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Social Stigma Of Apprenticeships - Express Your View

What do you think of them? Do you think enrolling on one at 16 is the right choice? Or 18? Or in your 20s?

Should high achievers consider this option or just focus on college?

And what industries is it right/wrong for?

Love to hear your views

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Previously, in high school, I joined in in the stigma around apprenticeships. I never considered it up until sixth form when I heard that they brought out new standards with sponsored degree apprenticeships etc, and I've just turned down Nottingham Uni for an apprenticeship at Barclays. There has been a lot done in recent years to improve apprenticeships, and I think the perception of them will slowly start to improve.

I imagine for an awful lot of industries they teach you more than you would learn at uni too.
Yes I agree - I guess some people still think they are cheap labour (which some small scale ones probably are) but many larger ones are now well-regarded. I just wished my school had told us more about them before I left this year.
Reply 3
There is definitely and also for me the low wage was off putting seeing so many offering like £3 p/h, yes you'll gain qualification and experience but I'm sure im not the only one that have been put off by this.

I've recently finished my 1st of year and uni realised an apprenticeship may have been a better option, since I want to go into a potentially IT Related field and also that being that I dont have the best grades on my CV experience from day one would be a big plus.

I guess it all depends on the individual, people definitely shouldn't turn their nose at apprenticeships.

For me people should go to college then decide and get the best grades you can, unless your absolutely certain traditional higher education isn't for you, going to college and achieving the best possible grades you can would give you the best options - Especially with the rise of Higher Apprenticeships and Sponsored degrees which require A-Levels/BTECs to jump aboard or of course Uni.

Wish I did a lot better on my A-Levels quite liked the sound of Higher Apprenticeship, I did apply for a Lloyds but I failed at the first hurdle (Online tests) though I was rushing to do it so have myself to blame.

In short dont turn your nose try to weed out the good ones that will give you the best possible start to your career.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Topps
There is definitely and also for me the low wage was off putting seeing so many offering like £3 p/h, yes you'll gain qualification and experience but I'm sure im not the only one that have been put off by this.

I've recently finished my 1st of year and uni realised an apprenticeship may have been a better option, since I want to go into a potentially IT Related field and also that being that I dont have the best grades on my CV experience from day one would be a big plus.

I guess it all depends on the individual, people definitely shouldn't turn their nose at apprenticeships.

For me people should go to college then decide and get the best grades you can, unless your absolutely certain traditional higher education isn't for you, going to college and achieving the best possible grades you can would give you the best options - Especially with the rise of Higher Apprenticeships and Sponsored degrees which require A-Levels/BTECs to jump aboard or of course Uni.

Wish I did a lot better on my A-Levels quite liked the sound of Higher Apprenticeship, I did apply for a Lloyds but I failed at the first hurdle (Online tests) though I was rushing to do it so have myself to blame.

In short dont turn your nose try to weed out the good ones that will give you the best possible start to your career.


This is really good advice. The ne I have found offers about £5.90 p/h which is quite appealing, but I am undecided as to whether this is the better option than college and A-levels.
Reply 5
Original post by brainzistheword
This is really good advice. The ne I have found offers about £5.90 p/h which is quite appealing, but I am undecided as to whether this is the better option than college and A-levels.

What's apprenticeships are you looking at in terms of sector? Just out of interest.

Ultimately it's up to you, if you want to get your foot in the door sooner and know exactly what you want to do it may well be the right choice for you and/or learning on the job is more your thing then.

As opposed to going to college and doing a levels when you could be working and gaining experience. Though on the other hand getting alevels may open up more opportunities for you such as higher apprenticeship (Which you can progress onto after doing a level apprenticeship) and sponsored degree apprenticeships which will obviously give you the best of both worlds, though they're understandably competitive compared to traditional.

If you do end up going college don't slack like me it'd be a waste of time, i could have achieved so much more and put myself in a much better position.

