almost 9,000.

KPMG’s poll has also showed that with increased costs comes raised expectations. Seventy-eight per cent of all respondents believe that universities need to improve careers services, and 69 per cent said that they need to provide more timetabled careers advice.

Satisfaction levels amongst current university students were mixed. While 82 percent are satisfied with the academic teaching, only 48 per cent are satisfied with the careers advice on offer. Among school leavers, the verdict on careers advice available at school was similar with 55 per cent satisfied, and 20 per cent saying they were dissatisfied.

Expectations were not limited to universities themselves: respondents are also looking to employers to do more.

Eighty-nine per cent of respondents want to see companies offering more work experience, internships and apprenticeships, while eighty two per cent believe they should offer more sponsored degrees.

Three quarters of respondents believe that companies need to put more school outreach and contact programmes in place.

KPMG launched a school leavers programme last year which offers work experience from day one with a starting salary of £20,000, a university degree with all tuition fees paid, and an accountancy qualification.

More than 90 school leavers joined the firm through this route including five in the firm’s Leeds office. KPMG plans to double its school leaver intake this year. The firm is also developing a contact programme with over 100 secondary schools around the country.