Why are the numbers of apprentices on the rise? We spoke to these people to find out

No tuition fees, no student debt and hands-on experience – could degree apprenticeships be the new way forward instead of university?With the cost of living continuously rising, many young people are less inclined to saddle themselves with a life’s worth of debt.I spoke to apprentices, students and fully qualified workers in West Norfolk to ask if they think that taking this route could be the future of education.

What are degree apprenticeships?Degree apprenticeships are an alternative to university studying aimed at college or sixth form leavers.They are fully funded courses equivalent to a bachelor’s or master’s degree where the student gets their qualifications while working for an employer and earning money. Could it be a better alternative to university? Dan McNichol, assistant manager at accountants Stephenson Smart in Lynn, seems to think so. Although attending university to study accounting and law and having an overall positive experience, Dan says that had he gone down the apprenticeship road, he would have become fully qualified at a younger age.

“If I had known before going to uni that I was going to end up being an accountant, I would have strongly considered the apprenticeship route,” he said.“There is also student debt to factor in, which essentially works as a graduate tax and it would be nice to not have to make student loan payments.”He pointed out that both options have positives and are dependent on what career students hope to go into but strongly suggests that those wanting to head into accountancy should consider an apprenticeship. This is exactly what Abbie-Jo Holloway did and now she is an accounting apprentice for the same firm.Coming straight from sixth form, Abbie-Jo said that one of the great things about being an apprentice is that she did not need prior experience.Her typical work week consists of days on the job as well as weekly tuition days to prepare her for exams which she completes all while being paid.“This results in a better work-life balance as you can still spend your evenings and weekends participating in hobbies and spending time with family and friends,” she said. Which jobs can you get into through a degree apprenticeship?Courses are available in a range of sectors including business, IT, construction, law, engineering and media.For Isabella Thurnell, an apprentice training to be a lawyer at Downham’s Fraser Dawbarns branch, she knew that the university route never appealed to her.

So, when she found her apprenticeship, she was thrilled as it meant she would be able to finish her qualification with no debt.“The apprenticeship route has allowed me to gain qualifications alongside invaluable hands-on experience,” she said. “Having the experience in the workplace has allowed me to apply my studies to this, which really helps solidify the learning.”

However, her colleague Becky Garner, a trainee solicitor, says that going to university gave her a chance to figure out what it was she really wanted to do, and she is grateful that she did not have to commit to a career path from 16 to 18.“I chose to study English Literature at university as it was a subject I enjoyed and I felt it would be transferrable to various professions,” she said.“After graduating, I completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Law, or the ‘law conversion’ as it is more commonly known.“This route into the legal profession gave me time to consider my options and ensure law was the right path for me. “I was also able to gain invaluable practical experience in the legal industry by working as a legal secretary before and during my legal studies.”Becky also highlighted that back when she and many others were finishing A-Levels, legal apprenticeships were not so widely available and therefore were not an option.

What do uni students think?Government data showed the number of those enrolling in higher apprenticeships continued to grow in 2023/24, increasing nationwide by 7.3% from 93,670 to 100,490.Whereas, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) there was a decrease of 0.3% in those applying for university during the same period. Though it may suggest that youngsters are looking for an alternative, Monty Oliver, a second year philosophy student at the University of East Anglia (UEA) from Hindringham is happy with his choice of education and hopes to eventually begin a career in law.“I like uni because of the sense of community that there is,” he said.“I wouldn’t have chosen an apprenticeship as it doesn’t allow as much freedom as I have now.”What are the future sixth form and college graduates planning to do? I visited the Health and Social Care students at Lynn’s College of West Anglia (CWA) to find out what their next moves will be.Of the 13 students I spoke to, three said they would like to go to university, six said they were hoping to get an apprenticeship and four said they were unsure about which route they would take – here’s what they had to say.Kameja Vaitkute said: “I’m hoping to do a degree apprenticeship to become a registered nurse and I think that’s the best because then I have more hands-on skills which are better for a workplace.

“You get money on the side which is obviously better, that isn’t what drives me to do an apprenticeship but it’s just something you don’t have to worry about.“I have seen so many people go to uni and they do a whole course but don’t have the job they wanted.” Her classmate Bethany Edwards said: “I want to go to uni because, for me personally, I don’t know what I want to do so, going to uni, I can do something a little less specialised than a degree apprenticeship.”Henry Heath says he is unsure about which route to take and will go for whichever is more cost-effective and offers the most experience.“I start my work experience in March at the hospital and I’m hoping that will give me an idea so I can specialise further down the line,” he added.“For me, it all depends on what is cost-friendly so if uni is cost-friendly and gives me a hands-on experience then I’ll probably go for that. If that isn’t the case, then I will definitely be considering the apprenticeship route.”And how do the employers feel?One of the biggest suppliers of apprenticeships in Lynn is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) which currently has around 170 employees on apprenticeship programmes for business administration, customer service, project management and leadership, as well as coaching and mentoring, nursing and advanced clinical practitioners.The hospital has been supporting CWA for a number of years, taking students on for work experience, giving talks and making sure they know what paths are available to them.John Syson, director of people at QEH, said: “We have a great apprenticeship scheme at the Trust, not only available to school leavers but colleagues too.“It’s a fantastic opportunity to develop skills whilst earning.“They make up a hugely important part of our workforce as they allow us to grow talent and develop skilled and qualified teams.”So which is really better?Although the figures show that the number of those choosing an apprenticeship is on the rise, perhaps Dan from Stephenson Smart is right and it depends on the career you want to follow.For some who know exactly what job they want to go into, it may be a good idea to look for an apprenticeship.However, for those like Becky who may not have figured out exactly what type of employment they want to follow, picking a degree that gives people more options could be a good bet.Those wanting to look into an apprenticeship can find vacancies here.Advice for applying to university can be found here.Do you have a story for the Lynn News? Email newsdesk@lynnnews.co.uk