Those entering the jobs market today face a two-pronged difficulty. As the price of a university education has risen to astronomical levels, graduates these days are likely to finish University with $75,000 of debts. The jobs market they will enter is uniformly gloomy, with graduate recruitment flatlining. Employers are trying not to hire, in an effort to keep costs down, and really just trying to keep going.

Businesses still need the educated talent that helps businesses grow, but the open season of opportunity that once beckoned graduates has gone. These days, employers are far more likely to look at how they can develop the talent they already have on the payroll.

Of course if that talent shows initiative and continues to develop themselves, then so much the better – such things are always noticed. With the perception of austere times people are fretful: firstly to remain in a job and secondly to build a career with a genuine future. Studying part-time is a popular option, often online, to get the business and vocational skills they require. The choice of many is the Higher National Diploma), a qualification which increasingly seems to ‘tick all the boxes’. Not only do students learn logical and critical thinking but crucially, they also acquire real-world skills. A business HND for instance will equip the learner with a thorough understanding of how the whole business environment operates.

The HND was introduced as far back as 1925 and has always been seen as the leading qualification for technical and first-line management professions. Employers everywhere, domestically and internationally, know and understand the HND and how the skills it teaches apply directly to them. They generally don’t feel the same way about a Media Studies degree.

Some have discovered that online HND courses are ideal in terms of flexibility and convenience. The modular courses are studied via online learning environment like Moodle, which provide for constant tutor support and guidance. Students can study when and where they wish – even on the train – and at their own pace.

Another key thing in an HND’s favour is the fact that it can be ‘topped-up’ into an honours degree. Modules taken on the HND generally allow the student to be exempted from the first two years of a degree course.And this also means those stonking University fees are avoided!

The HND is the qualification which speaks to the needs of the present day.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 at 6:41 am and is filed under Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.