Freespace - Degrees are not that important

IF you have been reading international news (but why would you, when local news is so colourful?), you might have come across a startling piece last month. Ernst and Young UK has abandoned its bachelor's degree entry requirement for new hires.
This development was supported with a statement that there is "no evidence" that success at university corresponds with success in life or at work. What a novel move!
The finance firm is one of the most go-to places for the young and upwardly mobile. It used to have the snobby 2:1 degree requirement, together with the equivalent of three B grades at A-levels to step into its shiny corridors. Now, it appears, the opportunity is open for all talent, even if they don't have a degree!
Malaysians in general will be shocked at such a preposterous idea. What? Work in a prestigious company with no degree?
Well, nope. It depends on the quality of education, if you think about it. I read a Facebook posting by an acquaintance who is doing his master's degree. He lamented how his professor's slides were so hard to understand and that he had to, horror of horrors, read all seven articles referenced to understand the topic.
Shocking! Why hadn't the professor thought of spoon-feeding his students? Make them read the actual articles? With the footnotes? That has to be entirely against the grain of education.
Hardly surprising then, a few days later, British publisher, Penguin Random House, released a statement that job applicants will no longer be required to have a university degree.
I am all for this move. Certainly, if British students are anything like local tertiary students, a degree really doesn't count for much. This makes me sad, because I remember how hard we had to work when I was reading for my degree. I not only read articles that the lecturers recommended (in the library, no less! No such thing as photocopied handouts), I even read the articles footnoted in the textbooks.
After doing a little research, I discovered that more employers are moving away from paper qualifications to assess new hires. Aside from Ernst and Young and Penguin Random House, Deloitte in the UK created a process so recruiters did not know to which schools or universities candidates went. Earlier this year, PricewaterhouseCoopers also moved to scrap its A-level grades as part of its selection process.
I wonder if or when the counterparts for these firms will do the same in Malaysia. In a country that still widely uses fax as a means of communication, I do not envisage this anytime soon. In fact, I can imagine the eyes of parents glazing over at the thought of not having anything to push their children toward. One can hardly say, "Better study hard and do well so you can go to university!" in an age when university education doesn't count for much.
Speaking to a client about this move, he laughed, saying that some companies have a recruitment drive which includes going out for an evening of fun. This is the most important criteria because they would prefer to hire someone who knows how to have fun than somebody who is a stick in the mud.
On the positive side, I see the scrapping of degrees as an entry requirement for jobs as a great opportunity for those who are keen to learn and adapt. This is a time when information is readily available and courses are offered online. There are some people willing to work as apprentices or earn less to learn and gain experience.
I hope these are the type of people who will gain employment by this move.
Daniel freelances in writing and fitness training, and has a deep passion for health, fitness, sleep and travel. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com