Should you get an Apprenticeship or go to University
Career Paths

Should you get an Apprenticeship or go to University?

A quick guide to help you figure out whether you should go to university or take on apprenticeship.
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Penguin recently made headlines for removing the degree requirement from their job descriptions. For those of you who aren’t sure whether you want to go to university or head straight into the world of work this is great news.

Apprenticeship or University

Employers are finally considering other options. It’s an intimidating prospect to decide what course your life takes. And it doesn’t help that many of your peers are likely to be shopping for universities and degrees. You might even dread the idea of committing any more time to studying and putting yourself into debt before you turn 21.

These thoughts are probably freaking out your university-bound friends to so don’t worry. It’s not just you. The good thing is there are options available to you including apprenticeships which allow you to earn while you learn.

If you’re at a crossroads between going to university or starting an apprenticeship we are here to help. Here’s the apprenticeship pros and cons list to help you weigh up whether you should ditch academia or head off to university for three years to study.

Pros

  1. You can make money while you earn a qualification (up to an NVQ Level 4 or the equivalent of a foundation degree)
  2. According to the Sutton Trust, a Level 5 apprentice is likely to earn £52,000 more than a non-Russell Group University graduate in their lifetime
  3. You will be highly qualified for a particular job or industry
  4. You are more likely to secure a job at the end of your apprenticeship than a graduate
  5. You can directly apply what you learn to the work you are doing
  6. More and more employers are seeing the value of apprentices and the skills they can bring to a company

Apprenticeship or University Cons

Cons

  1. Not every career is accessible through an apprenticeship, so if you’re considering becoming a doctor, you will have to go to university
  2. Not all apprenticeships pay well, the national minimum wage for an apprentice right now is £3.40 per hour
  3. You’ll have real responsibilities and expectations from your employer. There’s no way you can just skip work and get away with it like you can a lecture
  4. You will miss out on the famous ‘University experience’, this can go as either a pro or a con as not every experience is the same. However, fear of missing out is a real phenomenon
  5. If you want to change careers, you may face difficulties if you don’t have a degree

Nobody can make this decision for you, but it’s worth noting that you have a lot of options. Be sure to check out the ‘Uni Is Not For Me‘ website for inspiration. University is always accessible no matter what age. So be sure to take your time and choose what’s best for you and your career.
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