Cameron wants to make apprenticeships the "new norm" for non Uni goers...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21734560

What do we think?

Personally I think it's a good idea, for even if people don't find work with a company at the end of it, they could still use the skills they've acquired from doing the apprenticeship to set up their own business or something, might actually do some good!

so long as apprentices keep getting paid only 2 quid an hour i dont think they're going to attract much interest. apart from the people who just don't have a choice.

some people cant afford to work for 2 quid an hour.

Also, without a degree there will be a limit to what sort of salary you could expect to earn, which will typically be around the £25,000 mark as a maximum.

If you want a higher salary, you've got to have a degree or a HND.

What's the point in learning a trade if the company you did your apprenticeship with is just going to out-source to China or India a few years down the line?

Like it or not, the UK is becoming a knowledge based economy and a degree holds far more power than any semi-skilled technical profession.

why is that assumed though? why shouldn't a person without family support be able to take up an apprenticeship?

People without some kind of family support are very often going to be excluded from a large number of things with the possible exception of the armed forces.

The point at which someone takes up an apprenticeship might be no different from the point at which they go to college anyway - the only difference would be that they would be on day release rather than full-time. A full time student at the same college as a PT apprentice would be far worse off - and completely unable to support themselves without family support. Apprentices are being paid, students are not. Apprentices will complete with a quantum of work experience and most likely a job to go to. Students will not. Grumbling about apprentice pay is looking a gift horse in the mouth.

I don't think that's true. I left school with all As and A*s at GCSE and chose to go and do an apprenticeship. And I'm glad I did

I wouldn't trust anything this government says - they haven't a clue how to handle education. Education is the key to everything, as proposed by this alternative politician - http://thechroniclesofhope.com/get-to-know-frank/

Highly recommend the 1st book - the premise might be a little farfetched but the characters are great - Frank especially is a politician we could only dream of. Think it's still only 99p

Although I generally despise Cameron, I do think this is a good idea. With uni fees going through the roof and less people being able to afford this option, and also for people that would never have wanted to go anyway, apprenticeships can teach them a trade that they will then know and be able to use for the rest of their lives. It gives people a job to fall back on, something that is a good solid job such as being a tradesman, hairdressing, childcare.

Both me and my boyfriend went to apprenticeships after leaving school and I think they're a great way of making a career for yourself. I've ended up studying for a degree after completing my apprenticeship, so it's not even writing off ever going to uni

I get your point, that anyone can get the loan but there are still many reasons that someone might be financially unable to attend university. They could need the money from a full time job to support their family, or they could have just been brought up to believe that you should never borrow money unless absolutely necessary. University is unfortunately inaccessible for some people, and for them apprenticeships are a great option

Good for you. Chances are you'll be a more productive member of society as well

I agree there are reasons why someone might not be able to afford to go to university, but the recent increase in tuition fees will have no effect on that. If they need a full time job to support their family then they wouldn't be able to afford it however much the tuition costs since they are covered in their entirety by a loan.

As for not wanting to borrow money, it's a slightly strange attitude when it comes to university. If you get free tuition (like they do in Scotland), the tuition isn't actually free, the government pays for it. So if the tuition is free, you're basically taking a hand out. So I don't see how that's better from a moral point of view than taking a loan.

And fear of debt is irrational in the case of student loans. You'll never be made to pay back more than you can afford.

However I do see how the large tuition fees could make apprenticeships more attractive. It could be that you think doing an apprenticeship will be more profitable than university in the long run because you don't have that debt to pay off if you do start earning a decent amount. So that's a perfectly valid reason to decide not to go to university. But the key point is that the tuition fees will never stop someone being able to go to uni if that's what they want to do.

I don't think that's true. I left school with all As and A*s at GCSE and chose to go and do an apprenticeship. And I'm glad I did