Almost eight out of ten sixth-formers intending to go to university are worried about getting a job at the end of their degree, a survey commissioned by Brunel University of London reveals.
And 55 per cent of those deciding against higher education, say the cost of tuition fees and student loans has put them off.
The survey of pupils in Years 12 and 13 highlights underlying concern about the future – and fears about AI, with only 20 per cent thinking that it is positive for society.
As students prepare to pick up their A-level results this week, nine out of ten of those planning on going to university say they will work or expect to work part-time to fund their studies.
While 51 per cent agree or somewhat agree that going to university will make them better off, 90 per cent say that a work placement as part of a degree is important.
Just 71 per cent intend to move away to university, with the remainder wanting to live at home. One in ten of those say they already have a part-time job which they want to hang on to and combine with their studies.
However, nearly six in 10 of those planning on living at home say they would be ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat’ interested in flexi-boarding, giving them the option to stay on campus some nights of the week.
A third of sixth-formers who took part in the survey thought that AI is a negative for society. Only 20 per cent said it was a positive. Overall, more than six out of 10 believe universities should support students with AI.
Some 75 per cent agreed strongly or ‘somewhat strongly’ with the statement ‘AI is likely to make it much harder for graduates to find jobs’.
“This snapshot survey of sixth-form attitudes to life after school provides an invaluable insight into the big issues facing young people today: how they will find a job, what skills they should develop to stand a better chance of getting that first job in a market where AI is having a detrimental effect on entry level posts and, finally, is higher education worth the investment?” said Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor and President of Brunel University of London.
“It is clear that all of these young people want to work – whether they are in the lower sixth-form or have just finished formal schooling, but they are already worried about money and how they will find work and support themselves in the future.”
While Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised a radical shake-up of the school curriculum to ensure young people have more technical skills which directly lead to a job, universities must also respond to young people’s concerns by creating a clear pathway to the workplace after a degree, said Professor Jones.
“Respondents to our survey want work placements as part of their degree which lead to real jobs. From a higher education perspective, the sector needs to respond – supporting young people from the school classroom to a career, providing a strong guiding hand into work.”
The survey, by research company Perspectus Global, was intended to provide a snapshot of young people’s concerns as they reached either the end of formal schooling, or at the end of the lower sixth-form. Some 1007 pupils across the country from Years 12 and 13 responded to questions between July 1 and 19.
The research also revealed how nearly six in 10 of those planning on living at home during their time at university would be ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat’ interested in ‘flexi-boarding’, giving them the option to stay on campus some nights of the week.
“We are seeing the rise of the ‘commuter student’ and universities have to adapt to this emerging market,” said Professor Jones. Similarly, nervousness amongst young people about AI placed a greater onus on universities to ensure students knew how to use AI effectively.
“From this autumn, we are embedding AI into every module of every one of our university courses at Brunel,” said Professor Jones.
“This is not a short cut to student learning – quite the opposite. Our approach will augment and deepen students’ knowledge and their capacity for problem-solving.
“AI is here to stay and all young people will need to have the confidence to use AI as an effective digital tool.”
*1022 pupils across the country from Years 12 and 13 took part in the online survey between July 1 and 30.