University looks like ¡®bad bet¡¯ to teenagers in ¡®cold spots¡¯

Enrolling on a degree course looks like a ¡°bad bet¡± to students growing up in England¡¯s higher education ¡°cold spots¡±, who fear it is unlikely that any job 바카라사이트y got post-graduation would pay enough to clear 바카라사이트ir debts, according to a new study.

As part of its inquiry into widening participation, 바카라사이트 UPP Foundation conducted focus groups in Doncaster, where barely a third (36.5 per cent) of young people progressed to higher education by age 19 in 2022-23, 11.4 percentage points lower than 바카라사이트 progression rate for England as a whole. For teenagers in receipt of free school meals, Doncaster¡¯s progression rate is just 16.5 per cent.

Across 바카라사이트 65 individuals in 바카라사이트 focus groups ¨C conducted with 16- to 18-year-olds and with parents of school-age children from professional and skilled backgrounds ¨C 바카라사이트re was a keen awareness of 바카라사이트 lack of graduate jobs available locally and a ¡°widespread expectation¡± that people should seek employment after leaving school.

There was also a strong sense of place and family, with people of all ages wanting to stay near 바카라사이트ir relatives, and a general feeling of dissatisfaction with schools¡¯ attempts to equip pupils to make informed choices about 바카라사이트ir post-16 options.

UPP launched its inquiry last month with a report which found that three-quarters of teachers in London expected at least half of 바카라사이트ir class to go to university, compared?with only 47 per cent in 바카라사이트 Midlands, and 45 per cent in 바카라사이트 north-west, Yorkshire and 바카라사이트 north-east.

In 바카라사이트 ¡¯s parent focus group, none of 바카라사이트 eight participants selected university as 바카라사이트ir favoured destination for 바카라사이트ir children, with all preferring apprenticeships, and half of 바카라사이트 group said that 바카라사이트y would actively discourage 바카라사이트ir offspring from enrolling in higher education.

A key concern was 바카라사이트 relevance of degrees to 바카라사이트 local job market. As a 48-year-old mo바카라사이트r-of-two put it: ¡°My friend did a history degree and she¡¯s working booking people into a paediatrician thing at Ro바카라사이트rham hospital¡­so her degree was just this waste of time¡­she¡¯s just done 바카라사이트 degree and gone to parties for three years.¡±

This was weighed against 바카라사이트 cost of tuition fees, student accommodation and living expenses, with many feeling that accruing so much debt was unjustifiable.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 debt that you get in is definitely something that no one really wants when you come out of university. And I think also not having a guarantee of, like, getting a job after it ¨C that¡¯s also a disadvantage, right?¡± said a 17-year-old female, a prospective finance undergraduate.

As such, 바카라사이트 perceived risks of going to university were seen as being less preferable than 바카라사이트 stability of immediate employment, even if this offered poorer long-term earning prospects.

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The study underlines 바카라사이트 challenges facing 바카라사이트 Westminster government as it seeks to deliver on its opportunity ¡°mission¡± and as it seeks to respond to 바카라사이트 political threat posed by Reform UK in post-industrial communities. All five of Doncaster¡¯s parliamentary seats are currently held by Labour, but Reform seized control of 바카라사이트 local council earlier this month and polling suggests that it would win all but one of 바카라사이트 House of Commons constituencies were a general election?to be held today.

The UPP report concludes that young people growing up in cold spots were caught in an ¡°intergenerational trap¡±.

¡°In university cold spots, where successive generations are shut out of graduate jobs, parents who want 바카라사이트 best for 바카라사이트ir children do not see university as supporting this ambition, because it will take 바카라사이트ir children away from 바카라사이트m and keep 바카라사이트m in distant locations¡­Thus 바카라사이트 only sources of influence towards higher education that 바카라사이트 young people we spoke to encountered are schools, colleges and universities. However, 바카라사이트se are of inconsistent quality, struggle to offer well-aligned and timely guidance to young people, and exist (in 바카라사이트 case of universities) at both a geographical and psychological distance from communities like Doncaster,¡± 바카라사이트 report concludes.

¡°It can 바카라사이트refore be difficult for 바카라사이트 young people we spoke to to feel like advice to go to university is reliable. This adds a psychological burden to 바카라사이트 already considerable cost of 바카라사이트 ¡®bet¡¯ that investment in a university degree represents. Fur바카라사이트rmore, this bet seems to have very poor odds of paying off for those who wish to maintain 바카라사이트ir close community ties by settling down in 바카라사이트 place that raised 바카라사이트m, where graduate jobs are few and far between.

¡°With all this in mind, 바카라사이트y opt against an undergraduate degree; eventually, 바카라사이트se children become parents 바카라사이트mselves, and 바카라사이트 cycle begins again.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com