heystudents.com

The majority of Scottish students who graduated in 2004 are on track towards their chosen career and think the money spent on their education was worth it, according to a major new study.

The survey, carried out by Ipsos Mori and published by the Scottish Funding Council, looks at the career paths of more than 1000 university and college students over the past four years.

It found that 70% of respondents are in the career they want to be or are “on track”, 79% are in employment and 72% agreed the money spent on their education was a good investment in their future. In addition, 80% of learners were satisfied with their course and institution, nine out of 10 would recommend their course to others and 92% felt they gained useful job-related skills.
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However, the survey also found that nearly one-half were in debt, only 56% felt their earning potential had gone up as a result of their studies and one-quarter chose their job for negative reasons, such as avoiding unemployment.

Mark Batho, chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “The results of the survey show that many students feel they have benefited positively from their education and it has contributed to moving into the career of their choice.

“It is encouraging to see a high percentage of students valuing the benefits of going to college or university and the impact it has on their lives.”

A spokesman for Universities Scotland also welcomed the findings. “The most important message coming out from this is that very few people regret doing a degree and very few don’t see significant personal benefit from it. Our graduates are the best advert for the sector. At a time of insecurity, those with a degree know they have the skills and adaptability to compete effectively in a difficult labour market.”

NUS Scotland also welcomed the findings, but said student debt was still a concern for many recent graduates.

Gurjit Singh, president of NUS Scotland, said: “Scotland’s education sector is highly regarded across the world and, on the whole, this report backs up that reputation.

“However, the findings also highlight areas of concern. The fact that one-quarter of those surveyed say they’ve been forced to accept a job purely to pay off debts or stave off unemployment is deeply worrying.”

The survey results are published in On Track: Class of 2004, which explores the opinions of learners who completed a course or gained a qualification from a Scottish college or university in 2004 and has followed their progression since.