Decisions man, either which ever route you go I'm sure you'll be successful! Both have their pros and cons.
(edited 7 years ago)
If I wasn't an academic sponge I'd definitely do an apprenticeship. They're a solid choice.

-Teach you the know how and skills to do a job
- Get paid to do it
- Create contacts within an industry
- Enhance your CV
- No debt
Original post by brainzistheword
What do you think of them? Do you think enrolling on one at 16 is the right choice? Or 18? Or in your 20s?

Should high achievers consider this option or just focus on college?

And what industries is it right/wrong for?

Love to hear your views


I'm sure they're good for people who can't get good grades at a-level but unless they offer the chance to gain a degree I wouldn't bother with them personally.
Original post by Topps
What's apprenticeships are you looking at in terms of sector? Just out of interest.

Ultimately it's up to you, if you want to get your foot in the door sooner and know exactly what you want to do it may well be the right choice for you and/or learning on the job is more your thing then.

As opposed to going to college and doing a levels when you could be working and gaining experience. Though on the other hand getting alevels may open up more opportunities for you such as higher apprenticeship (Which you can progress onto after doing a level apprenticeship) and sponsored degree apprenticeships which will obviously give you the best of both worlds, though they're understandably competitive compared to traditional.

If you do end up going college don't slack like me it'd be a waste of time, i could have achieved so much more and put myself in a much better position.

Decisions man, either which ever route you go I'm sure you'll be successful! Both have their pros and cons.


I'm personally looking at Engineering but I don't want to do anything that hinders chances of University study in the future and I've received mixed responses from people I've spoken to who've said I'd be better suited to full time study first, but the balance of opinions is even.

Original post by EdwardBarfield9
If I wasn't an academic sponge I'd definitely do an apprenticeship. They're a solid choice.

-Teach you the know how and skills to do a job
- Get paid to do it
- Create contacts within an industry
- Enhance your CV
- No debt


That's my problem though, I enjoy studying too, so I'm kinda stuck :wink:



Thanks for this input :smile: If they offered a degree then, would you be more obliged to take the offer?
Reply 9
I honestly think apprenticeships are a great option, and quite frankly I may consider deferring my uni entry for one year whilst I enrol in a one year apprenticeship. But as I'm Asian and everyone in my family has been to uni and got at least one degree, I'm pretty much obliged to do the same whether I like it or not in order to make my family and parents proud (thankfully I do actually want to go to uni though).
Original post by brainzistheword
I'm personally looking at Engineering but I don't want to do anything that hinders chances of University study in the future and I've received mixed responses from people I've spoken to who've said I'd be better suited to full time study first, but the balance of opinions is even.



That's my problem though, I enjoy studying too, so I'm kinda stuck :wink:



Thanks for this input :smile: If they offered a degree then, would you be more obliged to take the offer?


I might consider it but considering I want to do graduate medicine I don't think an apprenticeship would benefit me any more than a traditional degree would with a year in industry
Aren't apprenticeships and other alternative qualifications just an invention by politicians to satiate the lower classes, prevent them from gaining higher education and reduce social mobility?
Ah I see, in your case Uni is probably the best choice.

Original post by Hamo2509
Aren't apprenticeships and other alternative qualifications just an invention by politicians to satiate the lower classes, prevent them from gaining higher education and reduce social mobility?


Not necessarily IMO. Some apprenticeships lead to rapid progressions in industry.

Original post by AmarRPM
I honestly think apprenticeships are a great option, and quite frankly I may consider deferring my uni entry for one year whilst I enrol in a one year apprenticeship. But as I'm Asian and everyone in my family has been to uni and got at least one degree, I'm pretty much obliged to do the same whether I like it or not in order to make my family and parents proud (thankfully I do actually want to go to uni though).


