Partner Article

North East second largest fall of uni applicants

Autumn in Sunderland for many is a time of excitement and hope. The city buzzes with new students who are looking to embark on their chosen career path to become experts in their field. But this year, the first year of the university fee hikes, tells a different story.

The North East has been shown to have the second largest drop of university applicants according to new Ucas statistics. The biggest fall for 2012 intake is amongst the mature students, those aged 25-29 are down by 12%.

As fees triple up to £9,000 people are being discouraged to raking up a lot of debt for an uncertain future. A report from the Institute of Fiscal Studies also found that 56% of graduates will still be paying for their loans well into their 50’s. These days it would seem that a degree does not automatically lead graduates to the Promised Land.

Here at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) we invest into training young people as we believe that education should be about creating the best opportunities for young people to work. The BIC works with Milltech Training and over the last year worked with over 10 apprentices, several having gained full time employment, either with the BIC or with businesses on site.

Similarly projects like New Enterprise Allowance, offers unemployed individuals over the age of 18 access to business allowance of up to £1,000 helping them during the all important early days in business, is another great example of working in tandem.

Above all it is about helping people decide on what their best route to higher education is. Apprenticeships are a great alternative to university and all the debt that goes with it. However it depends on the individual and what they wish to do in life. If its university then great they are not just nice to have institutions they are critical to the future success of the nation…but they are not the only route for employment.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Anderson CBE .