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IELTS Writing - What is the main function of university education?

"University education? I'm sure it's to prepare you for a lifetime of student loan debt!"

How would you answer this essay question about the function of a university?


Cambridge IELTS Book 7 Writing Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace.

Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer.

What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.



University Education IELTS Essay

Should universities provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace?

Universities are generally considered to be places of higher learning, whether students pursue undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degrees. While both views expressed have some merit the fact is that most universities offer a wide range of academic courses which clearly offer both options mentioned: access to directly relevant work related knowledge and learning to gain knowledge without any higher purpose than to learn more about a specific subject.

While some employers may not see the relevancy of a student following a degree course which has no apparent relevance to any particular profession, a university education develops certain skills and abilities which can be useful in many wider areas of life. There are many cases where graduates in fact successfully take up professional positions which have little or nothing to do with the subjects they studied at university.

What’s more, universities are not unlike the general school system, there are many subjects which people would not consider essential to daily life as an adult, but the learning process builds a general knowledge and skill set which most adults need in order to be productive members of society.

Some people also believe that the experience of attending university is a valuable life lesson, allowing an opportunity for young people to grow, discover more independence and explore themselves as individuals.

Personally, I consider it essential that universities continue to offer a wide choice of subjects for students irrespective of whether they are directly relevant to obtaining a position in the workforce or not. They should be considered as places of personal development whether a student chooses to study anthropology or an MBA.



Universities, Graduates, Knowledge, Skills and Workplace

More Thoughts/Ideas

Should universities be purely places of higher academic learning or 'training schools' to prepare graduates with in-demand practical skills and knowledge needed in the job market?

There are university students who do not attend their university for its own sake, but instead wish to have a university course or traditional tertiary education to be better qualified and more attractive in the workforce.

In today's world, for example, university or college graduates are often overqualified and underemployed, some university students simply wish to obtain the skills that will enhance their employability for potential employers after they graduate.

So there is a growing demand for university courses that pick out the practical knowledge and skills needed by prospective employees from university syllabuses designed mainly with an academic focus. These become shaped into more vocational courses, targeting specific career options for the workplace.

The universities and other educational institutions seem to be responding with many vocational courses or 'professional' subjects being introduced into university curricula.

Others strongly oppose this move to more profession focused education on the part of universities, arguing that the act of learning and research should be an end in itself and that university graduates should be encouraged to educate themselves to become creative thinkers rather than simply passive knowledge absorbers, able to perform a specific job or role.

While there are good arguments on both sides of the debate, it is important to remember that university education is very specialized: university students study only a small number of subjects over a relatively limited time (typically 3 or 4 years depending on the country).

The university environment provides concentrated learning experiences that are not easily replicated outside university walls. It means that university graduates have a wide variety of knowledge and skills after graduation, but this does not mean that their education will enable them to be appealing to a potential employer.

There needs to be a careful assessment of what employers want and how graduates can meet those needs.

When university graduates enter the workforce, they face stiff competition with each other as well as university leavers from all around the world.

Entry-level salaries are almost always lower than graduates may have been led to expect while university fees in some countries mean that debt is a real issue.

Employers need to make sure university leavers will be able to meet their needs and expectations and play an active part in their continued success. Employers should make sure that university leavers possess knowledge, skills, attitude, and values (KSAV) that are relevant to the organization's particular set of circumstances.

The most obvious way to achieve this is for more employers to commit to sponsoring graduate education, thus alleviating the student debt burden and ensuring that they have a steady flow of new and relevantly qualified graduates each year.


Discussion Questions

  • What are the pros and cons of going to college?

  • Why do you think university degrees have a higher value than skills that you gain outside of school?

  • Should universities be adapting for the country's changing job market, or should students adapt themselves for what is in demand on the job market today?

  • What are your predictions for the future workforce?

  • Which careers do you think will be most profitable over the next 20 years?

  • Do you see college education as a necessity for young people entering into the workforce? Why or why not?

  • If education is becoming more expensive, what else can universities invest to help students get skills to enter into their field of expertise?

  • How do you foresee technology impacting human jobs, especially in terms of creating new jobs or replacing old ones with automation and algorithms?

  • Nowadays, all information is available on the internet for students simply seeking knowledge; will this affect the role of universities in the future?

  • If employers want graduates with workplace skills - should employers pay for graduate university education?

  • If the main function of university education is not to train the future workforce, what is the purpose?


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