Cyclone Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Considering that most of these so called soft degrees are formulated by Universities in consultation with industry it seems counter intuitive for people to then claim that the skill sets are not what industry wants. Are they? What part of industry wanted "David Beckham studies"? And even if a course is originally developed with the aid of industry, that doesn't mean that they want 20k graduates of it in a decades time. There was an example of this at one of the West country universities where they were teaching something like Surf Sport & Management which the national press lambasted but turned out to contain the exact curriculum requested by the tourist industry. How many graduates can that industry actually employ though, and how many will the course churn out over the next decade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerrangaroo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 @Cyclone But you're bringing one example to the forefront whereas it's only one element on a list that will cover a wide spectrum of jobs. It's no use catering for the more prominent sectors only is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 It's above average, but not by much. Starting salary for a graduate developer will be around £25k in any national company. That's why I asked which company... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Are they? What part of industry wanted "David Beckham studies"? A simple search reveals: In 2000, Staffordshire University was mocked as providing 'David Beckham Studies' because it provided a module on the sociological importance of football to students taking sociology, sports science or media studies. A professor for the department stressed that the course would not focus on Beckham, and that the module examines "the rise of football from its folk origins in the 17th century, to the power it's become and the central place it occupies in British culture, and indeed world culture, today. Admittedly it's a quote from Wikipedia which is as far as I could be bothered searching. The response, I anticipate, will be about the relevance of the degree courses within which this module resided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 @Cyclone But you're bringing one example to the forefront whereas it's only one element on a list that will cover a wide spectrum of jobs. It's no use catering for the more prominent sectors only is it? I used an example, but I think the problem is more aptly demonstrated by the number of graduates with soft degrees who don't have work. Maybe the relevant industries asked for them to be trained just so that they could then not employ them? Or maybe they wanted like 100 trained people, and because the degrees are easy they got 10,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fake Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Considering that most of these so called soft degrees are formulated by Universities in consultation with industry it seems counter intuitive for people to then claim that the skill sets are not what industry wants. There was an example of this at one of the West country universities where they were teaching something like Surf Sport & Management which the national press lambasted but turned out to contain the exact curriculum requested by the tourist industry. That may be true but how many tourist industry jobs do you see advertised. Sheffield Council have a tourist information site, they also used to have a few tourist information premises that the public could enter but how many of them are still in operation? BTW That scenario also applies to others and not just Sheffield. The so called soft degrees are promoted as they are easy courses, are generally full, bring in easy money and help bolster the pass rate figures. They also help keep the unemployment figures down while people are on those courses. Compared to an engineering or computer programming course I would think the pass rate would be much higher. In the Star today it has been announced that £92 million of private sector money will be spent to create just 5,000 jobs. Business parks are running with empty premises and yet they want to build more. Transport links will be improved to ferry people to no existent jobs. Super fast broadband will installed and will then have to be paid for. Hardly any of the above will create lasting jobs and yet £92 million is up for grabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lounge Jay Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 the status quo is in danger of returning up its own ass. They might find that third chord there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 The so called soft degrees are promoted as they are easy courses, are generally full, bring in easy money and help bolster the pass rate figures. They also help keep the unemployment figures down while people are on those courses. Compared to an engineering or computer programming course I would think the pass rate would be much higher. You also fail to add that they are more likely to be relevant to future careers in those industries which have worked with higher learning centres to develop those so-called soft degrees. As to pass rates, your 'thinking' may not be the actuality but why bother with proof when gut instinct has been shown to work so often? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Here's a fine example of a Disney Degree. http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1010151 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fake Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 You also fail to add that they are more likely to be relevant to future careers in those industries which have worked with higher learning centres to develop those so-called soft degrees.[/Quote] What future careers? Unless the jobs are available there will be no future careers as too many people with soft degrees will be applying for those jobs. As to pass rates, your 'thinking' may not be the actuality but why bother with proof when gut instinct has been shown to work so often? Sorry but I don't understand that last bit about gut instinct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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