A recent Work Clinic blog covered the drop in the number of women graduates being hired. Today, however, it would appear that even the boys are disappearing. Despite the government pouring £800m into helping poorer students through university, it seems that 1 in 4 students are still failing to complete their degrees. That’s 28,000 college dropouts a year.
Edward Leigh MP chaired a committee which investigated the trend. He says:
“More students are being recruited from backgrounds and schools where university was not previously thought to be an option. But these are the very students who are more likely to leave early.”
He adds that
“Universities must get better at providing the kind of teaching and support services that students from under-represented groups need.”
But what is happening to these students after they abandon their studies? And is the workforce missing out on potential talent. Should companies be doing something to encourage talented students to say at university? Corporate mentoring schemes and some form of sponsorship could go a long way …
