Ditching university for the ‘real’ world -research highlights change in post education routes to careers

A recent survey has found that a quarter of school leavers believe that they no longer need to go to university to get a good job.

Transcript

00:00Yeah, I mean, we do have the age-old perception that the only route is by university, but

00:06that is not for everybody. People learn differently, they develop differently, and there's lots

00:13of different options and routes for them to look at. There's apprenticeships, there's

00:17a degree apprenticeship, there's going straight into industry and learning from the bottom

00:23up. There's lots of different routes. So what I would say is have a look at the wealth of

00:29information that is available. So I think it's really important that young people focus

00:35on what they enjoy doing and then map that against what career options they have available

00:43to them and take it from there.

00:45Grace Hardy is a 22-year-old accountant who started her own practice at 21. She's also

00:51a popular TikTok influencer and hosts the Unconventional podcast, where she shares financial

00:57advice and promotes practical business skills.

01:02So for me, I have very severe dyslexia. So when I was at Sixth Form, I sort of knew that

01:08the university route wasn't for me personally. There's a lot of reading, writing, essays,

01:13and it's not something that suits my learning style. I learn by doing, and an apprenticeship

01:18does just that. So you have hands-on experience. You also do get your qualifications at the

01:23same time, and you also earn money. For me, I couldn't also really afford to go to university.

01:28I would have to get another job as well. I would say an apprenticeship has so many benefits.

01:34Obviously, it's important to pick the right route for your child, but at the same time,

01:40there are apprenticeships in so many industries, like accounting. You can do a solicitor apprenticeship,

01:45doctor apprenticeships are coming out now, and so are teacher apprenticeships. So actually,

01:49you can have that work experience for three or four years, that qualification, and it's

01:54really important to know as well that you can do degree apprenticeships. So those are

01:58a Level 6 and a Level 7.