Degree in Theme Park Management

[MarieG10]

On the news today was a piece about Staffordshire University and the diversity of courses they offer. They followed under graduates studying theme park management and filmed them at Alton Towers.

Am I out of kilter with this, but i feel this is yet another example of universities extracting £9k tuition fees from students when offering what is a useless degree? I assume (but don't know) that the entry requirements are very low or unconditional.

I feel sad for these young people who I think are being totally conned, being saddled with huge debts and expecting to leave university and have a realistic opportunity to apply for graduate level roles, when in reality probably won't even be considered (unless the role is actually in a theme park!). I employ people and the ones with what I class as Mickey Mouse degrees usually get sifted straight away which having given feedback when asked is sad and disheartening for them.

The reality is that if they are academically not suited to a quality degree, they are better suited to obtaining an apprenticeship and decent work experience.

AIBU?

People who employ others always think that they know everything. Your clearly not very knowledgeable OP because someone who is knowledgeable is telling you your talking rubbish

My job only employs people with a specific degree. They wouldn't employ someone with a masters in theoretical physics because it would be irrelevant and they don't have the skills for my job. But it doesn't make a masters in theoretical physics unemployable. You don't work in tourism so obviously a tourism degree isn't going to be high on your priorities, but if you did work in tourism it might be.

Exactly...and when nearly 70% of graduate job don't ask for a specific degree subject that gives young people (or anyone at university) the opportunity to study a subject they enjoy knowing they have the chance to be developing skills and attributes that employers are looking for.

And caring degrees 'mickey mouse' subjects is a real big bear of mine. Just because it's not a subject you understand or value doesn't mean it's worthless.

*calling

I run a course which is considered quite niche and I'm often questioned as to whether it's an actual subject but my graduate employability figure is 100% with all my students getting graduate level jobs in a related sector.

I had a similar reaction to my Degree in Leisure and Tourism Management.
The amount of people telling me that you didn't need a degree to book holidays.
It covered amongst other things Finance, Small business enterprises, Marketing, HR, Operational Mgt, Strategic Mgt. They were on top of the industry modules like planning, government, Parks, Attractions, Entertainment, Event Mgt. The list is endless.

This makes me so mad. How dare you criticise the efforts from a local university and employer to train the workforce if the future.

Alton Towers (& Merlin) employs a lot of people including graduates. They have collaborated with Staffs Uni for ages on training & development. This is a degree run by the university Business School that gives graduates specific skills needed in the sector. How many degrees are there with 18 weeks PAID work experience.

Stoke has lost its pottery and mining industry. Construction firms are going to the wall. Retailers are moving out. There is pretty much the hospital, Bet 365 & Alton Towers left.

I think you’d perhaps be surprised at the breadth of opportunities for a graduate coming out of uni with A degree in leisure/tourism management, both in the UK and internationally.

As a previous poster noted, Merlin is a huge employer in Staffordshire and surrounding areas - I don’t think you can knock the uni for catering to its local community.

@Comefromaway

This makes me so mad. How dare you criticise the efforts from a local university and employer to train the workforce if the future.

How dare I? Well I will point out that currently this country has the right to free speech. If I wish to criticise then I am perfectly at liberty to do so. Why do you say that then? In your book are people not allowed to say things that you personally don't like or agree with?

The point of my comment is to stimulate the debate and see viewpoints of which people have put and constructively, unlike yourself whose only contribution is that I shouldn't dare to criticise the efforts of a local university.

My viewpoint has been exacerbated by employing graduates but not in graduate roles who have asked for advice and expressing the view that they wish they had been better advised on which university and course to attend

I’d be really interested to hear what subjects you consider the equivalent of “David Beckham studies” or a “non-subject.” Often a key value of an arts-related degree is the research, writing and analysis skills you get regardless of the subject matter.

Perhaps you should broaden your CV sifting criteria... 🤷‍♀️

I imagine a lot of the graduates go into the Disney grad schemes around the world or to China / India / Middle East where theme park management is treated seriously and all the roles require grad degrees.

By the way I work in investment banking and have employed acting / english / sports studies / pharmacy / football studies grads if they have the right soft skills because they each have a place. (The finance related masters can be paid for, for the right grad).

My viewpoint has been exacerbated by employing graduates but not in graduate roles who have asked for advice and expressing the view that they wish they had been better advised on which university and course to attend

I think your incredibly judgmental attitude towards certain subjects and lack of knowledge about the graduate labour market as a whole makes you a poor person to offer this type of advice.
I hope you signpost them to an appropriately qualified person or back to their university careers service?

