New research from business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP has found that parents are more likely to encourage their child to apply for an apprenticeship than to university after leaving school.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 parents with children aged 12-21 and 2,000 young people aged 16-21 across the UK, explores changing attitudes to the routes available to young people after leaving school.

It finds that parents are more likely to encourage their child to apply for a school leaver apprenticeship (44%) than for university (40%).

The main reasons parents gave for encouraging school leaver apprenticeships for their children are:

• Gain practical on the job experience (63%)
• Get paid while gaining a certified qualification (62%)
• No student debt (40%)

The research also reveals a significant shift in the perception of the value and necessity of a university degree. It finds that two thirds (66%) of parents believe that the cost of a university degree delivers less value than it used to, a substantial increase from 45% in 2018 research conducted by the firm.

Almost two thirds (60%) of young people also share this view. In fact, two thirds (67%) of the young people surveyed who hold a degree believe the cost delivers less value than it used to. Additionally, 42% of parents and 37% of the young people surveyed do not consider a university degree essential to securing a well-paid job.

“This shift in parents’ attitudes may be due to the increasing awareness of the benefits offered from school leaver apprenticeships,” said Grant Thornton.

“The percentage of parents who perceive apprenticeships as providing good career prospects has risen from 79% in 2018, to 84% in 2024. Nearly three quarters of young people (73%) also believe that school leaver apprenticeships offer good career prospects, with only 6% disagreeing.

“The study confirms the influential role that parents can play in shaping young people’s post-school decisions. Over two-fifths (42%) of the young people respondents noted parents as the top source of influence in their career decisions. This was followed, quite significantly lower, by school/college careers service (28%) and teachers (25%).

“While there is a growing recognition of the benefits a school leaver apprenticeship can offer, fewer of the young people surveyed have received good advice about this career path (57%) compared to a university degree (63%).

“Almost one in five (19%) do not believe they have received good careers advice about a school leaver apprenticeship.

“Though the perception of the benefits of a school leaver apprenticeship is found to be improving, most of the young people surveyed still felt pressure to go to university, with parents and teachers noted as the top sources.

“Of the young people surveyed, the majority (44%) are considering, or currently doing, a university degree, citing ‘to further their education’ as the main reason for choosing this route. Just over one in five (22%) are considering or currently doing a school leaver apprenticeship.”

Richard Waite, People and Culture Director and Head of Resourcing, Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “It is evident from our research that there has been a significant change in attitudes towards school leaver apprenticeships.

“Young people and parents alike are increasingly recognising the numerous advantages that these programmes can offer, which is starting to reshape the traditional views on post-school options.

“University is a very beneficial route for many young people, and always will be, but it is encouraging to see growing recognition that this is not the only option and that school leaver apprenticeships can also offer strong career prospects.

“It is especially encouraging to see the evolving views of parents who, as our research shows, hold considerable sway over their children’s post-school decisions.

“The opportunity to get paid while gaining a professional qualification and incur no student debt are two of the main reasons both parents and young people would consider the apprenticeship route. And as we continue to face a cost-of-living crisis, it’s clear why those looking at higher education options are increasingly seeing apprenticeships and other earn as you learn routes as a positive route into a successful career.

“As a firm we actively hire both graduates and school leaver apprentices and have long championed the benefits of both routes. But as many young people and parents are still not aware that firms such as ours offer an apprenticeship programme, and many young people are not receiving good careers advice about the apprenticeship route, there is clearly more work to be done.

“Employers have a key role to play here, working with education providers in their local community to ensure that young people and their parents are provided with good advice, at the right time, about the different routes available to them after leaving school so they can make the right choice for them.”