It has been revealed that more successful A-level students are now opting for apprenticeships over university degrees as the next step in their careers.
However, one campaigner claims we must radically increase the number of apprenticeships for all academic levels.
Will Davies, co-founder of aspect.co.uk and a long term campaigner for apprenticeship reform, commented, “It is great that the apprenticeship is once again being recognised as a valuable way of training the next generation of our workforce. Although the increase in higher apprenticeships indicates that we are taking on the job learning more seriously, we have to increase the quality of training available to candidates of all academic levels.”
According to the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) there will be 20,000 ‘higher’ apprenticeships available to young workers in the UK this year. Many professions which have traditionally required a degree to enter like law, journalism and accountancy now offer apprenticeships.
“If you’re paying £9,000 a year for university, people are going to ask what they’re getting out of it,” said Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) there were 520,600 overall apprenticeship starts in the year 2012/13 which was 63,400 more than the previous year.
“Unfortunately many of those apprenticeships are not as impressive as they sound. The Richard Review concluded last year that the definition of an apprenticeship had been ‘stretched too far’ and that many schemes were allowed to claim government support but only lasted a few weeks and were of little or no value,” added Davies.
“We must improve the quality and quantity of apprenticeships if we are going to make inroads into the one million youngsters who are currently without work or training in the UK at the moment,” he said.
“It is essential that employers are granted the power to design apprenticeships for young people. Employers know the skills they require and therefore they know the skills that are employable.
“Generations of employment schemes have failed young workers. Civil servants and outside training agencies (although undoubtedly well meaning) have failed to produce youngsters with employable skills.
“Employers like aspect.co.uk have campaigned for years to be given access to the apprenticeship purse strings.”
Government announced a consultation with interested parties this month into a shake-up of apprenticeship funding that would give employers access to finance for their own apprenticeship schemes.
Indeed, Career Academies UK has urged electrical contractors to take advantage of those bright A-level students who lack the financial means, but not the aptitude, to go to university.
Latest research from Career Academies has found that 38% of students are concerned that they may be unable to afford to pay the fees and 26% are deterred from going to university by the fear of a lack of jobs on graduation.
Similar research conducted in January by Career Academies UK showed only 13% thought university was worth £9,000 per year.
Whatever path they plan to take, an overwhelming 83% of 17–19 year olds that have been through a work experience programme say they are optimistic about their futures, underlining the confidence they derive from active support, enhanced careers guidance and paid internships. Over 95% aspire to attend university, go into a full time job or take up work-based learning such as apprenticeships.
David Walker, policy director at Career Academies UK, commented, “Electrical contractors have a real opportunity here. Instead of seeing a 19 year old job applicant as unwilling or unqualified to go to university, electrical contractors looking to recruit should see them as enthusiastic, ‘can do’ prospects, blessed with aptitude, enthusiasm and the ‘can do’ attitude that helps build businesses.”
