GAINING a degree will “help in more ways than students imagine,” says a top Sussex businesswoman.

Sheila Flavell, pictured, is chief operating officer and an executive board director of FDM Group, an international IT services provider and the UK’s leading employer of IT graduates.

She was speaking to business graduates at the University of Brighton awards ceremony at the Brighton Centre.

She said: “Degrees may not be essential for success but they are surely going to make it easier and they will help your employability.

“But your university experience is not all about academic achievement.

“It is as much about learning about yourself, your resilience, your determination, discipline and self-motivation.”

She advised graduates: “Lead by example. As graduates you are entering the world with an important role to play.

“People will look up to you, they will listen to you and they will want your thoughts and ideas.

“You are the future, not just the future of the UK workforce but the future of the international workforce. And right now businesses are facing many issues.”