IN MY VIEW
SINGING THE PRAISES OF APPRENTICESHIPS
Many young people (and their parents) now rightly question the wisdom of lumbering themselves with tens of thousands of pounds of debt to gain a qualification which may prove of little help to their subsequent search for work. Instead, people who would traditionally describe themselves as middle class are seeing the value of apprenticeships. Young people, instead of delaying their career and accumulating debt, are embracing the chance to begin their paid careers immediately, with their training and qualifications paid for, while receiving one-on-one mentoring and support throughout. The careers they choose often prove to be more lucrative in the long run, especially where there are industry shortages. Others value the university experience for its own sake – a kind of rite of passage, and a chance to immerse themselves within a subject which interests them – but at what cost, now that the days of free tuition and generous grants are long gone?
RIDGE wins Large Business of the Year at Central South Business Awards 2025.
EVEN A FIRST CLASS DEGREE IS NO LONGER A GUARANTEE OF A DECENT CAREER AFTER GRADUATION
I am very proud that Ridge currently employs over 70 apprentices as part of our National Apprenticeships Strategy, bringing through the next generation of industry leaders. I’m also proud of the fact that there is increasing diversity among those joining us as apprentices, including women and people from under- represented communities. With the UK construction industry experiencing a chronic skills shortage, the more we can do to make young people from all sorts of backgrounds aware of the benefits of the apprenticeships route, the better.
The truth is that, for some young people who assume university is the inevitable next step (often merely because others in their families took that step), it is the wrong choice. University degrees remain necessary for many professions, of course, but the rapid expansion in university places and courses since the early 1990s means that even a first class degree is no longer a guarantee of a decent career after graduation.
So, to any young people considering their options, I
speak from experience when I urge you to give careful thought to an apprenticeship in the construction industry. You may, like me, thank yourself in future!
Would you like to be featured in the Central South Quarterly Round-up and share your view on what’s taking shape in your business and shaping the future of your industry? If so, please email kate@businesssouth.org.
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