(adapted from: http://www.science-engineering.net)
the original text was written by Margaret Hodge,
Lifelong Learning and Higher Education Minister
In the early sixties, in the UK only one in twenty school leavers went to university. Today it is one in three. More adults are taking a degree in their twenties too.
Britain needs more people with degrees and more skilled workers with higher technician and associate professional qualifications in the years ahead. Over the next 10 years most of the new jobs will need people who have the skills and education higher education offers. That's why the Government wants half of all young people under 30 to experience the benefits of higher education.
But getting a degree not only boosts your education and skills, it improves your ability to earn a good living too. Graduates earn on average of 35 per cent more than the average wage - or £400,000 more over a lifetime than somebody on average earnings.
There may be different reasons why some of students who have the potential to benefit from university feel it is not for them. Sometimes it is because nobody in their family or on their street has been to university. For others, it may be worries about how much it will cost - and finding the fees.
But there's a lot more help available than one might think. And the aim of the Ministry of education of Great Britain is to talk to young people about the benefits of higher education and the support on offer to them.
There are plenty of different courses, which can help the youngsters to make the most of themselves. Many young people decide to go to work after school or college, and go on to university a bit later on. In fact, a third of all undergraduates are not school leavers. There are many full and part-time courses and most universities have particular programmes designed to support mature students.
The government has also introduced new vocational foundation degrees. In areas like applied engineering, hotel management and multi-media technology, they will help students get promoted and lead to better jobs.
Anyway, university degree is good value for money. Extra learning does lead to extra earnings. And there's already lots of help available while young people study.
10. IS HIGHER EDUCATION FOR YOU?
(adapted from: http://www.science-engineering.net)