Ms Marina Dillon:

The financial barriers are the main factor driving the elitism. Unless someone is from a comfortable background or they can afford to take on a substantial debt they will be very hard pressed to be able to get on the career ladder. You can do an undergraduate degree in three or four years but the big issue is where someone comes out qualified with an accredited degree in psychology they are effectively left to their own devices. They must scramble around and figure out how to get on a doctorate. They are in limbo and that is the problem. The limbo can go on for over a decade, in my case. You find you are trying to get the experience necessary to get on the next stage of the doctorate. Only very few get paid assistant psychology roles so you end up working for free. I worked all my life until I decided to change career. I could have gone back to any of my old jobs but I would not have gained the relevant experience. We are given no choice but to work for free and therein lies the problem. How many people can afford to work for nothing for such a long period? The answer is very few and that is what drives the elitism.