Anybody's 18 year old not going to uni ?

[Schonerlebnis]

Ds 1 has categorically said he doesn't want to go to uni. He's bright and got decent gcses but dyslexic. and hates the idea of spending another 3-4 years in a classroom. After a shaky start he's looking at a mixture of b's and c's in traditionally difficult subjects (CS, physics and geography) and he feels he would struggle academically. He's applied for quite a few IT related apprenticeships. They seem thin on the ground particularly where we live (not the south east or london) but he reckons more will appear over the next few months and he's realised he will probably have to travel into manchester to get a decent one.
Just wondered if anyone else's teen was considering a similar career choice or could give us advice. Not sure how competitive they are ? He's seen a data analysis apprenticeship in the civil service which he fancies but feels it would be massively oversubscribed which I tend to agree with.

[quote NotDonna]@LynetteScavo what area is he thinking of?

@Schonerlebnis are BT really expecting 17/18 year olds to not only have passed driving tests (when they’re constantly being cancelled) but also to have their own car? Most apprentices would be reliant on public transport & not able to afford to drive. It’s rather indirectly exclusionary.

@amusedbush interesting PhD - in your experience where is the best place to find them as they’re really hard to come by. There also doesn’t seem to be a regular pattern of advertising. Everyone knows when the dates are for uni admission but there doesn’t seem to be anything similar for apprenticeships. It’s very easy to stumble onto the perfect one only to realise the deadline has passed. DD2 is interested in a Business Management type but she’s really struggling to find anything level 6/7. The 6/7 seem to be finance or IT related.[/quote]
It's quite a niche research area but I love it! I've worked in HE admissions/course management for almost a decade so I'm enjoying coming at it from an academic perspective.

The advertising will depend on the intakes of the local universities. The ones around here were originally doing September intake only but due to covid, they introduced a January start as well. The businesses who partner up with universities for the degree-level apprenticeships range from tiny local outfits to huge national organisations so it's worth looking into the partnerships available, as some recruit staff with the promise of a place on an apprenticeship.

I have noticed, though, that a lot of the recruitment events held by the universities are aimed at getting employers on board rather than apprentices, which is a shame.

I should caveat this by saying I'm in Scotland so my research is focused on Graduate Apprenticeships, which is our version of the Degree Apprenticeship and is coordinated slightly differently. Here the selection for places on the apprenticeship is done by the employer with no input from the uni, so they are the one to talk to.

Our DD decided Uni was not for her. She's 18 and has got a full time job as a health care assistant on a critical care ward. She hopes to be seconded in the future to do her nurse training. She found school hard going due to awful anxiety particularly around exams, but pushed through and did better than I ever hoped with her GCSEs, and then did well in a level 3 BTEC in sixth form. She's come into her own at work, has even looked after covid patients with full ppe, and is receiving great feedback from staff and patients which is doing wonders for her confidence. We are very proud of her! I wish your DS all the best

Thanks everyone for your responses. It's so interesting to read about experiences other than uni. We had a good look together on the not going to uni site yesterday afternoon and found some that he hadn't seen. He's a bit stubbornly independent sometimes and doesn't like me sticking my oar in too much (we have history of that when he was at primary before he was 'diagnosed' as being dyslexic ).

Eldest two did. 3rd isnt as he doesnt want the debt and points out his older siblings are in shit, low paid jobs anyway. He has a point.

It’s the same in England @amusedbush that the employers do the recruiting, hence making apprenticeships so very difficult to find. If kids could apply via uni it’d be easier or if unis linked to their partner employers it’d be much less time consuming. It’s very difficult when 17 year olds don’t know what’s out there, schools don’t promote apprenticeships (DD is first person ever from her school), and there’s no one place to search.
Pleased the ‘not going to uni’ website was useful @Schonerlebnis we stumbled across it a while ago. DD1 was very proactive in her searches but I did ping the odd thing to her, albeit she’d usually already applied! She’s also dyslexic and fiercely independent (although I’m not sure there’s a link). I found sending her the odd thing worked as an ‘interested but not too involved parent’ worked.

Apologies for the awful grammar!

Mine informed me he didn’t want to carry on his college course. He wanted to do an apprenticeship and take up boxing to become a professional boxer. Never done boxing in his life. This was November last year. And he is still at college.

I’m pleased he’s still in college. I know nothing about pro boxing so should keep quiet but can’t help thinking college is a much better option.

I’m surprised boxing is an approved apprenticeship scheme tbh.

