As 150,000 university degree applicants prepare to find themselves without
a place, more and more people are considering alternatives.
Several people who have become successful despite never having attended
university have been speaking to the Shropshire Star newspaper about their
experiences.
James Hickinbottom explained how he decided against university because he
hadn’t yet formed a clear idea about which course he was interested in, or
what he might like to do as a career. He initially worked in nightclub
management, but was made redundant.
He then thought he would focus on his interest in computers and became the
IT go-to guy at a small company. However, after two years, James was made
redundant again, but he didn’t let this dampen his spirits. Instead, he
took on a role within a large IT department, where he was able to learn at
work. He gained an industry qualification and says he looks forward to a
long and successful career in IT.
Another Shropshire man, Chris Pallett, has also spoken to the paper about
his route into the IT industry. He says he left school with "mediocre" exam
results and that university and college were not an option for him. Instead
he enrolled on a course that taught him basic computer skills. He then took
a training scheme within a company and started his own company at the age
of 24.
He told the Shropshire Star: "By the time my peers from school were
graduating from university I had real work experience and qualifications in
a profession I love."
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