• Question: Do you think a apprenticeship or university route is better?

    Asked by ward11yes to Notts, LLR, Lincolnshire, HW, Derbyshire on 30 Mar 2023.
    • Photo: Clare Goss

      Clare Goss answered on 30 Mar 2023:

      I think it depends on what kind of career you would like to do. Sometimes apprenticeships are good because you get the benefit and skills of learning whilst earning a wage.
      University is also good though because it is a great time to make new friends as you start to become independent.

    • Photo: Jennie Smith

      Jennie Smith answered on 30 Mar 2023:

      For me, work based training was perfect as I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school. So I didn’t know what course to do at University and ended up not going in the end. Plus, I didn’t want to spend loads of money and getting into debt when I was unsure what path I was going to take.

      Hope that helps you in some way and I think that there are advantages and disadvantages to both but you have to do what is best for you.

    • Photo: Yuen Say Toh

      Yuen Say Toh answered on 30 Mar 2023:

      I don’t think it is an either or situation, different routes are available to support people in different ways

    • Photo: Laurence Quirk

      Laurence Quirk answered on 30 Mar 2023:

      They are exactly the same, just delivered in a different way and usually over a longer period of time. The big difference is that because the employer pays your tuition fees through the apprenticeship route, you won’t end up with student debt.

      You do need to be employed in the first instance, for at least 30 hours a week. Being employed and studying means you are usually released one day a week to study at university and you get lots of on the job training.

      You could be a in a paid health care support worker role or similar and then begin an apprenticeship. You are unlikely to go from school/college into an apprenticeship degree programme. You can do apprenticeships at level 2 or 3 in caring roles at local colleges and from their progress to university level course.

    • Photo: Kate Knowles

      Kate Knowles answered on 31 Mar 2023:

      It depends for what and it depends on your situation. Some people are really keen to experience university and it can be great to do 3 years somewhere mixing with new people and joining new groups. Others appreciate the financial benefits of apprenticeships more than uni course fees and the job security. It can be a bit tough doing a job and studying though. I think both routes are excellent

    • Photo: Sarah Chalmers-Page

      Sarah Chalmers-Page answered on 3 Apr 2023:

      Both have advantages. Many apprenticeships now lead to formal qualifications, so it’s very much based on your learning styles, needs and what else is going on in your life. Apprenticeships are more practical learning based, they allow you to earn as you learn, and fit in around things like where you live now. University tends to be less practical and more formal learning, is expensive, but allows you a chance to join societies, meet a wide range of new people, and for me it worked well to have that cushion between school and “real life” to figure out who I was a bit. And I did work right through university, but it was part time and less obviously relevant to my later career.

    • Photo: Angela Musson

      Angela Musson answered on 3 Jul 2023:

      It depends on what you want to do – apprenticeships are excellent. You can always study for a part time degree with the Open University and I would encourage anyone to look into this

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