Apprentices can earn £50,000 more than graduates, but parents still prefer uni
- Emma Finamore
- 01 Mar 2019
Despite the evidence around earning power, 31% of parents would encourage their children to go to university, as opposed to 27% who would suggest an apprenticeship.

Research by social mobility charity, the Sutton Trust, shows 31% of parents would urge their children to go to university as opposed to 27% who would suggest an apprenticeship.
This is despite separate research from the Trust showing degree-level apprenticeships can lead to £50,000 more in lifetime earnings than a degree from outside the Russell Group of elite universities.
Degree Apprenticeships – such as those offered by Airbus in aeronautical engineering, Jaguar Land Rover and the accountancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers – have been highlighted as offering better earning power over a lifetime than a degree from a mid-level university.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, said more work needed to be done to improve the prestige of apprenticeships in the UK, as is the case in Switzerland and Germany.
Research shows degree-level apprenticeships can lead to £50,000 more in lifetime earnings than a degree from outside the Russell Group of elite universities.
This is despite separate Sutton Trust research showing degree-level apprenticeships can lead to £50,000 more in lifetime earnings than a degree from outside the Russell Group of elite universities.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, said more work needed to be done to improve the prestige of apprenticeships in the UK, as is the case in Switzerland and Germany.
“The best apprenticeships offer young people outstanding career prospects and financial rewards,” he said. “However it’s clear that many parents just don’t know enough about apprenticeships to feel confident advising their child along that route.”
He added that more needed to be done to dispel the view apprenticeships are “not of high quality”. The latest government figures show there were just 10,808 degree-level apprenticeship starts so far in 2018/19. This compares to over 330,000 school leavers undertaking degrees each year.
News
- Young UK workers say they lack key skills compared to their European counterparts
- World Health Day: 10 Foods to help with your Studies
- Essex Council to Hire Two New In-house Legal Apprentices
- School Leaver ‘Positive Destinations’ at Record High in Scotland
- The real cost of the office Christmas do
- Youngest Ever UK PhD Student at University of Leicester
- GCSE results 2016: teenagers face an ‘information overload’ when it comes to career choices, says new report
- National Apprenticeship Week 2015 Launches Today
- National Apprenticeship Week: EY announces 200 professional apprenticeships
- School Leaver Blog: How to employ self-care while studying