When Degree Value Is Questioned, Apprenticeships Need Better Recognition

It feels as though our young people can’t catch a break at the moment, and this month’s British Social Attitudes Survey is the latest reflection of this. Just over a third of people in the UK now believe that a university degree isn’t worth the time or money. While we’re still digesting the Milburn review’s findings on the alarming number of people not in education, employment or training (NEET), it’s not difficult to see why opinion is shifting against the lasting value of a university education.

Young people don’t have much cause for optimism on the labour market, but it doesn’t have to stay this way. We can start by addressing the idea that apprenticeships are a second-choice option or fallback for young people weighing up their next move after secondary education.

Lingering stigmas are unhelpful in 2026

The idea that apprenticeships are a Plan B or lower quality option for young people is extremely damaging in 2026. Unfortunately, it’s a stigma that persists and the narrative needs to shift if we want to widen the net of opportunities available to young people after completing mandatory education.

Graduate vacancies are down to a near record low of just over 9,000 according to Adzuna’s latest job market report, so the case for exploring other options has never been stronger. Whether we like it or not, university degrees don’t carry the weight they once did. Whether it’s down to oversubscription, AI removing entry-level roles, or the thinning number of graduate jobs, young people are not leaving university with the same level of certainty on their prospects.

Young people should be given a clear and balanced view on the pathways open to them, including apprenticeships. Contrary to outdated stereotypes, they aren’t just for people who don’t go to university. They can be a valuable option for the most academic candidates who want to upskill, earn and get hands-on experience at the same time.

If apprenticeships remain framed as a back-up option for those who miss out on university places, we can’t expect apprenticeships to make a meaningful difference in the fight to lower the number of NEETs across the UK. Discourse around the suitability and value of apprenticeships for school leavers needs to change, and it starts with schools and teachers, the people adolescents look to for advice on their next steps.

Misconceptions compromising pathways to skilled work

Apprenticeships are a structured route into some of the most in-demand sectors and positions in the UK, namely across tech and digital skills, which impact nearly every business today.

Teachers and parents concerned that apprenticeships are, in some way, second-rate and will limit what students can achieve in their careers are mistaken. With a quality provider, young people can access training and acquire skills designed in line with the demands of today’s digital economy and specific employer needs.

Another misconception is the idea that apprenticeships only exist for trade or manual labour jobs. The landscape has changed, and there are a whole host of programmes that can open doors to highly technical careers, including data analysis, AI integration and other digital transformation positions.

Positioning apprenticeships as a real option for all students approaching the end of their school journey should be the norm, and even more so given the higher risk of ending up NEET in today’s labour market. Quality apprenticeships can lead to skilled careers, and this needs to filter through to students and those advising them.

Apprenticeships can build strong digital talent pipelines for employers

Apprenticeships can only make a difference to the current youth unemployment crisis if employers make proper use of them. But they shouldn’t be thought of as a tick-box exercise; delivered well, they’re a strategic workforce tool that can carve out talent pipelines that can help mould a skilled and competent workforce.

In the digital age, they can be a great way to fix skills shortages, particularly across specialist digital and tech roles where internal teams can find it difficult to recruit and retain people. Using apprenticeships can help employers get ahead of skills shortages and build their specialist digital capability from the ground up.

We’re at a crossroads on youth employment and further education opportunities. Employers can form part of a meaningful solution by backing programmes that not only increase the opportunities available to candidates but give them a chance to build specialist digital skills that will safeguard their employability in the years and decades ahead.

The alignment between lower sentiment on university degrees, shrinking graduate roles and spiralling numbers of NEET’s is no coincidence. The accepted norms on traditional transition routes between education and the workplace need a considerable rethink. We’re not suggesting that higher education is redundant; we’re proposing that greater consideration is given to alternative options like apprenticeships. Today, they should be held in equal measure to university for getting into and excelling in highly skilled positions.

By Harry Hobbs, Head of Business Intelligence at Baltic Apprenticeships