Columnist

Time to rethink outdated views on apprenticeships

As thousands of young people across the UK finish their GCSEs, A-levels and college courses this summer, one question will dominate kitchen table conversations up and down the country – ‘what next?’

For many, the traditional university route has long been presented as the default option. 

But increasingly, young people, parents, teachers and employers are recognising there is another pathway offering real opportunity. 

Apprenticeships offer long-term career progression and practical experience from day one.

At Smart Start Careers and ApprentiStart, we speak to young people every week who feel uncertain about their future. 

Many are under pressure to make huge life decisions at 16 or 18-years-old, often without fully understanding the range of options available to them. 

Equally, we speak to business owners struggling to recruit skilled, motivated staff while trying to futureproof their workforce in an increasingly competitive market.

Apprenticeships can provide the answer for both.

One thing that is consistently overlooked in conversations about younger generations is just how motivated, hardworking and ambitious many young people are. 

There is often a misconception that young people lack resilience or work ethic, but we regularly meet candidates who are eager to learn, determined to build successful careers and willing to work hard when given the right opportunity and support. 

What many of them need is a clearer route into employment and employers willing to invest in their potential. 

Many leave school with strong academic knowledge but little understanding of the workplace, but apprenticeships give them exposure to real business environments, helping them discover their strengths, develop resilience and gain practical skills that employers genuinely value. 

But the benefits are not solely for the individual. 

Businesses across every sector are facing growing recruitment and skills challenges.

Apprenticeships provide an opportunity to grow talent from within.

For SMEs in particular, apprenticeships can be transformative.

Many smaller businesses mistakenly believe apprenticeships are only for large corporations with dedicated HR departments. 

In reality, there is significant support available to help businesses create effective apprenticeship programmes.

There is also still a misconception that apprenticeships involve excessive administration or high costs. 

However, Government funding and incentives are available.

Young people today are looking for purpose, progression and stability. 

Apprenticeships can offer all three, while also allowing individuals to build meaningful careers in industries they are passionate about.

As exam season comes to an end, and thousands of young people begin considering their futures, now is the time for businesses, educators and families to rethink outdated perceptions.

Apprenticeships are no longer simply an alternative route. 

They are an investment in the future workforce, a powerful tool for economic growth and a genuine opportunity for young people to build successful and rewarding careers.

Joanne Leniewski is the founder and chief executive of Hexham-based Smart Start Careers

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