A YouGov poll has revealed only 4% of Brits think university is the best route for young people, over apprenticeships.
In the Queen’s speech to open Parliament, it was announced the UK Government intended to make education ‘more attractive’ to young people by promoting apprenticeships alongside university degrees – but it turns out many Britons already see this as the best option.
Are apprenticeships better for young people?
In the poll, commissioned by The Times and released today (June 17), it concluded Britons see apprenticeships as at least equally good as university degrees for young people.
When Brits were asked ‘which do you think prepares young people better for the future – a university degree or apprenticeship?’ almost half who were surveyed (45%) said apprenticeships are better than university degrees for preparing young people for the future.
44% said both are ‘equally good and just 4% of Britons said they thought a university degree is the best route. However, despite this university degrees still have a significantly higher uptake among young people than apprenticeships.
Graduates and non-graduates agree
When it comes to those who have the life experience. Non-graduates were more likely to see apprenticeships as a better way of preparing young people for the future as just over half (51%) of those who were surveyed and hadn’t graduated uni said apprenticeships were a better way forward. But 38% did say they were both equally as good.
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British uni graduates were more likely to say both were equally as good routes for young people to take, with 57% voting that way and 29% thought apprenticeships are better. Shockingly, just 7% of graduates said a university degree was the best option.
Parents vote for apprenticeships
As for those who are raising the leaders of the future, parents of school-aged children said they would prefer their child to take an apprenticeship rather than study for a university degree, but it was a close fight.
By 46% to 33%, parents of school-aged children say they would prefer their child to take an apprenticeship rather than go to university.
Over half of parents who were university graduates, 51%, would prefer their children to get a degree at 18-years-old, compared to 28% who would prefer their children to take an apprenticeship.
But parents who do not have a degree sat on the opposite side of the fence saying they would prefer their children to take an apprenticeship (52%) rather than get a degree (27%).
