Member Article

New research shows growing parental support for school leaver apprenticeships over university

As we reflect on A level results day, new research from leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP finds that there is a growing recognition of the benefits that school leaver apprenticeships can offer young people, with parents more likely to encourage their child to apply for an apprenticeship than to university after leaving school.

The research, which surveyed 2000 parents with children aged 12-21 and 2000 young people aged 16-21, from across the UK, explores changing attitudes to the routes available to young people after leaving school. 

It finds that parents are more likely to encourage their child to apply for a school leaver apprenticeship (44%) than for university (40%). The main reasons parents gave for encouraging school leaver apprenticeships for their children are: 

Gain practical on the job experience (63%)
Get paid while gaining a certified qualification (62%)
No student debt (40%) 

The research also reveals a significant shift in the perception of the value and necessity of a university degree. It finds that two thirds (66%) of parents believe that the cost of a university degree delivers less value than it used to, a substantial increase from 45% in 2018 research conducted by the firm**. Almost two thirds (60%) of young people also share this view. In fact, two thirds (67%) of the young people surveyed who hold a degree believe the cost delivers less value than it used to. Additionally, 42% of parents and 37% of the young people surveyed do not consider a university degree essential to securing a well-paid job.

This shift in parents’ attitudes may be due to the increasing awareness of the benefits offered from school leaver apprenticeships. The percentage of parents who perceive apprenticeships as providing good career prospects has risen from 79% in 2018, to 84% in 2024. Nearly three quarters of young people (73%) also believe that school leaver apprenticeships offer good career prospects, with only 6% disagreeing. 

The study confirms the influential role that parents can play in shaping young people's post-school decisions. Over two-fifths (42%) of the young people respondents noted parents as the top source of influence in their career decisions. This was followed, quite significantly lower, by school/college careers service (28%) and teachers (25%). 

Attitudes to apprenticeships are changing but improved careers advice still needed.

While there is a growing recognition of the benefits a school leaver apprenticeship can offer, fewer of the young people surveyed have received good advice about this career path (57%) compared to a university degree (63%). Almost one in five (19%) do not believe they have received good careers advice about a school leaver apprenticeship.

Though the perception of the benefits of a school leaver apprenticeship is found to be improving, most of the young people surveyed still felt pressure to go to university, with parents and teachers noted as the top sources. 

Of the young people surveyed, the majority are considering, or currently doing, a university degree (44%) citing ‘to further their education’ as the main reason for choosing this route. Just over one in five are considering or currently doing a school leaver apprenticeship (22%).

Commenting on the findings, Mick Frankish, Practice Lead for Grant Thornton UK LLP in the North West, said: “It’s clear from our research that there has been a significant change in attitudes towards school leaver apprenticeships. This is likely partly due to the quality of some of the programmes on offer, which is starting to reshape the traditional views on post-school options.

“As a firm, we actively hire both graduates and school leaver apprentices and have long championed the benefits of both routes. The North West is home to fantastic universities across vibrant cities that appeal to students, but apprentices can still enjoy everything the region offers via the apprenticeship programme.  But as many young people and parents are still not aware that firms such as ours offer alternative routes, and many young people are not receiving good careers advice about this, there is clearly more work to be done. Employers have a key role to play here, working with education providers in their local community to ensure that young people and their parents are provided with good advice, at the right time, about the different routes available to them after leaving school so they can make the right choice for them.”

Ben Davies, 20, joined the firm’s Liverpool office in September 2022 on the firm’s school leaver apprenticeship programme. While he received multiple offers to attend university, he knew that this was not the right route for him. Commenting on his experience and why he chose the apprenticeship route he said: “I always had a love for Maths and anything numerical in school, so I wanted to do something with figures and numbers. I had offers to study accountancy at university, but I wanted to start earning straight away and learn on the job from colleagues and others within the profession. This way I could start saving to move out and experience what I wanted to do outside of work, such as travelling to different countries, while avoiding the debt that comes with a degree. The opportunities for a school leaver to progress through the firm also drew me to the apprenticeship route, after seeing positive experiences shared on the Grant Thornton website and social media pages.

“The school leaver apprenticeship route has really benefitted my confidence and people facing skills. After finishing my A-Levels, I would have been nervous about the prospect of speaking to clients every day but, since joining, my confidence has developed and I have even been out to a client’s site on my own, which is something that would have been incredibly daunting 24 months ago. I have also learned a lot about myself and my capabilities, developing professional skills which, had I gone to University, I would not have been able to develop so well at 20. I now have aspirations to progress to Director and Partner level within Grant Thornton.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Robson .