Mike Hill, chief executive of Prospects responds to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) new report on the ‘over-qualification and skills mismatch in the graduate labour market’:
“The CIPD report demonstrates that the task of working out what a ‘graduate job’ is and what ‘graduate skills’ might be is extremely challenging, and is not, as yet, concluded. As much of the data is only partially suited to this difficult job, it’s misleading to conclude that the majority of UK university graduates are ‘over-qualified’. It would be unfortunate if this all that readers take from the paper.
“The report doesn’t reflect that a university education is about so much more than job training. It adds up to more than basic economic value and has significant and profound social benefits as well, to individuals and to society at large.
“We need to see more and better research on the general social value of university education so that we can ensure young people get a full, rounded picture of the benefits or otherwise of going to university, rather than a persistent focus on one complex issue – that of the ‘graduate job’ – which aims to hit a small, rapidly moving target that forms only part of a much bigger picture.
“Prospects maintains the view that a university education remains the best and most effective way to equip workers with the skills to adapt to rapid technological and economic change – a key labour market challenge.”
