In response to a recent study conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the HR association’s chief executive, Peter Cheese, has stated that university graduates are ‘colonising’ jobs that do not require degree-level skills.

It is claimed that a university education is not justified in a large number of professionals; as well as an individual’s skill set – compared to the practical route of apprenticeship schemes, according to the ‘Alternative pathways into the labour market’ report.

With the average £40,000 it costs to acquire an undergraduate degree, the report found that many graduates are filling available positions across a variety of sectors; and the number of teaching assistants with university qualifications has increased from four per cent to 22 per cent over the past 20 years.

Cheese said: “The huge increase in the supply of graduates over the last 35 years has resulted in more and more occupations and professions being colonised by people with degrees, regardless of whether they actually need them to do the job.”

He continued: “This report really does provide a reality check on the assumption that continually increasing the numbers of people going to university truly adds the right value for learners of all ages, employers and the economy.”

The CIPD has also urged the government to enhance the careers advice currently available to all students, and has suggested collaborations with unions, trade bodies and employers to create more high-skilled jobs across the UK.
Download the full report here