university vs work based learning

The threat of graduating with £27,000 of debts (before students have even started paying for rent, bills, food and a social life) is putting many school leavers off university.

That doesn’t mean they’re losing their ambition.

Eighteen year olds still want a career, they’re keen to learn and want to develop themselves.

But university doesn’t have to be the answer.

We’re seeing candidates with a clutch of good A level results, enthusiasm and, in many cases, a vocation, desperate to get a foot in the door.

We’d now like companies to engage with them. We’d love companies to understand the value non-graduates can bring to a firm, maybe on an apprenticeship basis.

There are examples right here in Peterborough of companies which run very successful training schemes. In the three years while others are off at university, their trainees are being shaped, learning the job and providing value to the business. Their loyalty is being secured.

While the ‘apprentice’ description sounds like old hat the idea is very 21st century, working well in these times of austerity. Apprentices or trainees will generally have lower starting salary expectations than graduates but, within a short space of time, will be bringing value into your business.

Besides all that, providing an opportunity to a young adult to begin their career without the prospect of spending 30 years in the red, is guaranteed to give you a warm, fuzzy feeling!