To think people are overeducated in the UK?

I would say it’s down to transferable skills.

Graduates in the course of their degrees have to develop good time management, ability to learn new things quickly, stick at tasks until they are complete, balance competing priorities, etc.

They will also have greater maturity, potentially better soft skills / people skills.

Indeed. I see a lot of that on facebook groups, especially the political groups, the media headline ones and those peopled by the elderly, mourning the passing of the 'good old days' which didn't exist but are remembered fondly. They then go on about people and issues of 'nowadays'. I am elderly so I at least fit in age-wise. Most of it is written with poor grammar and syntax.

I wonder if some of them ever actually went to school even though they moan enough about education 'nowadays'.

overproduction of elites
AI Overview
Elite overproduction is a sociological concept describing a society producing too many potential elite members (highly educated, ambitious individuals) relative to available high-status, influential positions. Coined by Peter Turchin, this phenomenon leads to intense intra-elite competition, frustration among "elite aspirants," and, ultimately, increased social instability and potential political breakdown.
Key Aspects of Elite Overproduction:
Definition: It refers to an oversupply of people expecting elite status (power, wealth, high status) who cannot be absorbed into the elite structure.
Root Causes: Key factors include the massive expansion of tertiary education (e.g., in the UK) and a growing population of over-qualified individuals.
Societal Impact:
Increased Competition: A "game of musical chairs" where too many qualified people vie for limited, influential positions.
Counter-Elites: Frustrated, ambitious, and highly educated individuals who are denied elite status may become "counter-elites," organizing against the existing ruling class.
Instability: This often leads to political violence, social unrest, and, historically, has preceded periods of fragmentation.
Historical Context: It is frequently cited as a driver of instability in complex societies throughout history, often preceding crises.
Modern Relevance: Critics of the theory often cite that the number of "elite aspirants" does not automatically mean they are underemployed, and note that the theory may overemphasize labor supply while ignoring demand.
Elite overproduction is considered a major, measurable factor that can help identify periods at risk of political upheaval.

To be honest OP your posts don’t make sense and your logic is invalid.

They don’t need a post graduate education to work at Lidl. It’s quite likely that Lidl has not put a degree requirement on the job ad.

It’s just that your son was not competitive.

It’s simply that people with multiple degrees/post graduate degrees likely interview better than someone like your son on the basis that 2 degrees gives them more experiences to talk about vs 1 degree? Or that their work experience was more directly relevant and useful than your son’s? Most people are more confident at the end of post grad vs end of undergrad?

I’m not sure why you’ve therefore come to the conclusion that people need a maths PhD to work for Lidl when clearly, it was a desperation move for the woman you mention to keep finances afloat! Her degrees were likely not relevant or required but she was able to spin transferable skills and impress them.

The other side to this, is that your son’s application wasn’t good enough. It’s not about his education when it comes to a job at Lidl, so in that scenario he’s not at a disadvantage for not having a PhD.

Empty vessels make the most noise.

its the fact that many dont want to learn or study is the issue, these days with youtube, goggle and wikipedia etc

Perhaps one of the reasons employers are giving jobs to over qualified but experienced people is that they dont want to risk it with entitled youngsters who think they know everything at 18! If I was looking to employ someone in my business it would not be a school leaver or a new graduate. I would probably go for an older person who is winding down to retirement and looking for a part time job where basic admin skills and reliability were appreciated. I dont want someone who experiences stress when answering the telephone or who cannot word a basic email to a client.I want someone who turns up for work on time, does the hours they are paid for in a competent manner and does not bring their private worries into the office. This is more likely to be someone with past work experience who can pick up the job quickly and be left to get on with it.

Pahahahaha, 10 minutes with the gammons on Angry Twitter or the comments section in the local rag demonstrates that we all need a LOT more education. It’s astounding how many people can’t even string a coherent sentence together.

thats true , ive already used it to take a photo of an idea and then it adds edits etc and its free

AI will destroy illustration as a career.

Why pay a human when you can prompt a computer to do exactly what you want for a fraction of the price

It's really shit but that's the way many creative roles are heading

They would, and that is why you have posters on here saying their bright young graduate child can not even get a supermarket job.... because the supermarket does not want you to leave after a couple of months to go to a better job.

DM has her own company and wont even entertain graduates with an interview because she knows their flight risk and she hates having to train up new employees and everything that goes with that.

I don't think this a new thing. We all got sold the thing about having a degree meaning you will earn lots more than people without degrees.
Many people with degrees end up working in jobs that have nothing to do with their degree. I knew someone who did law, who ended up in a call centre selling private pensions to people.
DB has a degree, and is a cleaner.
I was a Band 1 NHS employee, and a lot of my colleagues had degrees... and they had been working there for over a decade.
DM has a cleaning company and wont interview people with degrees, because she wants long term and reliable staff... not someone doing it as interim until they find something better. But she gets loads of graduates applying because the job market right now is awful.

If they're a talented illustrator get them to check out Harmony Toonboom, you can usually get free trials and there's loads of online tutorials (including on Harmonys own website) it's a really great package for both hand drawn, key frame animation and "cut out" rigged animation. Xx

Also something I always tell budding illustrators/animators, is to do as much figure drawing as they can, just quick gesture drawings of people (and animals) in a sketchbook (or digital tablet) it really gets their eye in, especially with weight distribution.

If they don't have it already buy them the book "animators survival kit" by Richard Williams.

Good luck to your teen! Xx

🤣🤣 if I think of all the problems we have in Britain today, overeducation would not be the first or second, or third thing that comes to mind.

People need to earn money, and yes it does make it hard for someone else to compete, but qualifications surely aren’t top of employers list for a supermarket job. I’d rather have someone who will stick around longer.

I have a degree and have never earned over 30k
wrong job choices, health issues causing fatigue, the area I live in… lots of choices/missed opportunities
the job I am in now uses my brain every day, but it’s stress free and close to home

It's called qualification inflation - not over educating specifically but jobs requiring more education than is really needed to fulfil the role. It's definitely "a thing".

Back in the day just having a degree was rare and made you employable even if it was Ancient Greek. A number of Prime Ministers for example held degrees in Classics for example. Now people tend to specialise earlier so if you want to be a journalist you do a Journalism degree, if you want to go into Publishing you do a Publishing degree. I don't think degree skills are seen as transferable as they used to be and perhaps that is valid.

Lol. If anything, it's the complete opposite!

Look up Emam RTM on any social media, watch some of the videos, and come back to let us know if you still think Britain is overeducated.

That’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what non vocational degrees confer. Humanities degrees showcase research skills, ability to convey complex ideas in clear language, ability to compare and evaluate different concepts and arguments. Those are all valuable skills in a wide range of jobs.

Of three friends who did Classics at Oxford, one now works in the jewellery department of Christies', one did one of those insanely-paid City jobs for ten years and is now running a theatre company, and one, I'm pretty sure, is an analyst for GCHQ.

Loads and loads of people do jobs which are not at all directly linked to their degrees though. Lots of degrees involve skills which make people marketable, even if the actual content of the degree isn't relevant to the job.

I know, I have a DD who wants to study Classics.

Classics is a highly respected degree though. It combines language, literature, history and philosophy.