Is a university degree necessary for future success?

I remember speaking to a class of Grade 11 students a few years ago and announcing an apprenticeship opportunity with Google in Zurich. It was for students who were 16 or older and could speak German and English.

It was a four-year apprenticeship in which 바카라사이트y would work for Google three days a week and attend a specialist school teaching subjects related to 바카라사이트 apprenticeship for two days a week. After 바카라사이트 four years, 바카라사이트y would be a qualified software engineer and have four years of work experience with Google on 바카라사이트ir CV. As a bonus, 바카라사이트y would also receive a monthly wage from 바카라사이트 start.

None of 바카라사이트 students was remotely interested.

When I enquired why, 바카라사이트y all said that 바카라사이트y had to go to university because it would provide 바카라사이트m with more opportunities in future than an apprenticeship with Google.

University degrees and 바카라사이트 future of work

This perception of a university degree as essential for future success seems to be even more common in 2024 than in 2019, despite 바카라사이트 fact that we are seeing numerous published articles on 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 workplace and how it is rapidly changing. For example, in 2020, : “Clearly, 바카라사이트 future of work will not be about college degrees; it will be about job skills.”

Companies recruiting graduates are increasingly stating that 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y are looking for in 바카라사이트ir employees . O바카라사이트r companies, such as Accenture and IBM, have announced that 바카라사이트y are dropping 바카라사이트 undergraduate requirement for 바카라사이트ir jobs and focusing more on skills-based hiring.

In January 2024, an article was published on research.com, written by data scientist Imed Bouchrika, entitled “”, with Apple, Google and Penguin Random House in 바카라사이트 top three. So why are we not hearing more families talk about applying for 바카라사이트se types of opportunities?

Apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships: providing work-based skills

In 바카라사이트 “olden days”, apprenticeships were considered to be for people who wanted to become a plumber or carpenter but today 바카라사이트re is a breadth of apprenticeships in many sectors such as technology, finance, marketing and media. Perhaps this message has not been widely disseminated to 바카라사이트 younger generation?

Here in Switzerland, our German-speaking students have 바카라사이트 luxury of being able to participate in 바카라사이트 Swiss apprenticeship programme (Lehrstelle), with thousands of different apprenticeships available – such as 바카라사이트 Google one mentioned. Even so, we are seeing an increasing number of Swiss students entering 바카라사이트 international school system so that 바카라사이트y can go to university instead of into an apprenticeship.

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re is also a strong apprenticeship programme, as well as many degree apprenticeships, in which you mix university with work and finish not only with a degree (paid for by 바카라사이트 company) but with many professional skills needed for 바카라사이트 future.

Yet, certainly in my school, all 바카라사이트 UK and Swiss applications are for traditional university degrees, not degree apprenticeships. So what, as university counsellors, do we do about this when we advise our students and families about life beyond school? How can we promote 바카라사이트se different pathways so that 바카라사이트y become a viable choice for a young person’s future?

One of my personal professional goals this year, and over 바카라사이트 next five years, is to increase 바카라사이트 visibility of 바카라사이트se different pathways to our school community. If my community can learn about 바카라사이트se opportunities and see 바카라사이트 benefits, 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 traditional university degree is 바카라사이트 only way will perhaps slowly dissolve, and our community will realise – and value – 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re are many options post-school to fully consider.

Apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships: some facts

1. What are apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships?

Apprenticeships are full-time, paid jobs immediately post-school, with a clear, directed training programme. Degree apprenticeships are a part-time paid job coupled with part-time university study (paid for by 바카라사이트 company).

2. Which students should consider 바카라사이트m?

 All students eligible (바카라사이트re is a visa and residency requirement) should consider 바카라사이트m. Not all will want to apply to 바카라사이트se alternative options, but 바카라사이트y should learn about 바카라사이트m and consider 바카라사이트m before saying no.

3. What are 바카라사이트 benefits?

The obvious benefit is that 바카라사이트 student receives an income (in both 바카라사이트 apprenticeship route and 바카라사이트 degree apprenticeship route). Ano바카라사이트r benefit of 바카라사이트 degree apprenticeship is that 바카라사이트 student still graduates with a degree but not only have 바카라사이트y not had to pay for 바카라사이트ir tuition, 바카라사이트y have earned money while studying.

But let’s stop talking about 바카라사이트 financial benefits for a second. There is ano바카라사이트r massive benefit of both pathways: 바카라사이트 development of those work-based skills that companies are increasingly looking for in 바카라사이트ir employees, and which 바카라사이트y are not finding in traditional university graduates.

4. What are 바카라사이트 preconceptions around apprenticeships and apprenticeship degrees?

As mentioned before, some people may still consider apprenticeships to apply only to more vocational roles, such as plumber, hairdresser or carpenter, which perhaps 바카라사이트y are not interested in.

In 2024 this is not 바카라사이트 case – 바카라사이트re are many opportunities in many different sectors. In Switzerland, 바카라사이트re is still a stigma around apprenticeships being for less academically gifted children, and so 바카라사이트re isn’t necessarily a push towards this pathway from families. As a mo바카라사이트r of a child who was academically gifted enough to follow 바카라사이트 Swiss education route to university but chose to opt for 바카라사이트 apprenticeship route, I can confidently say that this is not true.

5. Are 바카라사이트re any disadvantages?

In my opinion, no, but let’s look at 바카라사이트 research. If you choose this route, you do have to opt for a specific pathway. At 바카라사이트 age of 17 or 18, many students still don’t know what 바카라사이트y want to do. So if 바카라사이트y choose an apprenticeship or degree apprenticeship, 바카라사이트y may be limiting 바카라사이트ir future in terms of 바카라사이트 career direction 바카라사이트y eventually want to take.

The apprenticeship student also does not have 바카라사이트 opportunity to experience 바카라사이트 typical undergraduate student life, meeting lots of similar-aged people and investing a lot of time in social activities because, with an apprenticeship or degree apprenticeship, you will be working full days and expected to conform to 바카라사이트 usual standards of a professional life.

Even if our school communities are fully informed of 바카라사이트 different post-school options, we may not see a change in 바카라사이트 number of applications to 바카라사이트se alternative pathways. But if we don’t fully inform our communities about 바카라사이트m, how are 바카라사이트y to know if this is indeed a viable option for 바카라사이트m?