Earn while you learn: Why more young people are choosing apprenticeships
Earn while you learn: Why more young people are choosing apprenticeships
With growing concerns over the potential lifetime burden of repaying a student loan, an increasing number of young people are considering alternatives to a university education at 18+, alternatives that will give them the same flying start in their careers.
Whilst there’s no doubt that Britain’s universities are among the best in the world, they still might not be right for even the brightest, most able and energetic.
One of the very best alternatives is an apprenticeship that combines education with earning and as the UK marks National Apprenticeship Week (February 9th to 15th) more and more young people are finding it’s right for them.
Businesses large and small across almost all sectors now offer apprenticeships which have been enthusiastically endorsed by the Government as the best way to solve youth unemployment and get the economy growing.
In December the Prime Minister announced a £725m package of reforms to the apprenticeship system. Thousands more young people are expected to take up apprenticeships in the next three years.
Keir Starmer said he wanted to change the notion that success should be measured by how many young people went to university. “If you choose an apprenticeship, you should have the same respect and opportunity as everyone else,” he said.
Pledging to create 50,000 more apprenticeships up to 2029 Sir Keir said it was time to change the way apprenticeships are viewed – to put them on an equal footing with university.
At KOR Communications Rebecca Kelland is an apprentice in the Public Affairs team, combining her work on projects in the land and property sector with her studies at Exeter College for a level 4 Project Management qualification.
Rebecca chose to pursue the apprenticeship route to get some real-world experience alongside her academic work. After six months she is convinced she made the right decision. She says she would urge others to consider an apprenticeship, whatever sector they are interested in.
“I feel that I am able to gain an extra level of understanding with my qualification, not only from my colleagues and their past experiences, but also from my peers at Exeter College and their learning journeys across different sectors.”
Francesca Bonfield, our Account Manager, also began her career, as an apprentice. She said: "Deciding not to go to university was a difficult and, in many ways, terrifying choice. I was convinced that I might be giving up any and all career prospects.
"But, in reality, it gave me time to think about what I really wanted to do, and at 19 I was lucky to secure a marketing apprenticeship which put me on the pathway to my job here at KOR."
The Government is committed to the apprenticeship system with the entry requirements set as widely as possible to encourage maximum take-up. Anyone aged 16 or over living in England and not in full-time education can apply.
Apprentices should expect to spend at least 20% of their normal working hours in training, learning or study. Depending on the type and level of apprenticeship they are on, it could take between eight months and six years to complete.
The Government website lists a wide range of businesses offering apprenticeships and candidates can search by sector or region. Events are taking place across the country organised by colleges and employers as part of National Apprenticeship Week.