That's pleasing. Although I can partially understand your situation with family (though not to the same extent). I can tell the majority of mine want me to go for the apprenticeship but that's probably because no one in my family has ever been to uni.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do :smile:
Reply 13
Original post by brainzistheword
I'm personally looking at Engineering but I don't want to do anything that hinders chances of University study in the future and I've received mixed responses from people I've spoken to who've said I'd be better suited to full time study first, but the balance of opinions is even.



That's my problem though, I enjoy studying too, so I'm kinda stuck :wink:



Thanks for this input :smile: If they offered a degree then, would you be more obliged to take the offer?


Ahh okay.
I don't know much about engineering and the routes into it, an apprenticeship wouldn't necessarily hinder your chances to Uni.

But going to college getting alevels would probably make it 'easier' and give you more options. E.g. when you finish college going onto an apprenticeship which may fund your degree or going to Uni.

Would give you some time to think things through also if you went college.

Personally If I was you i think I'd go college do the best i can, especially since you like studying so I'm sure you'd get good grades! Doing so would give you the most options imo

Though like i said I'm not someone who has knowledge about engineering, so not sure about the best route into it. For me Im studying an IT related course and thus the general consensus is experience > degree In that field for the most part, so an apprenticeship wouldn't have necessarily been a bad option and may have been a better one to choose for me.

Good luck with what ever choice.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Topps
Ahh okay.
I don't know much about engineering and the routes into it, an apprenticeship wouldn't necessarily hinder your chances to Uni.

But going to college getting alevels would probably make it 'easier' and give you more options. E.g. when you finish college going onto an apprenticeship which may fund your degree or going to Uni.

Would give you some time to think things through also if you went college.

Personally If I was you i think I'd go college do the best i can. Doing so would give you the most options imo


Okay, this is helpful. Also, I'm unsure about the Uni bit in terms of an Apprenticeship as I've been slightly undecided as to whether or not I want to study Engineering specifically or just general Physics (perhaps even Astrophysics or something along those lines) so I suppose college would be a good thing to give me time to think everything through.
Retail apprentices that pay like £3 an hour are just an excuse for companies to exploit young kids who don't want to study and there's lots of these apprentiships going and the actual ' decent ' apprentiships typically require good GCSEs or even alevels meaning many people going for these would probably be better off trying to get into uni and forge a career via that then spends ages working for some company in the hope one day they might move up the ranks so to speak
Original post by fefssdf
Retail apprentices that pay like £3 an hour are just an excuse for companies to exploit young kids who don't want to study and there's lots of these apprentiships going and the actual ' decent ' apprentiships typically require good GCSEs or even alevels meaning many people going for these would probably be better off trying to get into uni and forge a career via that then spends ages working for some company in the hope one day they might move up the ranks so to speak


I completely get what you mean. Like I'm predicted quite good GCSEs and I think that's why I got the offer, but at the same time, colleges would take me too.
I did an apprenticeship when I first left school and now I'm off to uni in September. The course I am studying is competitive and requires work experience, and the experience I gained in my apprenticeship was invaluable and probably got me my place on the course. It also allowed me to really figure out what I wanted out of my career - had I done a-levels I likely would have gone to uni to study a subject I was only half-interested in. Apprenticeships have so much to offer, even if you plan on uni afterwards. It's not a case of one or the other.
Original post by RowanB
I did an apprenticeship when I first left school and now I'm off to uni in September. The course I am studying is competitive and requires work experience, and the experience I gained in my apprenticeship was invaluable and probably got me my place on the course. It also allowed me to really figure out what I wanted out of my career - had I done a-levels I likely would have gone to uni to study a subject I was only half-interested in. Apprenticeships have so much to offer, even if you plan on uni afterwards. It's not a case of one or the other.


That's really interesting - what Apprenticeship area is it?
Original post by brainzistheword
I completely get what you mean. Like I'm predicted quite good GCSEs and I think that's why I got the offer, but at the same time, colleges would take me too.

Honestly just try and get some alevels first before your rush into a apprentiships and get a part time job if you want money !!

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