‘A huge learning curve’: apprentices on the benefits and pitfalls of vocational training
As the UK grapples with youth unemployment, with almost a million young people not in education, employment or training, the government is pushing to expand technical and vocational learning from age 14 and create thousands more apprenticeships. Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden has announced a new bursary to stop families losing out financially when a teenager takes up an apprenticeship, while research highlights unequal completion rates that make the scheme's design and support structures a pressing concern.
The Guardian gathered accounts from apprentices themselves. Ellen, 24, from Worcester, said an apprenticeship was never suggested to her at school and she faced many rejections before securing a place at an MEP consultancy, where a three-year, four-days-a-week course left her struggling to balance work, study and a social life, though she now progresses faster than graduate colleagues. Harry, 26, a machinist from West Sussex, said cost and a lack of confidence in full-time study put him off university; after working ski seasons abroad, he applied for around five apprenticeships before securing a four-year level 3 placement, and now feels grateful to be in work while some university-educated friends question their choice. Research from the National Foundation for Educational Research found black and mixed-ethnicity learners from poorer backgrounds, and those with English as an additional language, are less likely to complete apprenticeships.
In short
- Government pushes technical education and more apprenticeships amid youth unemployment crisis
- New bursary aims to prevent families losing money when teens take apprenticeships
- Apprentices describe rewarding but tough experiences balancing work, study and social life
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Apprenticeships can offer young people a practical route into skilled work without the cost or full-time study demands of university, while letting them earn and gain experience. Ellen’s quicker progression at work and Harry’s route into machining show how vocational training can suit people whose strengths or circumstances are not well served by traditional academic paths.
The case against
An apprenticeship can be demanding to balance with study and personal life, and the route may be hard to find or secure: Ellen said it was never raised at school and faced repeated rejections. Unequal completion rates for poorer learners from some ethnic groups and those with English as an additional language also raise a case for stronger support and a closer look at whether expanding places alone will make the system accessible and fair.
Explained simply
An apprenticeship combines paid work with study or training for a job, such as engineering or machining. Apprentices spend much of their time with an employer and work towards a recognised qualification, while university students usually focus more on academic study.
In the UK, apprenticeships are one route from school into skilled work, alongside further education and university. They can suit people who want to learn on the job or who find full-time study or its costs difficult, but balancing work and study can be demanding.
The government wants more young people to take technical courses and apprenticeships as it responds to youth unemployment. Research suggests that some groups, including learners from poorer backgrounds and some ethnic minority groups, are less likely to complete apprenticeships, making access to support part of the wider debate.
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