Graduating from university with a good degree is not the only route into a successful career these days. Employers across a swathe of industries are offering alternative paths to the top that don’t involve running up sky-high debts and sitting through another term of academia.
School-leavers can combine work and study by taking a higher apprenticeship, co-funded by an employer and the government, to kickstart their professional careers. Degree apprenticeships, which take between three and six years to complete, and lead to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a chosen field, are another option.
This is good news for young people who don’t fancy spending three years solely at university, perhaps fearful of student debt or itching to get their first foot on the career ladder. They can still find professional success in fields such as accountancy, engineering, teaching, senior management or nuclear technology.
Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the Institute of Student Employers, a professional body representing 300 of the UK’s biggest employers, says: “Young people today have many more options when choosing their career paths as they come out of school and go into higher education. Whereas in the past, the focus has been very much on A-levels and going to university, what we are finding now is that many employers have different entry routes that will ultimately get you into the same position.”
Apprentices typically work 30 hours a week in an organisation and spend at least 20% of their time in off-the-job training, or studying at a university. Some of the training may be delivered through residential courses.
The first step for school-leavers looking to succeed in professional careers without going to university is getting hired by an employer who will fund their apprenticeship. They should highlight any relevant experience they have when applying for an apprenticeship and explain how it is relevant to their chosen career. Perhaps they had a part-time job at a restaurant or in retail, showing that they have understood the basics of the business. Maybe they have been given some responsibility. They may have had to deal with difficult situations with customers.
Employers like hearing about those examples from apprenticeship candidates, as they show they have transferable skills. “It doesn’t have to be work; it might be involvement in sports teams, or it could be the Duke of Edinburgh scheme or volunteering. Employers will ask what you have learned from those experiences that can be applied to the job,” says Isherwood.
Employers like recruiting school-leaver apprentices, as they feel they are more focused, having made up their minds at a young age about what they want to do. However, the relative youth of school-leavers compared with graduates means they have little experience of life and may lack a clear idea of career goals.
Graduates, on the other hand, can sometimes struggle to make the transition to work and may find that their courses are of little relevance to their chosen career.
A survey of 156 major UK employers – all ISE members – showed that 56% have started to develop apprenticeship schemes to cover work that would have previously been undertaken by graduates. The ISE Student Development Survey 2019 found that employers saw little difference between graduates and apprentices in areas such as resilience, leadership, dealing with conflict, self-awareness, career management and emotional intelligence. But the survey, which examined 76,000 entry-level staff hired by the employers over the past three years – including graduates, apprentices and school-leavers – found some significant areas of difference. Graduates were viewed as having better skills in presentation, analysis, IT, writing and problem solving.
Isherwood advises anyone thinking of becoming an apprentice to “do their homework” and consider where they want to be in the future. “Don’t let your career come to you. Have a think about what you want to do with your life, what you enjoy, what you are good at, what stimulates you, and get some work experience if you can,” he adds.
To learn more about the ISE and how it could benefit your organisation, visit ise.org.uk
