New research has shown that more employers would encourage young people on to apprenticeship schemes rather than university degrees, it has been reported.
The survey, commissioned by Notgoingtouni.co.uk, found that out of 500 employers, 71% would support apprenticeships compared to 51% supporting the university pathway. Employers said that qualified apprentices were 15% more employable than others with different qualifications. Additionally, the South West region is most likely to support apprenticeships.
Jane Smallbone, EMEA director of talent at Starbucks said: “The word apprentice has changed a lot over the last few years in this county, and so it’s great to see that the UK businesses now recognise the potential of apprenticeships as an alternative to higher education. As we enter exam results season when a lot of young people are making decisions about their future careers, this research shows that apprentices are very employable.”
Communications director at Notgoingtouni.co.uk, Sarah Clover, said that despite the benefits of apprenticeships, schools and colleges are not providing enough information about alternatives to university. She said: “This simply has to change, especially now that more employers are seeing apprentices are better candidates for job roles than graduates.”