Lack of awareness is hindering take-up of apprenticeships

The Government's ambition to have 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020 may be in danger of unraveling without a concerted effort to raise their profile.

According to new research published in the Interserve Society Report today, academic-based career paths are by far the preferred choice among three key groups: parents, young people and employers, with only 7 per cent of  young people polled planing to do an apprenticeship, compared with 72 per cent planning on going to university or college. Only 27 per cent of the parents surveyed think that an apprenticeship would be most useful for their children in pursuing a future career, opposed to 42 per cent who believe a university degree is the best option. 

The survey also indicates a significant lack of awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the different types of apprenticeship schemes available, and a significant North-South divide in the attitude of young people and employers towards apprenticeships, with only 2% of young people in London considering an apprenticeship as their next career step.

The study’s findings suggest that there is much to do in building awareness of the options available to help more young people find career opportunities through apprenticeships.

Read the findings in the Interserve Society Report here.