I hope I'm not completely out of order here but why is there so much concentration on everyone going to university these days?
I didn't - I always joke I wasn't brainy enough, and there is more than a smidgeon of truth in that as i was not at all an academic prospect. I preferred the metal and woodwork classes. My academic achievements were spectacularly brief but my world came alive in technical college when I started learning about cars and I've never looked back. After a brief period in racing I carved out a nice career in vehicle workshops then as a trainer. I'm not a rich man but my career has enabled me to live a good life, support myself and a wife and bring up 3 children. Now living a reasonably comfortable retirement. All this without a degree to my name - just lots of City and Guilds and other trade qualifications.
I can't help thinking there must be many youngsters today who, like me, are not academically inclined and, because of all this concentration on academic achievement, their strengths are being lost to the community and they are missing out on living a good productive and worthwhile life.
What do you think folks?
Ha! Now it is four times.
I quite agree with your sentiments there.
I went to a grammar school, got 6 'O'-levels, but couldn't wait to get out of general education and go work with motor cars. Boss at the small garage where I worked found a 2-year full-time course at Bournemouth college, gaining a 'Diploma in Automobile Engineering' awarded by IMI (The Institute of the Motor Industry) This also included the City & Guilds that an apprentice mechanic would get after 4 years of day release. The course covered not just practical work, but the science and maths behind how it all works, so we were seeing 'A'-level and degree level maths and science, but applicable to cars, engines, suspension, etc. Still got some of the workbooks somewhere, with some horrendous formulas in there. Best left under the dust.
Some people went on to work for motor manufacturers, others, like me, went into junior management in the motor trade. Two went on to become professional golfers, but that's another story, but not because they flunked the course.
At that time, university was seen as the elite, and a degree was a badge of honour.
Then some time in the intervening years, we were no longer allowed to tell anyone that they were less able than others, in any area, so everyone gets praised, even if they are crap at something. Expectations are raised beyond reality, technical colleges became universities, devaluing the whole process rather than elevating everyone. (common denominator?) Now everyone expects to be awarded high qualifications, without any abilities, and be given a high paid job where no work needs to be done.
My grandfather used to say, University is for education, college is for work.
An uncle, after a discussion at work about degrees, said "anyone can get a degree". To prove his point, he enrolled on a degree course, not sure how/where, and two years later got a degree in mechanical engineering. Some prior knowledge of the subject, but no real interest. Continued to work as a clerk for the MOD.
The company I worked for in Oxford would take on 10-12 graduates each year on a 3-yr program. After several years of this, they eventually realised that most of the graduates were actually of no use to any business, and all the good ones had moved off having got the big company name on their cv, so we were left with the rubbish, mostly. We did manage to keep 3-4 good ones out of about 50.
There are so many jobs that do not need degrees, but practical skills, and these are being lost somewhat, perhaps this year is an opportuity to redress that.
From my experience, practical skills and academic skills are like two ends of a see-saw. (We're not allowed tham any more, in case we break each other's backs) There are always some that are good at both, but generally moving towards one end, reduces the skills from the other.
With teaching youngsters to drive, generally the more academic ones are more difficult to teach, struggling with the motor skill functions, and wanting to analyse every situation before action. (No time to analyse, just GO!, there's a truck coming.) The ones with less academic skill, are so much easier to teach.
I found a lad, almost illiterate, but very good at building work, very good. Struggled with his theory test, but knew all the answers if asked, drove very well, and learned quickly.
A girl, done one degree, did another, then on to a MA. In tears because driving was so difficult, the only thing she'd ever failed at. We got there. her Dad, clever professor of some sort, hopeless at any DIY, helped illustrate different skills doesn't mean 'useless'.
This is where NVQ comes from. I think a Japanese idea where skills are compared across different disciplines. A guy I worked with a long time ago had been a Japanese prisoner of war, rarely talked about it, but being an aircraft technician, was deemed to be of a particular skill level, and was put to shipbuilding. Similar skill level. As such he was better treated than many officers, who had no skills apart form being a career army officer. This resulted in many officers being badly treated, as they were the lowest skilled, but the most literate so able to report the poor treatment, skewing some reports. My colleague was better treated and slightly better fed as a result of being more highly skilled. They respected skills, not rank.
Good grief. What a diatribe. Sorry to all those who've made it this far. I'll stop now and we can all have a lie down.