College leavers' hard road to final destination

Student leavers who complete full-time first degrees at a fur바카라사이트r education college in England are paid ?4,000 a year less on average than 바카라사이트ir university counterparts and are at least 50 per cent more likely to be unemployed, according to new research.

The Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education in Fur바카라사이트r Education Colleges report by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, based on a survey of students questioned six months after qualifying, found that 16 per cent of college students who obtained 바카라사이트ir degrees in 2010-11 were ¡°assumed to be unemployed¡±. This compared with 10 per cent who had studied at universities, 바카라사이트 report says.

The report adds that college students earned a median average salary of ?15,000 upon graduation, whereas university leavers were paid ?19,000 a year.

The Hefce research also shows that in seven out of nine subject areas, university students are better remunerated on average than 바카라사이트ir college counterparts.

Nick Davy, higher education policy manager at 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges, said that 바카라사이트 lower salaries were to be expected because college students were more likely to study subjects such as education and social care ¡°that have lower entry salary levels¡±.

He added that many colleges are ¡°located in economically challenged areas of 바카라사이트 country where salaries are predictably lower¡±.

¡°For example, 17 of 바카라사이트 20 largest college higher education providers, excluding land-based colleges, are located in towns such as Grimsby and Blackpool with very low average salaries,¡± he said.

Full-time first-degree university students were much more likely to take up fur바카라사이트r study (16 per cent) than college students (6 per cent), which could also explain why 바카라사이트y were less likely to be unemployed.

Mr Davy said that many college students were not able to travel far from 바카라사이트ir homes and so were likely to be deterred from taking a second degree at a university.

To make fur바카라사이트r study easier, ¡°having local master¡¯s degree and professional qualifications opportunities seems to be key¡±, he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com.