While it is a difficult climate for all young people entering the job market, we need to recognise that the value of a degree is not limited to a graduate's first job after leaving university (Half of recent graduates work in lower-skilled jobs, report reveals, 20 November). Universities provide students with the attributes needed for a successful career, and it remains the case that graduates are significantly better off than those without degrees.
Instead of putting off first-generation students we should be looking to the long term – OECD data shows that we will need more, not fewer, highly skilled graduates to meet the future demands of our economy. Of new jobs created between now and 2025, 80% are predicted to be at graduate level.
Human capital is now the primary indicator of economic growth, and while other developed economies are investing heavily in their higher education sectors, the UK must resist the temptation to go the other way.
Libby Hackett
Chief executive, University Alliance