‘Young people can gain more at work than uni’ (From Worcester News)
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Worcester MP hails the value of work-based learning for current school leavers
3:00pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News
MANY young people would be better off turning their backs on a university degree and grabbing an apprenticeship instead, according to Worcester’s MP.
Robin Walker has hailed the value of work-based learning, insisting a whole generation of students “disengaged” from the classroom should look to apprenticeships as the way forward.
During a debate in the House of Commons, he also praised employers for being more willing than ever to take them on.
“Apprenticeships are often seen as the first step in a career, but it is important to recognise where they can lead,” he said.
“We should see them not just as a route into the lower end of the jobs market, which they have sometimes been misrepresented as in the past.
“For many young people, staying in school or college until 18 or going to university are not necessarily enticing prospects.
“Some of the brightest young people can be disengaged from classroom study by the time they reach 16 and many would relish the challenge of being able to learn in the workplace.”
He also said many youngsters could gain a lot from “learning in the workplace” instead of heading to university on a whim.
“In the past, apprenticeships served generations well as a means of entry into work, particularly in the manufacturing sector,” he said.
“But with the number of apprenticeships increasing across the advanced manufacturing, cyber, computer and service industries, I believe they can serve the current generation of school leavers even better.
“Many young people are better suited to learning in the workplace, rather than the classroom, and will thrive best given the opportunity to succeed, work hard and learn in a working environment.”
His comments follow the success of your Worcester News 100 in 100 campaign, which saw 145 companies employ 213 apprentices.
This week Prime Minister David Cameron said he wanted to make apprenticeships the “new norm” for the UK economy.
A report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research says that between now and 2021, 3.8 million people will complete apprenticeships.
Comments(6)
Doogie 46
says...
5:35pm Tue 19 Mar 13
And learning a trade (electrician, plumber, builder etc.) often leads to becoming self employed where if you`re skilled and reliable you can earn a very good living.
Unfortunately, many young people have been led to believe any kind of degree will set them up for life - and they are finding it isn`t true.
Landy44
says...
6:43pm Tue 19 Mar 13
I've recruited degree holders and non degree holders and I can't say that there is much to choose between them. I'm generalising, but many graduates come out of university with big expectations only to find they are ill equipped for the workplace, whilst many non-graduates have no expectations other than to work hard and learn.
The stats that say people earn more either as a starting salary, or over the long term with a degree than without are clearly rubbish, I can promise you.
As Doogie says above - this is one of the great lies young people have been led to believe "Go to school, work hard, get good grades, go to university, work hard, get a good degree = great job". It's simply not true, and MOST (admittedly not all, but MOST) young people would do better to look elsewhere for their education.
As a believer in self directed life long learning, I can tell you it is far less expensive, far more effective, and provides greater advantages over the longer term than a degree.
We need to educate our young people to think for themselves rather than blinding following the rest of the herd.
Robot 3021
says...
9:05pm Tue 19 Mar 13
The stats that say people earn more either as a starting salary, or over the long term with a degree than without are clearly rubbish, I can promise you.
To paraphrase a popular saying, you can disprove anything by not believing stats...
We have some of the absolute best universities in the world, yet constantly we hear that graduates aren't up to it... well, maybe that says more about the calibre of candidate particular jobs are attracting. But I guess that is a point in itself, maybe those particular students would be better going into apprenticeships, and that is fair enough.
But let's not tar all students with the same brush, there isn't one size that fits all in education or training, and we should provide as many alternatives as possible, not trumpet one over another, or denigrate a lot of very good quality graduates by referring to a limited experience of one end of the spectrum.
It is also worth bearing in mind that many degrees do come with an element of vocational training, so it isn't a straight choice between academia and apprenticeship, and perhaps we should be doing more to help school leavers make an informed choice between all routes into the workforce, and providing enough places on all routes for whatever choice they make.
green49
says...
7:16am Wed 20 Mar 13
Apprenticeships give you a solid ground not only in work but life and self respect, you learn from proper experienced people and you learn life, I agree with Dougie 46, Unfortunately, many young people have been led to believe any kind of degree will set them up for life - and they are finding it is not true.
Some of the richest people i know have an Apprenticeship background but came out of school with no qualifications at all they worked and **** hard too but you get out what you put into life.
sharon norfolk
says...
11:09am Sat 23 Mar 13
imustbeoldiwearacap says...
3:53pm Tue 19 Mar 13