Open University. Any Good?

[spilldig 185]

I was lucky I suppose, in that I got all my qualifications in electronics via an aprentiship with my employer. We should still be doing them but I think we are heading that way again, hopefully, otherwise I think the OU would be a very good way to go,and good luck to all who do it.

[tzijlstra 11]

On 20/07/2019 at 20:39, Annie Bynnol said:

Going to the wrong University and doing the wrong course is a waste of time and money.

Going to the right University and doing the right course and getting the right qualification, could be the best thing you ever did.

 

An OU qualification shows an employer that you have determination, tenacity and willpower and are highly respected in their own right.

The course you do will greatly effect your career. Choose carefully.

Nowadays your local University will also offer different routes to a degree, including different types of Accrss courses and Blocks of study.

All can also advise on finance and support- go for it.

 

Just want to add some nuance to this - this is an increasingly outdated concept. Employers want to know you have picked up the transferrable skills, the actual degree (at undergrad level) isn't all that important. Critical thinking, communication skills and digital skills are more important than whether you did interpretive dance or geology.

 

 

[Waj 0]

Sorry for the late reply. A family bereavement means things are on hold for a while.

Thank you for your replies.

[Annie Bynnol 610]

On 22/07/2019 at 18:25, tzijlstra said:

Just want to add some nuance to this - this is an increasingly outdated concept. Employers want to know you have picked up the transferrable skills, the actual degree (at undergrad level) isn't all that important. Critical thinking, communication skills and digital skills are more important than whether you did interpretive dance or geology.

 

 

There are many reasons why we do a degree.

Young people are moving more and more towards graduating in subjects that are in demand and which are reflected in pay.

Subjects that involve maths are the degrees that provide more job opportunities, most diversity and the most pay.

 

Published 27 November 2018 the Government report on  focused what had happened to Graduates by 29 years old.

The relative labour market returns to different degrees, Research report June 2018   and  appedix

 

There are many conclusion, but the report is very clear:

 Too many are doing degrees with high drop out rates with poor job prospects.

"The lowest-earning universities were generally institutions specialising in performing arts, which is one of the lower-earning careers."

 

"Do a proper degree at a proper University" is never going to be bad advice.

Hot off the press- more science courses are requiring "A" level physics.

 

 

[Dozer 13]

Waj, sorry of the news of your bereavement. Best of luck with the Open U thing. Sounds exciting!

[Chez2 10]

13 hours ago, Annie Bynnol said:

There are many reasons why we do a degree.

Young people are moving more and more towards graduating in subjects that are in demand and which are reflected in pay.

Subjects that involve maths are the degrees that provide more job opportunities, most diversity and the most pay.

 

Published 27 November 2018 the Government report on  focused what had happened to Graduates by 29 years old.

The relative labour market returns to different degrees, Research report June 2018   and  appedix

 

There are many conclusion, but the report is very clear:

 Too many are doing degrees with high drop out rates with poor job prospects.

"The lowest-earning universities were generally institutions specialising in performing arts, which is one of the lower-earning careers."

 

"Do a proper degree at a proper University" is never going to be bad advice.

Hot off the press- more science courses are requiring "A" level physics.

 

 

That is bad advice LOL. I attended Sheffield Uni, Leeds Uni and Leeds Met Uni as part of my OU course. I also had to attend a full week residential course at Milton Keynes for Science practical.  The only difference is you have to work more on your own in the OU between lectures / classes. 

[tzijlstra 11]

18 hours ago, Annie Bynnol said:

There are many reasons why we do a degree.

Young people are moving more and more towards graduating in subjects that are in demand and which are reflected in pay.

Subjects that involve maths are the degrees that provide more job opportunities, most diversity and the most pay.

 

Published 27 November 2018 the Government report on  focused what had happened to Graduates by 29 years old.

The relative labour market returns to different degrees, Research report June 2018   and  appedix

 

There are many conclusion, but the report is very clear:

 Too many are doing degrees with high drop out rates with poor job prospects.

