The Benefits of Higher Education Dee Sandom Programme Delivery Manager Keele University

Benefits of HE Increased earning potential Employment and career prospects Personal and social development Academic development Lifestyle

Increased Earning Potential Over a working life (with all costs taken into account), a graduate can expect to earn on average an additional £115,000/£160,000 than their A Level qualified equivalent. A postgraduate qualification increases this earning potential by an additional £59,000. The more you learn, the more you earn!

Employment and Career Prospects HE graduates are more likely to be employed than those with the next highest level of qualification They are more likely to return to work following periods of unemployment or economic inactivity and be unemployed for less time than a non-graduate There are more career opportunities open to people with HE qualifications

Many careers are now all graduate, including medicine, dentistry and teaching Many other careers are largely graduate orientated, (including legal careers, accountancy, and most managerial posts) Careers in design, TV, social work, the Police and advertising are likely to be boosted by having a degree 40% of graduate jobs are open to graduates in any subject Employment and Career Prospects

Employment rates Graduates – 86% employed, 4.3% unemployed, 10.1% economically inactive Non-graduates – 72.3% employed, 8.7% unemployed, 20.9% economically inactive Source: Labour Force Survey Dec 2011 Employment prospects A 12.7% annual increase in graduate job opportunities was predicted for 2012 Source: Association of Graduate Recruiters Employment and Career Prospects

Forecast Changes in Occupations to 2020 Higher levels of skills and qualifications are associated with those occupations of largest forecast growth. Demand is forecast to grow for higher level qualifications Demand is forecast to fall dramatically for those with no qualifications – a decrease of 40%

Employers expect qualifications Less likely to reach a bar in salary Increased earning potential Wider choice of jobs and careers

Social and Personal Development Independence Social skills Communication skills Organisational skills / time management Team working skills Budgeting skills Confidence

Social and Personal Development Students are likely to have more free time than at any other time in their life until retirement Meet people from all over the world Join clubs and societies Study abroad Cheap and varied social life Part-time work Volunteering

Academic development Enjoy studying Subject knowledge Creative thinking & analytical skills Ability to question and problem solve Research skills Flexibility and ability to multi skill Work-related learning/work placement

Lifestyle Health Social mobility Citizenship and values Family

And finally – theyll have the time of their lives!