Studying at university full time is undoubtedly an experience. You move away from home and learn to live independently, managing your money and your time, probably finding a part time job to supplement your income and making lots of new friends.Has the point of university study as a means of learning and preparing for a future career been a little lost on the way though? And are too many young people not applying themselves well whilst at university?It’s important that young people understand that studying of any type and at all levels is directed towards their future. It’s a really good idea not to view your time in education as simply that; totally disconnected from your future working life.If you do not view your journey through education into employment as one journey, with a destination of employment it might be that you will have a reduced commitment to the qualifications and training that you engage with; it is therefore in the interests of both yourself and your education provider that a clear and easily navigated path, unhindered by qualification type is visible.University study is as we all know, very expensive and a young person attending university full time on a degree course now is likely to leave with a hefty debt to pay off. This isn’t to say that university isn’t worth the money, but it does mean that committing yourself to university study requires careful thought.More and more young people are now looking at alternatives to full time university study and are investigating higher apprenticeship routes as well as school-leaver programmes. These programmes offer on the job training as an employee alongside qualifications. They are therefore seen by many as the ideal pathway to employment and importantly to developing employability skills within the industry.Whatever you choose to do, it’s vital that you fully inform your decision by looking at all the available pathways, making sure that you understand professional qualifications that are necessary to the career that you are interested in and also where jobs are available as well as what jobs will either cease to exist in the future or which will appear. This way you can really plan well for your future.
