10-05-2025
No degree? No problem. Why employers are choosing non-graduates
Neil Clifford left school with one qualification: a C in O-level art, for which he sketched a Dunlop Green Flash shoe. 'I've achieved a lot since then,' said Clifford, chief executive of the £289 million fashion brand Kurt Geiger since 2003. 'But no amount of time or money will wipe my memory of opening that envelope on results day, seeing Fs and Us and feeling I'd failed at life.'
It's part of the reason why, nine months ago, Clifford instigated a new rule at Kurt Geiger, which employs 2,000 people: no degrees necessary.
'You don't have to have been to university for any job at Kurt Geiger, from shopfloor to finance. We see the potential in every person. Some kids are bright but can't afford
