Telegraph – Graeme Paton

“Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, will today announce a major review of skills-based courses for 14- to 19-year-olds. The review will assess the quality of applied qualifications in subjects such as engineering, construction, design, health, hospitality, IT and travel and tourism.”(more)

Inside Higher Ed – Scott Jaschik

“Andrea Louise Campbell, associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that hard times are affecting “every aspect of our lives” and many graduate students are “freaking out.” The information presented here might not have relieved the audience members, many of whom were clearly anxious graduate students. But the message from the speakers was that while the job market is tighter than anyone would like, in particular for tenure-track jobs, the overwhelming majority of new Ph.D.s in the field are finding employment. The key shifts are that more of those jobs are off the tenure track or outside academe.”(more)

Times Higher Education – Hannah Fearn

“The time and effort spent gaining a PhD is repaid handsomely in excellent career prospects, according to research presented at the Vitae researcher development conference today”(more)

Public Radio International – Staff Reporter

“Ph.D. students are competing for fewer and fewer jobs, and one professor believes the academic marketplace is turning into a Ponzi scheme.”(more)

Times Higher Education – Rebecca Attwood

“As graduate numbers have grown in recent decades, so too has universities’ emphasis on equipping students with the skills to succeed in the jobs market. In the UK alone, well over a hundred reports have discussed what employability skills are and why they matter. With the arrival of recession, the focus is now stronger than ever.”(more)

Guardian – Richard Wachman

“Look no further than Britain’s universities for business success stories at a time when the wider commercial world is reeling from recession. Last week it was announced that Edinburgh University’s research and innovation unit had created 40 new firms over the last year, up 40% on the previous 12 months. In the past five years, it has formed 131 companies, employing 300 staff.”(more)

The New York Times – Tara Siegel Bernard

“IN shaky economic times, going back to school needs to be treated like any other investment: you need to weigh the potential returns while closely managing the costs.”(more)

Inside Higher Ed – Scott Jaschik

“Sociologists love their surveys, and they apply them to their discipline as well, even when the results might be a little unsettling. Consider the statistic that set off some soul-searching here at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association: of those who graduated with a major in sociology in 2005, 70 percent were satisfied with their major when they were seniors. By 2009, asked whether they were satisfied with their major after having been in the world of work or graduate school for a few years, only 40 percent were satisfied.”(more)

The Guardian – Staff Writer

“Telecoms group BT has received more than 100 applications for each of its apprenticeship places this year, the company said today.”(more)

Money Watch (Yahoo!)- Lynn O’Shaughnessy

“If you want to avoid the worst-paying college degrees, think twice before choosing a college major that involves children. . . . Food is another common theme for students who major in the worst-paying college degrees. Students who earn degrees in horticulture, dietetics and the culinary arts are more likely to end up struggling financially. . . . If you’d rather end up with one of the best-paying college degrees, you’ll have to major in something that requires a lot of math classes.”(more)