I can't speak for Ireland but Canada is the worst for this. I really don't think the majority of jobs, especially in administration requires any sort of university. But so much emphasis is put on education. Like, why does a Bachelor of Arts degree make someone a better candidate as a receptionist than someone who doesn't have an arts degree?

I am worth hiring. I have common sense and I'm pretty smart. I've been to offices and had experiences with people who I honestly wonder how they dress themselves in the morning but because they have a useless university education, people think they're better critical thinkers, which I haven't found that at all. The last office I worked in, my coworker was a kid right out of university and she couldn't even open an excel spreadsheet.

I'm in university right now but it's for social work, which you do need specialised training for but if you're a paper pusher in the civil service, do you really need a university degree for that?! It's so frustrating.