This is a momentous sea change. For almost 30 years, progressive governments have pushed for more and more young people to attend university, with the last Labour government aiming for 50 percent of all school leavers to go onto Higher Education. This has led to many professions, such as nursing, journalism and even fitness training, requiring a university qualification. Higher tuition fees mean that many young people are going to be thinking very carefully about whether a degree is cost-effective.
A report released last week by the TUC suggested that the average apprentice’s salary is now £12,634, with some going as high as £17,609. When compared to an annual tuition fee of around £9,000, which doesn’t take living costs into account, that number begins to look even more attractive. With these sorts of rewards on offer, we are likely to see a rise in the popularity of apprenticeships, particularly for subjects where there is an obvious crossover between the two options, such as Engineering, Construction and Business Administration.
In order to meet the anticipated increase in demand, we are working with education providers to ensure that learners can see a clear career progression running through their training and beyond. With this in mind, we have teamed up with Reed in Partnership, the leading recruitment and HR provider, to launch a series of courses in Job Search and Interview Skills, which can be offered alongside apprenticeship training. This will help to ensure that young people are fully equipped to enter the world of work, enabling them to capitalise on the full potential of their skills and training.
It’s all about persuading young people that the vocational route is a sensible and viable alternative to Higher Education. For many, it is the obvious choice, but for those who have previously dreamed of going to university, some reassurance may be necessary. In many ways, the mix of workplace experience and training offered by an apprenticeship equips the learner more effectively for the challenges they will face in everyday life but this may not always be known. We also need to inform young people of the wide mix of apprenticeships on offer, including sectors such as Business Administration and Learning.
By signposting a clear career progression through the vocational route, we are able to give learners the confidence they need, showing them that they can enjoy success without saddling themselves with debt. It’s all about high quality courses leading to proven employability and genuine opportunities.
