LETTER: A degree doesn’t guarantee a job

The series of articles on MBAs (Cover Story, September 23-29) made for very interesting reading, considering our current times.

In 1972, when my friends and I completed matric, some, like myself, acknowledged that we were not university material, while others saw it as a natural progression

Today, every pupil aspires to attend university, with all the trappings that accompany this. One has only to look at the precarious financial situation of universities to realise that eventually something has to give.

I found two comments from Nelson Mandela University Business School’s Sam February very telling.

He asked if students are doing the degree for status and a piece of paper, or to make a difference in the workplace. He added that MBAs need to be less academic and more practical.

There are too many examples where university is seen as the gateway to an easier career, and unfortunately no amount of theory will replace practical experience — whether you are doctor, scientist, motor mechanic or plumber.

And let’s also not forget that having a degree doesn’t guarantee a job once the graduation euphoria has faded.

Tony Ball
Gillitts

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