With many university degrees now costing upwards of £6,000 every year, more and more young people are choosing to forego further education in an attempt to seek gainful employment. However, for those who wish to attend university but simply cannot afford to do so, the rising cost can indeed be a bitter pill to swallow.
Fortunately, it appears that employers are cottoning on to this issue and are reacting by giving their staff the opportunity to access affordable education.
This week, Asda has announced that it will offer 30 members of its staff a 3-year degree course in either retail or distribution whilst simultaneously being able to keep their positions at the chain. In partnership with Middlesex University, successful applicants will learn about merchandising as well as developing their skills in customer relations and staff development.
Executive people director at Asda, Hayley Tatum, believes that this investment into its staff will allow the retailer to reap great benefits in the future.
She says; “The current economic climate, coupled with the spiralling costs of higher education, means that many of our colleagues have missed out on university degrees.
“By providing the opportunity to study for a degree, we hope that we can open more doors for our colleagues, developing their skills for the future.
“Through the programme, we hope to create a pool of home grown talent – the future leaders of Asda.”
Asda is just the latest retailer to offer its staff access to a programme of further education, following in the footsteps of Kentucky Fried Chicken which launched a BA honours qualification in business management in association with De Montfort University, Leicester last year. In general, these degrees offer a combination of traditional university lectures and assessments, but also utilise on-the-job assessments in order to provide a well-rounded experience for students.
Director of employment and skills at the Confederation of British Industry, Neil Carberry, believes that other large firms should take note of Asda’s initiative and consider implementing similar schemes themselves.
He says; “It sends a clear message that major employers should work with universities to give staff top-level skills for their whole career, not just their current job.”
Do you think that larger companies should invest more into the education and training of their staff, or is workplace training a better method when ensuring employees are comfortable with the demands of their job?
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