Why Breaking The Stigma Around Apprenticeships Can Benefit Young People And Businesses Alike

It’s all about choice!  

Since the introduction of the modern-day apprenticeship programmes, there has been a lot of debate on which route of further education is more valuable for young people – apprenticeships or university? 

The simple answer is both!   

Everyone has different learning styles. They should have the choice to follow the path they will get the most benefit from. Not the path parents, teachers or society chooses for them. 

When I first started working in apprenticeships it was perceived as the last resort. Attracting candidates that had no other choice.  

I’m pleased to say now that this ‘last resort’ attitude has moved on. Now employers are seeing the benefits of hiring young talent into their teams. Bridging much-needed skills gaps and watching someone develop and reaching their full potential. 

However, there is still work to be done in getting the message out that apprenticeships are a genuine alternative to university.   

Recently on A-level results day, I was disappointed to read some of the posts on social media belittling apprenticeships. Posts such as ‘Don’t worry if you didn’t get the grades you needed, you could always do an apprenticeship!’  

It can be damaging for young people to read throw-away comments and think apprenticeships are a lesser alternative. Young people should be presented with every available opportunity to them. Remarks such as the one above go a long way to blocking those opportunities, which is a huge shame. 

Further Proof There Is Talent In Apprenticeships.

There is so much young talent out there today hungry to kickstart their careers.  We see this week in, week out at our Career Kickstarters. Employers love coming along to these so they can experience and feel the energy and enthusiasm of young people today.  The statistics we receive back from employers prove this. 

100% of employers who attend a Career Kickstarter say they think it is a positive experience and one they think is helpful in terms of recruiting an apprentice.  

By ditching the use of CV’s and inviting employers along to kickstarters, it also eliminates unconscious bias that could come into play by reading a CV alone. On average, employers who attend a Career Kickstarter offer formal interviews to at least three candidates.  

These same candidates are applying for jobs, only to be screened out because they do not hold a university degree – whether it’s relevant to the job role or not.  This now means that not only are young people missing out on an opportunity, employers are missing out as well! 

Recruiting in youth and generation-z provides an untapped pool of talent that companies need to not only grow their business but future-proof it as well. Overall, of the employers that do attend a Career kickstarter, three out of four end up hiring an apprentice they met on the day.

I understand that some people want to go down the university route. To experience life and come out with a degree that may be relevant to their chosen career path. This isn’t every young person or school leaver’s choice of further education though.  

For them, it’s all about choice. And that’s just what an apprenticeship provides for young people.