cricketballs thanks for that insight, it is truly a sad way to go.
I am a Chartered Engineer, work in a large mulitnational engineering consultancy, which took on 12 UK-wide engineering apprentices for first time last year, being trained generally to start with, but likely to then specialise as civil, mech, Elec, with a degree to follow eventually. The previous apprentice in my office, a one off, went on to get highest marks in her Civil eng degree.
Both of those in my office are females, both 18, one a twin. They went through a hard recruitment process, so deserve their roles.
On A level results day, the twin was asking me about DS results and telling me her twin's result, an A in a non-academic subject, plus a couple of lower grades. She then said, and I kid you not*, I feel a failure for not doing A levels (I think she was part way through Maths and science when she got apprenticeship last year).
I was and still am gob-smacked that an 18yo, with an apprenticeship in a worldwide engineering consultancy, getting paid, able to run a car, doing a level 3 qualification via employer and likely to go on to a degree if she wants, considers herself a failure!! I was very vocal in telling her she was far from a failure.
What a sad indictment on our society, and how it has changed over the last few decades regarding attitudes to education/apprenticeships.