Malcolm Forbes once said, “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one”
Education is undoubtedly the one factor that eventually decides the level of progress attained by a nation or a people; it is what separates the third world from the developed world and the poor from the rich. Although the process of formal education starts at the kindergarten level and goes on till a student graduates from high school, in today’s competitive world, this is not enough.
Basic education is a necessity and must be pursued by one and all, but it only suffices the basic needs of life. In order to meet the growing demands of the global job market and to be recognized professionally, higher education is not only a need but a necessity. Higher education acts as a stepping stone between college and the world of employment, it helps one to obtain a better salary by becoming a more attractive alternative for employers and also broadens one’s horizons in terms of knowledge and experience by allowing a person to specialize and excel in a particular field.
Although pursuing higher education is an expensive affair in most developed countries like the USA or UK, but the benefits are immense. On the last count, there were more than 53000 courses at 329 higher education institutions within the UCAS scheme in the UK. The benefits that graduates enjoyed included an approximate 17% higher earnings than those with just school leaving certificates, and the figure rises to approximately 25% for those who pursued courses in
engineering, law or medicine. In addition to this, only about 6% of the graduates remain unemployed six months after graduation.
Thus, to summarize, not only does higher education offer life benefits such as the experience of greater perspectives, increased confidence in one’s field of choice, and in-depth knowledge of how to deal with situations that may arise in your career but also increases one’s employability and assures a greater starting salary. The benefits of obtaining a higher education far outweigh its risks and make it a valuable asset in a person’s life and career.
References
- Malcolm Forbes. The Malcolm Forbes Quotations page.
- Vikki Pickering. The meaning of employability and its relationship with future earnings. The Value Of Higher Education. p4.