If you have recently changed your mind about attending university, don’t worry! Regardless of what you may have heard, university isn’t the perfect route for everyone.
Baltic believes there are more appropriate routes into employment after completing your A-Levels, as not everyone wants to continue in education after finishing college. Some people want to go straight to work or get industry experience and learn on the job.
Whatever the reason you’re second-guessing attending higher education, if you’re set that university isn’t for you right now… what’s next? In this blog we will take you through some potential pathways you could go down instead.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are a fantastic option for those questioning university, they combine advanced professional training with hands-on workplace experience. There are well-established apprenticeship routes for just about any industry you can think of – including the Tech & Digital sector, which is our specialism at Baltic Apprenticeships.
Find out more about our different programmes:
A Level 3 Apprenticeship programme takes around 12-15 months to complete. At Baltic, you’ll be based full-time in your workplace, but have regular time away from your everyday role to complete your Apprenticeship training in our SMART Classroom. Our block-training approach means that you’ll get the chance to concentrate solely on your training modules, and then return to work and apply this new knowledge to your role. This training style means you will embed yourself within the business, and quickly become an important part of the team.
School and college leavers are often faced with a common problem: they need experience to get a job, but they need a job to get experience. With an Apprenticeship, this isn’t an issue! You are not expected to have an abundance of experience, as companies usually understand that apprentices are coming to a new field to learn while working.
An apprenticeship gives you options. While some choose to go to university after their training (where their experience gives them the edge in the graduate jobs market), lots of our apprentices choose to rise through the ranks in the workplace, getting promoted within their organisations and quickly becoming young Tech leaders.
Degree Apprenticeships
If you are still looking to achieve that degree without the debt that comes with it, then degree Apprenticeships might be for you. As with other Apprenticeships, you won’t pay for your training or tuition because this is covered by your employer. The biggest difference between degree Apprenticeships and university degrees is that apprentices are not eligible for student loans. The good news is, unlike people on a university course, you’ll be paid to learn. No catch, no debt, no interest – you will receive at least the apprentice National Minimum Wage, if not more, when completing a degree Apprenticeship.
Degree apprentices are becoming more popular due to their many benefits, apprentices gain relevant industry experience, and receive a wage and a degree at the same time. Even though a job is never promised at the end of an apprenticeship, the valuable skills learned from being in the workplace will set you apart from graduates who completed a degree the traditional way.
Work Experience
Work experience is important for getting into any career as most jobs already require you to have some relevant experience in that particular area. As work experience increases your knowledge of your chosen field, it also increases your chances of finding employment in a similar role. Having this experience on your CV shows potential employers that you are dedicated to the job and can work in a professional environment.
To do this you could volunteer in an industry you’re interested in, to gain experience before getting a full-time job. Many businesses need an extra hand, meaning they will usually be open to taking on volunteers or interns.
Focusing on gaining work experience could be beneficial to those who don’t want to go to university right now as you can explore different areas of work without having to commit to a single role or industry.
Gap Year
After being in education for so long, some individuals just want to see the world! Before getting a long-term job many people want to experience different cultures, learn new languages, work different jobs, and develop new skills. You can actually improve your CV through travelling the world and volunteering – a productive gap year looks great to potential employers.
This option can give you a break from everyday life and provide you with an opportunity to have time away from working and studying, meaning you will return home refreshed and ready to go!
LEARN MORE:
Apprenticeships are an amazing way to develop your skillset whilst taking on a new venture. If an Apprenticeship route stands out to you, explore our various Apprenticeship programmes and check out our vacancies here.