Member Article

Experience Considered Key to a Successful Start

NEW research has revealed what Brits feel the most important assets are when building a career.

A survey of 1,005 UK adults, published in The Hobbies, Dreams and Jobs Report, carried out by beabetteryoucourses.co.uk, found that GCSE’s, Degrees and Masters are among the qualifications that are least valued by workers.

The data found 37% of Brits believe industry-specific experience or accreditation is more valuable than mainstream qualifications when building the foundations of a successful career.

But while many industries including legal, accounting or health and fitness have strict criteria on the qualifications professionals must possess in order to trade, others are much less stringent.

The majority (55%) of respondents claim their job requires them to have qualifications, but despite that, this is not being stringently policed - just 41% of those said their employer had asked them to provide evidence of their qualifications, before taking them on.

Simon Bubb, managing director at www.beabetteryoucourses.co.uk, said: “It’s interesting to see what Britons feel has the most impact career success, experience or qualifications – this is topic that the education and training industry is constantly discussing.

“Surprisingly, it is the more focussed qualifications which are directly relevant to workers’ roles day to day which are considered the most valuable. There is a misconception that a degree will get you anywhere - but in actual fact it seems to be the more niche accreditations and courses which workers are saying they find gets them furthest, and which prospective employers are most interested in.

The path that school and college leavers take can be influenced heavily by the careers departments within their school or college, but worryingly, the data found 1 in 5 believe they were not given enough, or accurate guidance.

47% said they were encouraged to consider university, while 29% said they said their careers advisors at school only discussed university courses with them, and did not discuss any alternative training courses with them.

Bubb added: “At the crucial time when school leavers are making decisions about their futures, it’s important they are provided with honest, clear and accurate guidance on what options are available to them.

“Unfortunately for many, the career advice they were given while they were in education simply was not sufficient, in terms of the routes available or funding.”

Be a Better You is the UK’s number one personal trainer course provider, and offers REPs accredited personal trainer courses and fitness instructor courses around the country, as well as online at www.beabetteryoucourses.co.uk.

ENDS

Qualifications that Brits’ believe to be most important when building the foundations of a successful career:

Industry Accredited Courses (62%) A Levels (48%) NVQ (42%) Diploma (38%) BA/ BSC Degree (27%) GCSEs (19%) Apprenticeship (15%) Masters (12%)

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ursula Hutchinson .