Andy Burnham has said this country should "value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap" as he spoke about tailoring technical and vocational training to meet local job needs and tackle youth unemployment.
Burnham's Call to Value Vocational Training
The Greater Manchester mayor's announcement this week that university shouldn't be the single, aspirational goal of all young people is perfectly timed and sensibly presented, according to Guardian columnist Emma Brockes. She writes that it is a correction to existing norms that university-for-all is a proper national goal.
Brockes shares a personal anecdote: "A brilliant young person I know left school, took up an internship, turned it into a job and now she's in her early 20s with no debt and a great position at a big fashion house. 'Maybe I won't go to university, either,' said one of my kids, eyeing me for a reaction, while I nodded thoughtfully and tried to ride out the panic."
Changing Attitudes Towards University
Evidence on the ground suggests a culture shift is already under way. In the US, the cost-reward ratio of going to college is so out of whack that student numbers have been dropping for years. Smart people on podcasts direct young people towards their in-state universities, which charge a fraction of the cost of the prestigious private ones. In the UK, for the last two years, university numbers have dipped slightly, partly due to changing demographics and partly due to cost as increasing numbers of universities charge the highest tariff rate.
Brockes notes that while being a graduate still delivers average median earnings higher than non-graduates, the non-economic benefits – cultural and social capital – underscore the bias towards university. She quotes Don DeLillo about honoring a need to "drink coffee and look at the world" for a space of years, which in the current economic climate sounds preposterous but remains valuable for many 18-year-olds.
The Social and Cultural Value of Higher Education
Brockes acknowledges her own bias: "I went to university and want my kids to do the same. My mum would've loved to have gone to university but had to leave school at 16 and I'm sure that's in the mix, too." She concludes that the main takeaway from Burnham's speech is a reminder that there is more than one way of doing things – you can go to college, or not, or go at 35 not 18, and all should be regarded as equal.