"The lowest-earning universities were generally institutions specialising in performing arts, which is one of the lower-earning careers."

 

"Do a proper degree at a proper University" is never going to be bad advice.

Hot off the press- more science courses are requiring "A" level physics.

 

 

As usual there is a massive degree of nuance involved. The Augar review indicated a very different truth - we are telling our kids they have to be superstars to get degrees, therefore killing off the vital upskilling of those less interested in pursuing an academic degree. 

 

Again, as a recruiting manager I don’t really care about your degree topic or where you got it, I care about your ability to do the job I have for you. This is true for most if not all recruiting managers I know. Of course this is different for specialised jobs, I’m unlikely to recruit a cataloguer without a proper information science/librarian degree, but whether you got that at Teesside or Sheffield? Nope not interested.

 

 

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

16 minutes ago, tzijlstra said:

As usual there is a massive degree of nuance involved. The Augar review indicated a very different truth - we are telling our kids they have to be superstars to get degrees, therefore killing off the vital upskilling of those less interested in pursuing an academic degree. 

 

Again, as a recruiting manager I don’t really care about your degree topic or where you got it, I care about your ability to do the job I have for you. This is true for most if not all recruiting managers I know. Of course this is different for specialised jobs, I’m unlikely to recruit a cataloguer without a proper information science/librarian degree, but whether you got that at Teesside or Sheffield? Nope not interested.

 

 

Hmmm...

... can I just ask Mr Tim, are you a recruitment manager as in a job agency or as in a personnel department?

 

The reason I ask is that if it's a job agency then you will be getting paid for putting forward a target number of candidates to a client and so can't afford to be as selective about where those candidates have got their qualifications.

 

The client however, in my experience, is most definitely interested where the qualifications were obtained.

[tzijlstra 11]

5 hours ago, Mr Bloke said:

Hmmm...

... can I just ask Mr Tim, are you a recruitment manager as in a job agency or as in a personnel department?

 

The reason I ask is that if it's a job agency then you will be getting paid for putting forward a target number of candidates to a client and so can't afford to be as selective about where those candidates have got their qualifications.

 

The client however, in my experience, is most definitely interested where the qualifications were obtained.

I am a manager involved in recruitment. Tell me which clients are interested in ‘where’? In my experience the view you have is outdated. What is the area you recruit for?

[Bargepole23 337]

7 hours ago, tzijlstra said:

I am a manager involved in recruitment. Tell me which clients are interested in ‘where’? In my experience the view you have is outdated. What is the area you recruit for?

Going to say I agree here. I've recruited about a dozen people into companies I have worked at.

Much more interested in skills and past experience than the name of the university on their CV. In fact, that would have been of zero importance. These were for technical roles.

[Albert the Cat 0]

I work at a major engineering company and the U.K. recruitment advice was brutal. Anything less than a 2:1, don’t even bother applying, the application will go straight into the shredder. Engineering degrees such as electrical, mechanical and materials are always in high demand. Most interestingly, the cycle of degree (BEng versus MEng for example) doesn’t actually make that much difference for graduate programmes at least. 

 

If you go to a Russell Group university with degree in high demand such as engineering then you shouldn’t have much problem finding work. Having said that, employers might as well specify a 1st minimum because the competition can be so great. Also, always take the option of spending a year in industry if your degree allows it. People who say, “I rather finish my degree early and then find a job” is giving terrible advice. You won’t get a job if your competing against people with more experience and had the chance to develop soft skills. 

[Chez2 10]

I have done Scientific / techncal jobs for the last thirty six years so have seen some changes over the years. My first lot of qualifications were in the 1980s but I went back to study in 1996, finished in 2000 as I did it part time while temping. When I was looking for work for various roles between 2001 and 2008 not one employer or recruitment agency asked me which Uni I studied at while doing my OU degree. Some people back then commented negatively on OU but all employers and recruitment agencies had only positive things to say. They said it demonstrated determination, they knew how much easier it is to attend full time Uni.