As a school careers advisor or teacher, it goes without saying you want the best for your students. Take apprenticeships: our school partners often tell us they only recommend their students apply for level 5 and 6 apprenticeships, which they consider the most advantageous options forming the strongest foundation for a rewarding career.
But what if you could increase young people’s opportunities and boost their chances of success, just by encouraging them to open their minds and consider other routes, too?
For over a decade, we’ve been connecting schools and employers to build skills and create opportunities for young people from socially diverse backgrounds. In our experience, there are lots of reasons why level 3 and 4 apprenticeships are a great option for your students, too.
1. There’s more competition for degree-level apprenticeships
Level 5 and 6 apprenticeships are far scarcer than level 3 and 4 apprenticeships because only larger organisations can afford such a large investment and long-term commitment. Not only that: due to misconceptions, many schools only encourage their students to apply for level 5 and 6 apprenticeships, which means competition for those rare opportunities is even fiercer. Sadly, statistics show underprivileged young people are currently less likely than their more privileged peers to gain a place on a level 5 or 6 apprenticeship.
Do you ever wonder if all your students need to work towards a degree – is that really what success looks like for them? Or might they benefit from the more flexible, personable experience of working in a small business on a level 3 or 4 apprenticeship, where there are arguably more opportunities for growth?
2. Studying for a degree-level qualification while working can be tough
While the allure of working towards a degree while earning a salary might sound appealing, balancing work commitments – including increasing expectations and responsibilities the longer they’re in a job – with studying for an increasingly intense degree can be a lot for many young people. In contrast, level 3 and 4 apprenticeships can offer a more manageable workload, allowing students to focus on gaining valuable skills and experience without feeling like they’re drowning in textbooks.
To help set your students up for success and give them a better chance of completing their apprenticeship, make sure they go into it with their eyes open. Consider what you know about each young person’s capabilities and temperament – are they adept at balancing a large workload and competing priorities? Or are they sensitive to pressure and prone to overwhelm? This can help your students make the decision that’s best for them.
3. They deliver on the same end goal: getting a young person a job
What’s the motivation for a young person to gain a degree qualification? For most, it’s setting themselves up for career success. In this, level 3 and 4 apprenticeships often deliver much the same as level 5 and 6 apprenticeships: both offer a good job with opportunities to learn new skills, develop professionally, and gain invaluable work experience – making apprentices more employable in the future.
Of course, there are exceptions where particular vocations, such as being a solicitor, require degree-level training. But, in our experience, critically evaluating the rationale for young people seeking degree-level apprenticeships often reveals their motivation has more to do with societal expectations – including perceived pressure from parents and teachers – than the prerequisites for working in a given role or industry. Helping them untangle the two and making sure they’re well-informed about the pros and cons of each route will guide them in making a decision they won’t regret.
4. Despite misconceptions, they’re a different experience from A Levels
A common argument we hear from our school partners is that level 3 apprenticeships are equivalent to A levels – and why would you encourage your A level students to embark on the same qualification again?
In reality, a level 3 and 4 apprenticeship is a completely different experience to A levels. While the latter focus primarily on academic learning, apprenticeships are more portfolio- and evidence-based, offering a blend of hands-on training and classroom-based study relating to a specific role or industry. While A levels are largely theoretical and usually not linked to a specific vocation, a level 3 or 4 apprenticeship is highly practical. Both are valuable in their own way, but they’re not the same.
5. Young people aren’t locked in their apprenticeship for so long
For a school-leaver making big decisions about their professional future, three or four years feels like an age. Yet, that’s what students applying to level 5 and 6 apprenticeships are committing to. On the other hand, Level 3 and 4 apprenticeships usually take around 12 to 24 months.
For some students, a longer apprenticeship may make sense – for those wanting to qualify as a solicitor, to use the same example again. But for many students, a level 3 or 4 apprenticeship gives them more flexibility to adapt their career path or explore working for a different employer much sooner. Plus, if they do end up loving the professional path they choose for their level 3 or 4 apprenticeship, there could be the opportunity to continue their studies or pursue higher-level apprenticeships down the line.
Schools: want to help your students build a successful career? From partnering with the UK’s top employers and getting the engagement your school needs, to helping young people work out what they want to do and giving them the skills they need to do it, get in touch to find out how we can help.
