In modern society it is commonly assumed that a university qualification is equivalent to a stable and good job. However, are universities degree more important compared to real-life skills and experience?
With the popularisation of higher education, university degrees have become accessible to many. Each year there are record-breaking numbers of students who have graduated from tertiary education institutes. In the past while these qualifications were not as common to obtain, university graduates were able to stand out among job seekers. There used to be a high demand of these graduates due to their distinguishable education.
Meanwhile, in recent years, university degrees are not enough anymore as there has been an increasing inflow of such degree holders into the job market. Hence, these graduates’ advantages are fading. In this situation, skills and experience become irreplaceable compared to degrees. In most universities, students are taught to learn theories in various subjects and how to complete school assignments. Skills and experience cannot be taught, but only to be acquired in real-life working situations. Take the example of communicating with customers, how could one learn to do that in a lecture hall? It is unfeasible to think that it can be learned through textbooks. Imagine the following, would you like to the passenger of a taxi driver who has only driven in a stimulator, or a cabbie with 10 years of driving experience? It is obvious that we would choose the latter. As relying merely on knowledge in employment is like learning to drive on computers, and it lacks of real-life experiences which cannot be substituted.
Qualifications are definitely important, but they are not only qualities. Undermining skills and experience can prevent people from putting knowledge into practice. Hence, I believe that skills and experience should be regarded over degrees.