CITB reports that two fifths of young people have considered making applications for apprenticeship schemes.
CITB writes:
With A-level results day just around the corner, new research from British Gas has highlighted the alternatives to university which school leavers are considering.Of those polled by the energy firm, 41% said they have thought about the benefits offered by apprenticeship roles and considered making applications.
In comparison to university, some 28% of respondents said apprenticeships could improve their future job prospects more effectively.
British Gas, which polled 1,000 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 as part of its study, also revealed that 43% of them believe apprenticeships are useful, as they offer both learning and earning opportunities.
Only 26% of people said they feel that a degree is a better qualification to pursue than an apprenticeship.
Susan Hooper, managing director of British Gas Residential Services, said the results suggest vocational training has come a long way in recent years.
She added: ‘You could call this the age of the apprenticeship. Young people and their parents increasingly understand the value of gaining work-based training and getting paid while you learn. Apprenticeships are becoming a more attractive option.’
Apprenticeships are available in a diverse range of sectors, with construction firms among the key supporters of the schemes.
As well as providing on-the-job experience, they enable talented young people to build up their skill-sets.
Skills Minister Nick Boles said the British Gas study indicates that apprenticeships have become a more ‘serious option’ for the UK’s school leavers.
Over the last four years, the politician said more than 1.8 million apprenticeship starts have been recorded.
He added: ‘Apprenticeships are now a respected and rewarding route into the world of work.’
Along with apprenticeship programmes, foreign opportunities may also be open to those who decide that a university education is not the best solution for them.
For instance, some 2,424 British volunteers have headed overseas as part of the Government-funded International Citizen Service over the past 12 months – up 38% year-on-year.
This scheme enables 18 to 25 year-olds to build up their employment experience and life skills by working alongside volunteers in developing nations.
IHBC newsblogs on training and apprenticeships
