BENEFITS OF

1

BENEFITS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
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Is it really worth it

• What IS the graduate advantage
• In 2003 the government summarised it in the
  following way
• Graduates are likely to earn 50 (400,000) more
  than non-graduates
• Graduates are 50 more likely to be promoted
• Graduates are 50 less likely to be unemployed
  than non-graduates
• 80 of all new jobs being created in the UK
  between now 2010 will be for qualified
  individuals
• (Source Section 5.5 2003 DFES White Paper Future
  of Higher Education)

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Reasons for choosing Higher education

• Graduates are more than twice as likely to be
  employed than non-graduates
• More career opportunities
• Better chances of promotion
• More students going into higher education than
  ever before, from all backgrounds all walks of
  life

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Other reasons for bothering with Higher Education?

• On average graduates earn 35 more than the
  average wage.
• In 2004 the average starting salary for a
  graduate was 21,997.
• More students going into higher education than
  ever before, from all backgrounds all walks of
  life.

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Summary of Median Graduate Earnings
Difference
Graduates
Non-Graduates
__________________________________________________
1,112,000
787,000
325,000
Males
Females
754,000
324,000
430,000
__________________________________________________
(Source IFS HE Funding Policy Who wins who
loses March 2005)
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Other qualitative aspects of graduate advantage

• Independence
• Widening horizons
• Improving prospects
• Raising aspirations
• Transferable skills
• Enjoyment of student life

7

• A University education is an excellent
  investment. In a recent UNITE/MORI poll, 97 of
  students said they considered going to University
  to be a worthwhile experience, and nine out of
  ten thought the money they were spending on
  education was a good investment.

8
In conclusion

• Hopefully this presentation has given you some
  ideas for encouraging young people to aspire to
  Further and Higher Education.
• You could summarise it in the following way.
• Usually (not always) the better qualifications
  you have
• The better pay you get in the long term
• The better promotion prospects you will have
• The more satisfying your job will be
• The more flexibility you will have
• The happier you will be

9

• Any questions?
• Aimhigher Northamptonshire
• www.aimhigher.ac.uk
• 01604 893310