Amidst growing uncertainty over education and employment opportunities post-pandemic, a burgeoning trend making substantial waves across the United Kingdom is the increased interest in apprenticeships. Reliable education data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show an encouraging upturn in the number of apprenticeships over the last few years, demonstrating a significant shift towards alternative career pathways.
As per ONS data, 393,400 individuals commenced apprenticeship in 2019/20 financial year, compared with 393,750 in 2018/19. Riding on the trend, government moves to make apprenticeship programmes more attractive, and ongoing changes in the job market, numbers are projected to increase in the following years.
Key contributors to the rise in apprenticeship interest include the recently projected increase in university tuition fees, the ongoing economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and an escalated demand for job-specific skills. Universities report more students considering alternative routes to higher education before committing to what could be a lifelong student debt obligation.
With the Department for Education’s target for 2020 of three million apprenticeship starts in England still unmet, the upward trend remains promising.
“In an evolving job landscape, increasingly, there’s a need to make education connect more directly with employability,” says Emily Moore, an education analyst. “Apprenticeships provide that connectivity by combining practical on-the-job training with theoretical aspects of learning”
In 2018, the UK government launched ‘The Apprenticeship Levy,’ a significant corporate tax initiative to fund apprenticeship training. It aimed to increase quality and quantity, but the rollout was slower than anticipated. Rollbacks and adjustments were required to ensure greater take-up.
The scheme allows businesses with a payroll exceeding £3 million to contribute 0.5% of their payroll towards funding new apprenticeships. On partaking, companies gain access to a ‘digital apprenticeship service account’ that allows them to recover the levy as digital vouchers to spend on apprenticeship training.
The plan is not without critics. It faced backlash from companies for its complexity and inflexibility but was praised for making apprenticeships an attractive proposition for employers. The Department for Education reports that 61% of levy-paying employers are “more inclined to hire an apprentice because of the levy.”
“The current pandemic has provoked severe unemployment, but what we need to avoid at all costs is a lost generation of young people who can’t work,” says Alex Monroe, economist. “Apprenticeships have faced their fair share of criticism, yet they offer a genuine solution.”
The ongoing pandemic has also seen a shift in the typology of apprenticeships. Traditional trades such as construction, plumbing, and electrical engineering remain strong, but there’s a marked increase in digital, data, and tech-focused apprenticeships.
Sarah Thompson, a tech apprenticeship provider, quips, “The tech landscape is changing so rapidly that in many cases, practical, hands-on apprenticeships are more valuable than traditional degree courses. The young minds we have coming through are phenomenally talented and eager to get stuck into ‘real-world’ applications.”
Apprenticeships are no longer considered just an alternate track for school leavers who don’t want to go to university. With the option of progressing to degree-level qualifications within certain industries, apprenticeships are increasingly becoming a viable choice for individuals looking to reskill or change career direction in today’s tumultuous economic climate.
As you explore your future options, whether you’re about to leave school, enter the workforce anew, or are seeking a career change, it might be worth looking into the range of apprenticeships on offer. The rise in interest in apprenticeships certainly points to these programmes as a considerable contender, providing opportunities to hone skills and step directly into the professional arena.
For existing workers and industries, this could mean a potential pipeline of fresh talent, bringing in new perspectives and ideas. For the workforce of the future, it’s a promising alternative to the traditional higher education pathway, offering hands-on experience with the added advantage of earning while learning. It’s a sign that the concept of ‘education’ is evolving to meet the requirements of our modern world – a trend well worth watching.
Original Source: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/interest-in-apprenticeships-on-the-rise-in-uk/
