New research shows growing parental support for school leaver apprenticeships over university

With A level results recently announced, new research* from leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP finds that there is a growing recognition of the benefits that school leaver apprenticeships can offer young people, with parents more likely to encourage their child to apply for an apprenticeship than to university after leaving school.

The research, which surveyed 2000 parents with children aged 12-21 and 2000 young people aged 16-21, from across the UK, explores changing attitudes to the routes available to young people after leaving school.

It finds that parents are more likely to encourage their child to apply for a school leaver apprenticeship (44%) than for university (40%). The main reasons parents gave for encouraging school leaver apprenticeships for their children are:

The research also reveals a significant shift in the perception of the value and necessity of a university degree. It finds that two thirds (66%) of parents believe that the cost of a university degree delivers less value than it used to, a substantial increase from 45% in 2018 research conducted by the firm**. Almost two thirds (60%) of young people also share this view. In fact, two thirds (67%) of the young people surveyed who hold a degree believe the cost delivers less value than it used to. Additionally, 42% of parents and 37% of the young people surveyed do not consider a university degree essential to securing a well-paid job.

This shift in parents’ attitudes may be due to the increasing awareness of the benefits offered from school leaver apprenticeships. The percentage of parents who perceive school leaver apprenticeships as providing good career prospects has risen from 79% in 2018, to 84% in 2024. Nearly three quarters of young people (73%) also believe that school leaver apprenticeships offer good career prospects, with only 6% disagreeing.

The study confirms the influential role that parents can play in shaping young people’s post-school decisions. Over two-fifths (42%) of the young people respondents noted parents as the top source of influence in their career decisions. This was followed, quite significantly lower, by school/college careers service (28%) and teachers (25%).

While there is a growing recognition of the benefits a school leaver apprenticeship can offer, fewer of the young people surveyed have received good advice about this career path (57%) compared to a university degree (63%). Almost one in five (19%) do not believe they have received good careers advice about a school leaver apprenticeship.

Though the perception of the benefits of a school leaver apprenticeship is found to be improving, most of the young people surveyed still felt pressure to go to university, with parents and teachers noted as the top sources.

Of the young people surveyed, the majority are considering, or currently doing, a university degree (44%) citing ‘to further their education’ as the main reason for choosing this route. Just over one in five are considering or currently doing a school leaver apprenticeship (22%).

Rhian Owen, Partner for Grant Thornton UK LLP based in Cardiff, said: “We can see from our research that there has been a shift in attitudes towards school leaver apprenticeships, with many young people and parents recognising the advantages that these programmes can offer. While Wales has many fantastic universities, this route is not right for everyone and many can find that the approach and learning style of a school leaver apprenticeship is a better fit for them.

“At Grant Thornton, we actively hire both graduates and school leaver apprentices and have long championed the benefits of both. But as many young people and parents are still not aware that firms such as ours offer an apprenticeship programme, and many young people are not receiving good careers advice about this route, there is clearly more work to be done. Employers have a key role to play here, working with education providers in their local community to ensure that young people and their parents are provided with good advice, at the right time, about the different routes available to them after leaving school so they can make the right choice for them.”