Why we need to help university students in today’s age.
I never got the opportunity to attend university, but if I had, I think I’d be rather annoyed with the education I would have received. The only thing I really missed out on I believe is the social life, probably because of the sex and alcohol.
In the new world, we are hearing horror stories of Cambridge graduates who can’t get jobs, and it’s not just Cambridge, it’s pretty much every university in the country.
Back in the day (I’m 23, I know) it used to pretty be much guaranteed that if you had a university degree under your belt you’d be quite safe in getting a job. However, we seemed to have done a 180 and it doesn’t really mean anything at all now.
Unless you want to go into something that actually requires a degree, I wouldn’t want Joe Blogs knocking up a design for a new building in London only for it to fall down around my ears because they haven’t got a degree in basic architecture skills. Or Mr Surgeon cutting me open to then realise he can’t actually remember what part of my body he’s operating on.
So yes, university is fantastic when we require people to be equipped with the correct knowledge when people’s lives are at risk.
But what about the creative industries?
As I write this I’ve just come back from my friends Catwalk Show at Graduate Fashion Week, which essentially showcases all the talent of which the universities have apparently produced and honed them to create the best things they can. Except that’s not the case at all, because upon hearing what it’s actually like, you are told to change this and change that and take that out and basically completely take away any of your creativity just to suit a brief of which said university can then take credit for having the best students.
We’ve all heard the saying a committee will change a racehorse into a camel, but I’m starting to think now universities or ‘institutes’ as they are now being referred to, are doing the same thing. Put someone with a creative vision in and what will come out is someone with no creative independence and a mountain of debt. In goes a racehorse, out comes a camel.
I remember said friend putting on her Instagram story that she was looking for a photographer, 3 models and a makeup artist to help shoot her new collection which she’d designed and made. Not much to ask for then, with no budget.
I immediately messaged her offering my support and luckily, I had a friend who was a photographer, and who also knew some models who could help. I too knew some models that could help and the makeup artist she found from Instagram.
I recommended she could model the clothes herself but apparently not, as her lecturer would be ‘furious’. Ok then Mr Lecturer, why don’t you help your student find the world and his wife to help shoot this collection. She wasn’t even allowed to choose her own music for her own catwalk show because apparently it wasn’t right, meaning the university didn’t want to be seen as too exciting unless one of the parents complains or has a heart attack due to listening to Chase & Status (drum and bass) or Stormzy, I mean it! It’s ridiculous.
I subsequently found the location, offered my (parents) house to prepare fittings and makeup and then directed the whole shoot. Don’t be confused as to think this girl was incapable, she is incredibly talented at fashion design, my god it was impressive. But when it comes to the ‘other stuff’ some people fall down, which is absolutely ok because no one is good at everything, that’s why we have Dame Maggie Smith acting and Cara Delevigne modelling.
Another example of why university education is confusing me is this. About a year ago another friend had just graduated from a fashion communication course. When I saw an internship become available at a rather major communications agency I recommended she apply for it, knowing she’d be the perfect candidate. When the idea arose, she was incredibly interested but was slightly perplexed about how to apply and email them and I’m sorry but if you’ve just been on a fashion communication course for 3 years and don’t know how to write a coherent email applying for a job there’s no hope. This isn’t a reflection on her though, it’s a reflection on the university. What exactly are they teaching our students if not basic workplace skills?
That brings me back to my original point, we need to help our students when they graduate and the university bubble pops. Because companies now aren’t going to be looking for people with a first degree in whatever, they will be looking for people who don’t talk university nonsense and those who can compose a well-written email. So let’s help our future workforce by encouraging, actually educating them and inspiring them that the world isn’t all about exams.
