In December 2024, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) published its latest Survey of Adult Skills. It’s a major international study looking at adult literacy, numeracy and problem-solving; and it’s only published once every ten years. 

The findings matter because they help us understand how the UK’s education system compares to the rest of the world. One standout insight is that England has the highest rate of over-qualified workers across all OECD countries. 

That might seem surprising, especially given how often we hear about skills shortages. So, what’s really going on and how can Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) help? 

What do we mean by “over-qualified”? 

Over-qualification happens when someone has higher qualifications than their job needs. Across the OECD, around 23% of people are over-qualified. But in England, that figure jumps to 37%, the highest of all countries in the report. Only 6% of people in England are underqualified for their jobs. 

It’s not just about qualifications either. The survey also looks at skills mismatches, and once again, England is one of the top offenders. We lead the table for both over-skilling and over-qualifying our workforce. 

Pictured: A graph that shows a comparison of over-qualification and over-skilling (source: OECD)

Who’s most affected? 

It’s easy to assume that over-qualification is caused by too many people taking low-value degrees, being unable to find graduate roles, and therefore forced to enter low-skilled jobs. In fact, that’s a narrative often repeated by politicians, with terms like “Mickey Mouse” degrees used to criticise courses seen as less relevant to the job market. 

But the data tell a very different story. 

Graphs in the OECD Survey of Adult Skills compare the likelihood of over-qualification across different groups. The results for England show: 

• Native-born workers are more likely to be over-qualified than foreign-born workers in England. 

• Younger workers, particularly recent graduates in England, are more affected than older ones. 

• People with all levels of education are affected, but those with Level 6 bachelor’s degrees are the most over-qualified in England – even more than those with postgraduate degrees, according to a 2022 CIPD report. 

So far, the findings agree with the initial assumption, but here’s where England stands out. As expected, in most countries, over-qualification is concentrated in low-skilled roles. But in England, it’s the opposite. The highest levels of over-qualification are found in highly skilled jobs. 

So, the over-qualified population in England is largely made up of young, UK-born graduates in skilled roles, often carrying around £45,000 of student debt for a degree they didn’t need. 

Why is this a problem? 

Being over-qualified isn’t just inefficient, it’s harmful. CIPD also reported that over-qualified graduates are: 

• more likely to earn less and feel underpaid

• less satisfied in their jobs and lives. 

• more likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

That last point is especially worrying. Many learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to take degrees that don’t lead to better jobs but still leave them in debt and with lower life satisfaction.  

We need to think differently about higher technical skills and ask how we can equip young people with more appropriate qualifications.  

So, what’s the alternative? 

The Augar Review in 2019 made a number of bold and thought-provoking recommendations about post-18 education in England. Among them was the reflection that, while higher technical skills are in short supply – especially in areas like engineering, IT and digital – simply increasing the number of people in higher education doesn’t guarantee better outcomes. What really matters is the quality, accessibility and relevance of the learning on offer. 

This is where Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) come in. 

HTQs sit at Level 4 and 5, between A Levels and a full degree. They’re built to meet employer-led standards, giving learners the knowledge and skills needed to enter skilled jobs straight away. They’re shorter, more focused, and often far more affordable than degrees. 

A real-world example: cyber security 

Take cyber security, a sector that’s growing fast and needs skilled workers. Cyber security engineers are usually classified as Level 4 roles, and employers rarely ask for a degree. 

But many young people still take a three-year computer science degree before entering these roles and take on high levels of debt in the process. 

Now imagine if that learner had taken NCFE’s Higher Technical Qualification to become a Cyber Security Engineer instead. They’d be job-ready in a year, correctly skilled and with much lower debt. HTQs like this are also great for adults retraining later in life, thanks to their flexibility and shorter duration. 

The bigger picture 

This isn’t just about cyber security. The same pattern exists across many sectors. HTQs offer a smarter, more focused alternative to degrees for many learners.  

At NCFE, we’re committed to creating opportunities through technical education. That means supporting qualifications that lead to real careers, close skills gaps and open up progression. HTQs are a crucial part of that vision, helping to reduce over-qualification by giving more people the right skills for the right jobs, without unnecessary debt or barriers.

These opportunities to develop higher technical skills won’t just support the wider economy, they’ll also increase social mobility and help build a fairer, more inclusive society. 

You can find out more about HTQs by visiting our dedicated webpage here. 

Acknowledgement 
This article was inspired in part by the TLDR News video “The UK’s ‘Overqualification’ Crisis Explained,” which takes a closer look at the OECD’s data on job mismatches in England.