Are top apprenticeships now the equivalent of a top university?

[HPFA]

Story here from Schools Week:

schoolsweek.co.uk/meet-the-a-level-team/

Interesting that a student with four A*s at A-Level (inc Maths and Further Maths) has chosen an apprenticeship rather than Uni. An exception? Or a trend?

I know someone with 2 A* and an A who chose an apprenticeship over uni BUT she's a homebird and I think that could be part of it. Plus you need to be 100%sure if your career path.Word of caution though someone I know is going to be "stuck" at a certain level for longer than his uni counterparts.

It's Deloitte - damn good apprenticeship

If it is a degree level apprenticeship, then it is better than a top level Uni. My son is currently looking at them. The ones he is looking at are through a Russel Group Uni, with major names like the BBC and Goldman Sachs. You get the same degree as anyone else doing the course at that Uni (in one more year than them though), but you don't pay for it and you get 4 years experience on your CV (and hopefully a permanent job at the end of it with the companies). You get paid throughout (£18,000 ish for Goldman Sachs) as well as all the employee benefits. If an employer is choosing between two people with the same degree from the same Russel Group Uni and one has been working in the industry for 4 years during that degree, I am pretty sure they would choose that person!

I think it will be unfortunate that "ordinary"
Young people cannot get these higher level apprenticeships. If people who could have gone to Oxbridge get them, what's the point of them really? Who else will get a look in? They will surely become ultra competitive to get one.

Do they have to publish data like Oxbridge do so prospective candidates can what the odds are: how many apply and how many are successful, what grades they need and what subjects, and what GCSEs? Just wondering!

I think some higher level apprenticeships mean you end up with a degree at the end of it.

Which subjects and grades will depend on the apprenticeship. From what I've seen, banking and engineering are some of the ones available, so probably similar subjects to what you'd need for a degree. But, I will mostly have heard about STEM-related ones, so that might be giving a bias in what I've seen.

An exception without a doubt! Some are very very good. The majority though are too new to assess to be honest. The majority are also lead to a degree from an ex-poly (MN pet hate ). You won't get the usual university experience (most apprentices will stay at home), but they're excellent for the right person.