My dd did an apprenticeship. She's not top level academically but is ambitious and works very hard. She's now on 30k+ in a recruitment agency. My son left after gcses and is now self employed doing digital design. He did a short course but mostly learnt on the job. Other ds is at uni and will leave with debt. It's not the only option (though it is for him as he's doing law)

Someone above mentioned demographics which I think must explain your automatic assumption that not going to uni is unusual

I know loads of young people who aren't at uni, friends of my children, children of my friends, people I know through work.

I don't know the accurate figure but a 50/50 split comes to mind

I actually had a conversation with someone about this recently and there's loads on info and jobs advertised online

I did an apprenticeship after college, after losing nearly a year to depression,and just as well because I am now 25 and am having my second baby and already have established a career and earn good salary (I think National average only working 24hrs)

I couldn't bare the idea of more classroom and writing so uno was mostly out, getting my apprenticeship wasn't too hard as I'm in london and I had a leg up because I had examples of independent projects (web development) and I was older and more qualified than the people also applying post GCSEs. Actually the job I landed would have been too much for me 2 years before I think and I don't think was really in the spirit of apprenticeships but it got my foot in the door!

Only downside is I got the door slammed in my face by some archaic companies that NEEEEEEED a degree

Friend of DH has an IT company. They deliberately employ people straight out of A-levels rather than graduates as they can teach them in the way they want to.

My 20 year old Ds left college last June and was trying to decide whether to go to Uni. He worked in a factory for a few months and had a cleaning job but luckily has found an apprenticeship now and seems to be enjoying it. He gets paid a decent amount and is being sent on lots of courses etc.

I think now that a university education is so expensive that apprenticeships are a great idea. I will certainly be encouraging my son in that direction.

My DS has completed a higher apprenticeship straight out of school. He's now 20 and still working at the same company on good money and has no Uni debt like his friends. I know a lot of his friends didn't go to Uni and I don't think it's unusual these days so your DS is not alone by any means.

All apprenticeships are advertised on the Gov.Uk site. Your DS should be looking at Higher or Degree apprenticeships if he's done ALevels:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships

Hope that helps

Dd started a 5 year accountancy apprenticeship but gave it up after two years, having got some level 4 qualifications. She decided accountancy wasn't for her but the whole idea was great. If she have finished it, she'd have saved a deposit for a house whilst uni students were the equivalent in debt. Hard work though.
She's now at uni.

@Schonerlebnis

Funnily enough *@Frazzled2207* he has no great inclination to learn to drive. He's happy with his free bus pass which will come to an end soon and will no doubt make him change his mind. I never thought of salford keys actually, trains stop at salford crescent on the way into manchester but I'm not sure where that is in relation to the quays.

I think you need to change this, he's really going to limit himself in life and work if he can't drive.

My nephew didn't go to uni. Did an IT apprenticeship at local hospital, been promoted twice and they've said if he ever wants to do a degree or further study they will support him financially. He really loves his job - considering he changed school three times this is such a relief!

I agree re learning to drive. He will do when needs must ! It's good hearing all the positive experiences.
I think that the drive to get 50% of young people to uni created the impression that any other alternative is inferior. In my day going to uni was kind of non negociable, it's what you did if you took A'levels and were reasonably bright.

My DS was adamant he wasn't going to Uni. He planned on going into full time work or down the apprenticeships route after college.

Whilst at school and college he's worked part time in his chosen industry also.

He had got himself a full time job and accommodation set up for when he finished college.
I was incredibly proud of him and was happy that he was making the right choice for him.

Unfortunately it all fell through just before xmas. He was devastated and It took him some time to get over it. especially when his friends were all talking of moving on, and out of home to Uni. He felt left behind.

The jobs he wanted to apply for(and could have done) all stipulated a degree though.

His career advisor at college also said there were barely any apprenticeships in his subject, so might as well go to uni.(we did check and they were right)

He has reluctantly applied for uni now, and has 4 offers and waiting last one, and is being positive about his future again.

I will just keep fingers crossed, that uni will suit him.

Good luck to your DS Uni isn't the be all and end all, and if there are apprenticeships in what he's interest in, Then he should definitely grab them with both hands.

It such shame that apprenticeships are not as widely available as they should be. Not everyone wants to be in academic environment, no matter how bright they are.

I would never have gone to university at 18 if it ended up with a large debt at the end (or a 9% extra tax if you want to look at it another way) and 50% or so going. I'm heartened to read of all the success stories posted on here of those who did not go to university.