My cousin did a degree in something like 'Events and Hospitality Management' and he's done brilliantly. He's in his forties now and has had a really successful, interesting and diverse career.

MarieG10

Think of it the other way round. Alton Towers is a big employer in the aewa they are also really popular as an employer for students and one of the few that doesn't pay a youth rate.

You have a 16 year old VI former working part time who has potential to go in to management, why not approach a local uni and ask if they have a suitable course and if they don't then ask them to develop one.

Your employee gets to take a recognised qualification while learning about the business.

OK they won't be trained for your business but does that really matter?

Theme parks and attractions like that are a growing industry aren’t they, all the Disney parks seem to be constantly expanding and I doubt people can just walk in and run these places with no training so it actually sounds like quite a good career oriented degree to be honest. The world is changing, careers aren’t all going to be the same as 50 years ago

This sounds like the sort of degree that companies like Merlin would fund their promising employees to attend, as opposed to students picking it at random from a prospectus. Professional/vocational industry-specific degrees like this have an important place. Making them all out to be mickey mouse courses is media spin.

I'd ask "what apprenticeships?"

The OP (I think it was, sorry if not) says her company is thinking about offering degrees, despite possibly paying ££ employers levy.

My DHs big waste disposal company is exactly the same. Thinking about apprenticeships. (He's their IT manager, not the owner! He wants to develop apprentices). But, here's the crux: companies are no longer interested in providing training, however subsidised, while they can make that person pay for their own training, via 'mickey mouse' degrees 🤔 then take them on more 'job ready', more 'ready to make a profit'.

The number of apprenticeships on offer is falling dramatically. Falling! And the government turns a blind eye to exploitative ones like 'Apprentice Barista' (Costa). A shrug is made when apprenticeship 'academic content providers' go bust. No one takes any notice of the retainer figures post-apprenticeship, if indeed they are even collected.

There are very few opportunities for a D/E 'A' level holder other than a low ranking uni course.

Once we get over our snobbery regarding 'qualifications that aren't degrees'; once the government stumps up the promised cash to FE colleges, once big employers get their apprentice levy doubled every year they don't offer apprenticeships, and once there is a National Quality Committee to ensure standards in Apprenticeships- young people won't be forced into less useful degrees.

We must resurrect City and Guilds as something to be proud of.

I say this with one DS at uni in Software Engineering who might have been able to get a traineeship in it; and a second heading to uni to do Graphic Design who, himself says he would far rather do an apprenticeship in it, in a big city design company- but there weren't any on offer.

However, regarding 'mickey mouse' degrees, I doubt there are many Golf Course Management degree holders who can't ultimately get a reasonably well paid job in golf course management!

Sorry, I meant, first sentence or so 'her employer is thinking of offering apprenticeships'. Not degrees, obvs! Gets them, ready-trained, out of uni....

Interestingly, it was never a university's job to make someone employable. That is a relatively recent thing and is, in the main, due to the rise in tuition fees and the consumerisation of higher education....as well as various government policies implemented to shift the focus of higher education.

Lots of universities still struggle with implementing employability into the curriculum so courses like this are actually quite ground breaking.

I have the right to say I dare you because I'm sitting here in the office of one of Stoke's last remainign construction firms, only a couple of miles away from Staffs Uni and I see the lack of opportunities for people in this area so when an employer and a university is actually providing something useful, directly related to employment and probably far more useful than a random degree in English Literature then it makes me cross that someone in an ivory tower somewhere is sneering becasue they don't think it's useful.

The leisure industry is pretty much the only industry that is currently doing well.

Nothing against English Lit, it was just an example of a degree often chosen by those who don't really know whatthey want to do.

@Comefromaway core subjects like English literature aren't random, they provide a lot of important skills like analysis, research, comprehension, debate. It's not like they spend the 3 years just reading. I studied history, I barely remember the detail of the historical events I learned, but the ability to distinguish sources, analyse them, summarise, present etc has stayed with me and I use those skills nearly every day. I personally think it's much better to go for a core subject for example English lit rather than journalism.

I studied English Lit myself, but it was of no use in my working life.

@Comefromaway I find that really hard to believe. Did you not write essays? Critique works? Compare and contrast? Did you never debate or have to present something? Communication, critical and negotiation skills are vital for most jobs.