Stigma and dated views remain around apprenticeships as being second-rate to a university degree, a survey has suggested.
Graduate careers service Prospects said views of apprenticeship content on its website have dropped by 7% compared with last year, while views on advice for getting into university have increased by 38%.
The Prospects Early Careers Survey from education technology organisation Jisc found that while 60% of school and college students surveyed said they are hoping to do an undergraduate degree at university, just 12% would like to do an apprenticeship.
Some 39% of those opting to go to university said they think a degree has a better reputation than an apprenticeship, and one in 10 said their parents are against the apprentice route.
Just under half (43%) of students surveyed whose parents went to university said a degree has a better reputation, and 13% said they would not take the apprenticeship route because of their parents’ views.
Meanwhile, among students whose parents did not go to university, a lower percentage – one third – said a degree has a better reputation than an apprenticeship and 8% said their parents are against the apprenticeship route.
The results of the survey – which had 5,255 responses from students and graduates in January and February this year – also suggested school students are most reliant on their families for careers advice (65%), rather than going to teachers (57%) and careers professionals (35%).
Chris Rea, careers expert at Prospects for Jisc, said: “Careers that were once only accessible through higher education are now viable routes for those who want to do an apprenticeship.
“However, despite the equality of esteem apprenticeships have acquired in the eyes of government and educators, some stigma remains in the public mind.
“Dated views place apprenticeships as second-rate to university and an option more suitable for low-attaining students, but modern apprenticeships are a very different career opportunity to when many parents were at school.
“In particular, degree apprenticeships offer an alternative way of accessing higher education while also gaining valuable work experience.”
This year, around 1,000 students will get results for the first wave of T-level subjects – introduced in 2020 – which are equivalent in size to three A-levels and are intended to help young people progress to skilled employment, university or apprenticeships.
Meanwhile, a separate survey of some 500 employers suggested 74% are less interested in university degrees than a decade ago.
The research for jobs website Indeed suggested employers consider a strong work ethic (62%) and a willingness to learn (63%) to be the biggest attributes for people wanting a successful career, valuing them more than someone having a good university degree (13%) or high A-level results (11%).
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here