A-level anguish? Don't despair, there are alternatives to university

At the independent University of Buckingham A-level students (and anyone else who wants to be an entrepreneur and study for a degree) can combine your article's "Other alternatives" 1 and 3.

They can apply to study on our unique BSc Business Enterprise (BBE)programme, during which undergraduate students start business as an integral part of their honours degee. See details: http://bit.ly/6LFmpJ

Within 4 months of starting the programme our BBE students are "pitching" for up to £5000 "seedcorn" capital to run their business.

As the governement does not provide any finance, our programmes are not capped, so we still have places available on our next intake in January 2011.

As we work 4 terms each year, sucessful students also achieve their honours degrees within 2 years and on graduation they are able to buy the business from the university at a very low cost.

One point about your sub-heading, may I suggest that it should read " Other althernatives to a state university"

Nigel Adams

Programme Director BSc Business Enterprise

University of Buckingham

The sooner the liberal arts 'educated' reports at the BBC stop promulgating the view that only way to a full and rewarding life is via a university education the better. In one of their reports this morning they grdugingly reported that there are alternatives with "people could even do an apprenticeship" which was along the same lines as "people could even clean sewers".

We should stop brainwashing the population with alleged talent shows and providing what are laughingly described as higher education courses in Hairdressing, beauty, dance, etc and try to equip people for productive and useful lives.

anyone heard of the Open University?

Nice plug Nigel!

Anon 1, apparently there is a Harry Potter course now!

There are approx 300000 graduates every year in the UK and jobs for around half; in view of the economic outlook, the job market will presumably fall. It is not surprising therefore that we have so many disillusioned graduates doing menial jobs or unemployed. Although there are 2.5million unemployed currently, we apparently still need high levels of immigration to fill job vacancies. Something is badly wrong somewhere!

As an A Level teacher I don't understand why so many articles and journalists are asserting that A grade candidates will still miss out: all my Y13 students have been made offers by various universities; if they obtain the required grades, the universities are contractually obliged to provide them with places. Indeed, anecdotal evidence shows that universities are still offering places to some students who failed to gain all their required grades.

It's not an expensive waste of time as they are paying you to borrow money that still, for this year's cohort, you're hardly going to have to pay back - what an appalling ignorance for the article to call education an expensive waste of time! Where did a citywire journalist get such a shabby, jaded, fake 'university of life' attitude when you all went to the LSE or equivalent?

I am also an a-level teacher and have just spent the day with candidates and can support exactly what Chris is saying. Those without the grades for their top choice will simply accept the lesser or 'insurance' choices they made.

Also, private Universities can and will often offer places to students who are not really capable of doing the courses they offer. There is a reason they are not accepting people through UCAS you know.

Ben,

Just to let you know that I will not accept anyone who I don't think can achieve an honours degree in two years (8 terms - no long holidays) whilst also starting and running a business!!

I interview all potential students and they also meet our current BSc Business Enterprise students (without me being present), so that the applicant fully understand how much work will be involved, before they start.

I do this as I have a daughter and son who have studied medicine, so I know the costs involved in higher education. I don't want any students or their parents spending money on fees and living costs, but not achieving an honours degree.

Although our total fees are about £8000 higher than UK state universities, the total cost, including living expenses is about the same as a state university. The reason is that our students only need to pay for 2 years living costs (about £16,000) not 3 years.

You might also be interested to know that the University of Buckingham has come top of the National Student Survey for the last 5 years. See http://bit.ly/cek7s2

Buckingham only achieves this by ensuring that our students are satisfied with the education they receive and their experience at Buckingham.

Nigel Adams

Programme Director BSc Business Enterprise

University of Buckingham

Blimey! When I plug my midlands based fees free independant mortgage broking business GH Financial Solutions on here I get told off! Get in there Nigel!!

Andrew,

It does help that the University of Buckingham is "An excepted Charity dedicated to excellence in teaching and reserarch."

Oh, and if you know any potential students who would flourish on our BSc Business Enterprise (BBE) programme, please tell them about us.

You are also most welcome to come and meet my current BBE students (some only 18 years old), who are finding out what its like to run a real business, whilst also studying business, finance and enterprise theory and then they start to question the theory!!

University-attendance & degrees are not necessary for the majority of school-leavers.

'Unskilled' workers learn on the job.

Semi-skilled also, with maybe one day a week at TECHNICAL COLLEGES (now called Universities)

'Skilled' workers do apprenticeships, for which technical colleges & polytechnics were put in place, to obtain C&G, ONC or HNC.

Only the most academic need go to a PROPER univertsity for a PROPER degree, e.g B.Sc. in Physics, Chemistry & Biology; B.A. in History, Languages etc.. + Law & Medicine.

Journalists etc. only need 'O' Level English, Maths & a couple of other subjects + maybe 4 years on-the-job training.

They certainly don't need a degree in 'MEDIA STUDIES'.

The system used to work - why not go back to it??

That would get rid of the unwanted & unnecessary graduates with their massive loans to re-pay.

Once upon a time we had Universities for academic education and Technical Colleges for vocational training. Many of this country's technical colleges were superb and enabled this country to educate the highly skilled workforce which enabled us to create nuclear power stations, Concord and many other worldclass achievements.

Now the technical colleges have been converted to universities and all school leavers are encouraged to go for degrees whether they are academic or not.

The result is that we no longer offer technical education and the universities have to offer Mickey Mouse degrees to the non-academic students and they are also full to the brim.

Finally we appear to have re-discovered apprenticeships so perhaps technical education may re-start and we may even see Technical Colleges re-appearing.