Financial Times to host live Q&A on whether university is worth it

In short: The Financial Times is inviting readers to submit questions for a live online Q&A about whether university is still worth the cost, as worries grow about how AI may change jobs.

What happened

The Financial Times announced a live “Ask an Expert” session focused on the question, is university worth it. The Q&A will be hosted by Isabel Berwick, editor of the FT’s Working It section.

The session is scheduled for Thursday July 2, from 1pm to 2pm BST. It will be text-based, meaning readers will type questions and read typed replies, like a live group chat.

The FT says the discussion comes as public confidence in the financial benefits of a degree has fallen in the UK. A British Social Attitudes survey found that a third of people in England now consider university education to be a waste of time, and the share holding that view has doubled over the past eight years. The survey also found confidence in higher education delivering a return on investment has dropped to 36 percent, down 10 points from 2018.

The announcement also notes rising concern about artificial intelligence, meaning computer systems that can perform tasks that usually need human thinking. The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has asked companies to share combined data about AI’s effects on workers.

Why it matters

For teenagers and families, the decision about university can feel like buying an expensive ticket without knowing what the destination will look like in a few years. This Q&A is meant to help readers weigh costs and benefits, including alternatives like apprenticeships, and discuss what skills may still matter if AI changes entry-level work.

Source: Financial Times