Apprenticeships
The environment
This is the most significant difference between the two routes in that apprentices learn about the job at work. They get their theory via online or in person classes several times a week, which are normally held in the evenings or on designated study days.
The course selection
Apprenticeship courses are diverse. You can choose from many categories spanning from business, construction, or care services to creative design, science or legal sectors. On the government’s apprenticeship website, you can find different qualification levels, which run from GSCE (level 2) to a masters’ degree (level 7).
The benefits
- Experience, experience, experience. You will get immediate exposure to the job which means building experience from day one!
- Opportunity to learn specific job skills as well as life skills. Being in a work environment helps you build essential skills for life like communication, teamwork, organisation and time management to name a few.
- Continuous work enables reflection and progression of skills with each new day.
- You will get a qualification which will help to present you as a knowledgeable individual and use it to advance your career.
- Earning money whilst you learn. Apprentices earn National Minimum Wage which varies depending on age.
- You will have no debt when you graduate as apprenticeships are funded by the government.
- Apprenticeships vary in duration, but some can be less than 3 years which is a minimum duration of university degrees. This means that you can qualify sooner.
The downsides
- Access to some careers are restricted. Examples include solicitor, doctor, dentist or pharmacist.
- Although your holidays will be paid these will be much shorter compared to students at university.
- You’ll have more responsibilities beside studying, these will come with the job and the company will expect you undertake them.
- Apprentice salaries can be lower than university graduates.
The cost
This is where apprenticeships win because they are free for students to do. They are courses funded by the government.
The salary
You will earn from day one of starting your apprenticeship the National Minimum Wage which is £6.40 per hour. Upon completion of the course, you will go onto earning National living wage rate which currently is at £11.44 per hour.
The job perspectives
Apprenticeships are gateways to securing a job in the chosen sector and after graduating you can remain in the job or you may choose to advance your skills and knowledge and progress to the higher level apprenticeships. Any experience in life skills are transferable and you may choose to change departments as you advance your career too.
University
The environment
Studying at university means that you may have to move to a different city. Some students may be lucky and enter universities near to their homes which means that they do not have to live in student accommodation. Compared to an apprenticeship universities run their content via lectures, practical sessions and tutorials which are delivered in person or online. You will be learning alongside large groups of students, with classes being spread across the week. Some students choose to work outside the university curriculum which may give them exposure to their future work environment or do something completely different to their career just to help them earn some money whilst studying.
The course selection
University provides a large selection of courses beyond apprenticeship training courses, but they vary from place to place as some universities are bigger than others. You can choose from part-time or full-time courses depending on your commitments outside studying.
The benefits
- Experience university life. This is something that many wish to go through. The big university experience that brings many adventures and lots of new people. Exposure to a different environment. Being at university for many means being away from the comfort of your own home where parents look after you. You will have the opportunity to organise your meals, do the shopping, things that perhaps at home you were only partly doing. Wash your clothes, look after your room and manage your finances. These are all experiences that teach you responsibilities and help you mature.
- Access to a large course selection. Being established institutions, universities have grown their course selection across time with some universities offer thousands of courses.
- Some professions are reachable only via higher education including medicine, dentistry and some other science subjects.
- Meeting lots of people outside your course too. Partaking in new sports or joining different activities that are always happening on campus will help you meet people from different courses, different countries and different backgrounds. It’s an opportunity to meet lots of new people and make friendships.
- Opportunity to learn new skills by joining societies. You can choose one of the many different ones offered by the university or if feeling confident can set up your own.
- Networking with other students from your own course and other courses. You will make great connections with many people which will help you develop and create access to opportunities for learning and advancing your career.
The downsides
- University is not free and you will need to pay back your tuition fees currently at £9,250 per year.
- You will not be paid whilst studying. If you wish to earn some money on the side you will need to find the time alongside your university commitments.
- Some university degrees like medicine, dentistry, veterinary or law for example can take up to 5 years to complete which is longer than the average apprenticeship course.
- Your university may not be in the same city where you live so you may have to factor accommodation into the cost.
The cost
The annual tuition cost for university is £9,250 which depending on your household income may be paid by the Student Finance England or your parents. On top of that there is accommodation and daily living costs, which you can get a loan for. Once you graduate the loan will need to be paid back once you are earning over £27,288 per year.
The salary
Only once you complete your degree will be able to earn a salary in your chosen profession. The average graduate employed at leading employers in the UK earns approximately £34,000.
The job prospectives
With a university degree, like with an apprenticeship it opens the door to your first job and from there with experience you can advance your career. With further training you can move departments and undertake more senior roles.
Need more guidance?
Learners Guide to Apprenticeships
CEIAG workbook for Apprentices
10 ways to explore career options
Resources:
Higher education Student Statistics, UK, 2022/2023 (HESA) - https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/08-08-2024/sb269-higher-education-student-statistics/numbers
Apprenticeships 2023-2024 https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships#dataBlock-c965ab25-0d81-4b10-89bb-958156a9b9b6-tables
Apprenticeship training courses https://findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/courses
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
The graduate market 2024 https://online.flippingbook.com/view/747999993/
Student Finance England https://www.gov.uk/student-finance-calculator