University Is Not The Only Path To Success For Our Kids

There are heaps of things mums just do. We worry about whether our child has eaten enough vegetables today. We multitask our way through laundry, dinner preparations and homework assistance. We probe for splinters and then administer bandages followed by kisses and hugs.

And, more often than not, we encourage our kids to go to university.

But should we be nudging our kids towards university, without giving serious thought to the university alternatives available to them?

If we were to be ruthlessly honest, we’d have to admit that university does, in many cases, have its downsides. The alternatives should ideally be given due consideration before we push our precious children to choose the direction their futures will take.

University isn’t the magic bullet that it used to be. Let’s take an honest look at some of the reasons that university might not be the most straightforward path to success for your child:

Table of Contents

1. University Leads to Crushing, Burdensome Debt

Australian university graduates are likely to be indebted for quite some time after graduation. For many graduates, the debt could take up to 20 years to repay.

2. University Doesn’t, By Any Means, Assure a Great Job

Uni will cost your family a bundle if your child chooses to enrol. However, there’s no guarantee that your child will land a high-paying job – or, indeed, any job at all, after graduating from university. ABC News reports that, on average, only 70 percent of university graduates are able to find reliable employment soon after having graduated with their undergraduate degrees. We can infer from this statistic that about 30 percent will not be able to find work soon after graduation. Furthermore, 15 percent of university graduates still haven’t found work after 4 years have elapsed. Considering the massive costs of university education, these are horrible odds.

Some experts even go so far as to say that today’s university degrees are practically useless. In past decades, a university degree could be used as a way to distinguish yourself from the other masses of job seekers. Currently, with more people earning bachelor’s degrees, it often takes an MBA or other postgraduate degree to impress an employer with one’s academic credentials.

3. Apprenticeships and Traineeships Lead to Excellent Qualifications

Apprenticeships and traineeships can lead to well-paid, satisfying jobs in the trades. Yet, somehow, people have heaps of wrong ideas about apprenticeships and traineeships.

For example, the experts at Training.com.au debunk the myth that university graduates are more employable than traineeship and apprenticeship recipients. This is simply not true, because trainees and apprentices typically acquire real-world work experience that is valued greatly by employers. Given a choice, many employers will choose to hire a person who has both training and work experience over someone who holds only a degree. For this reason, there is significant employer demand for trainees and apprentices.

Apprenticeships and traineeships can not only be viable alternatives to university; in many cases, they can be even better than university. This is because trainees and apprentices are paid for their work at a rate of at least the national minimum wage. While those wages might seem underwhelming, this is an option that would allow your child to begin earning money immediately instead of incurring student loan debt. It would provide a financial head start that university doesn’t allow.

These are 3 things to consider before blindly pushing your child to attend university. While university does have many benefits, it definitely isn’t the exclusive path to success in life.