Apprentices Target Professions As Tuition Fees And Graduate Unemployment Prompts University Re-think

Feb. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- More than a third of young people looking for apprenticeships are targeting practical business skills in accountancy, financial services, law, engineering and IT rather than more academic courses. That’s the message being reported by notgoingtouni.co.uk, the online portal for apprenticeships and vocational opportunities, at the start of Apprenticeship Week 2011.

“Given the cost and the issue of graduate unemployment, young people are being forced to question the value of a degree,” explains Spencer Mehlman, Managing Director of notgoingtouni.co.uk.
“We are seeing instead a big shift in young people undertaking training that will add to their employment prospects and earning potential by targeting practical routes into key professions. For example, many are finding it is actually quicker to become a chartered accountant through an apprenticeship programme than via a degree, with a higher proportion finding employment at the end of it,”

The increase in tuition fees and problems facing graduates in finding suitable employment is driving more and more people to consider vocational qualifications. notgoingtouni.co.uk generally has in excess of 1000 live apprenticeship opportunities on its site at any one time and more than 2000 live vocational opportunities in total.

notgoingtouni.co.uk works with organisations like The AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) and the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) to deliver high quality candidates for accountancy apprenticeships, as well as with leading accountancy firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Indeed, Notgoingtouni.co.uk has also placed candidates seeking to become a solicitor on vocational courses with ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives). Other companies that work with notgoingtouni.co.uk to access candidates on its 40,000 strong database include IBM, British Gas, Rolls Royce, Unilever and Tesco.

In November last year, John Hayes, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning said:

"This Government believes apprenticeships are a key component to up-skilling the workforce and are one of the best forms of work-based learning. We proved this commitment in our recent announcement that we will provide an extra 75,000 apprenticeship places a year by 2014-15.”

“The fact is that businesses across the country are now realising the enormous benefits that apprenticeships create, not only in terms of a highly skilled workforce but also by boosting productivity and staff retention. Research shows they are a really good way of training, developing and skilling people for the future, helping businesses to secure a supply of people with the skills and qualities they need and which are often not available on the external job market,” adds Mehlman.

A survey carried out recently by the National Apprenticeship Service shows companies who take on apprentices benefit significantly. Of the employers surveyed, 82 per cent agreed apprenticeships give them a good return on investment, and 81 per cent agreed apprenticeships supply the practical skills and qualifications they need for the future. What's more, 83 per cent said employing apprentices creates a better work environment.

Ends.

Media Information:
Howard Robinson or Yvette Worth
Quay West Communications
T: 01376 563156
M: 07702 153537
E:  h.robinson@quay-west.co.uk or y.worth@quay-west.co.uk

Notes to editors:

About notgoingtouni.co.uk
notgoingtouni.co.uk is an online portal dedicated to helping young people make informed decisions about their future by showing the opportunities that exist outside of university. It also assists young people engage with employers & training providers throughout the country to enable them to build successful careers.  For further information visit www.notgoingtouni.co.uk

About Apprenticeship Week 2011
Apprenticeship Week (7 – 11 February 2011) is organised by the National Apprenticeship Service and is an opportunity for employers, providers, learners and stakeholders to showcase apprenticeships. In addition to a national programme of events, there are regional and local events taking place across the country.. To find out more information on Apprenticeship Week visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk