We are approaching a time where the lives of thousands of young people are at a crossroads. Significant life decisions are due to be made: whether to go to university and study for a degree, or go down the vocational training route and learn a trade.
Both routes come with their respective stereotypes, but really, they are not so different from each other; you can achieve great levels of success on either path. Still, if you're not 100% sure about going to university, it's a good idea to weigh up the alternatives before you make a decision.
Alternatives to University
1) Apprenticeships & Traineeships
If you'd prefer not to pay the thousands of pounds for tuition fees at university, but still need to acquire valuable skills and qualifications, then an apprenticeship or traineeship might be the best route for you. Apprenticeships give you the opportunity to experience the world of employment whilst earning a decent wage; you'll also gain a qualification on completion.
In essence, it's like paid work experience in your chosen field, and one which will greatly increase your employability. Combining valuable work experience and training will give you the necessary skills to start your chosen career path. Today, apprenticeships and traineeships are not restricted to the traditional trade routes alone - they include a vast range of careers, from engineering to accountancy, publishing to veterinary science.
2) Gap Year
If you're still undecided about which direction you want to take when you finish school, there is no need to despair. Gap years are an increasingly popular choice for people in this situation. Taking a year out affords you with valuable time to consider all your available options, give yourself a break from education, and perhaps get some life experience working or travelling.
It might also be an opportunity to gain new qualifications in your free time and enhance your personal statement or CV to improve your employability.
3) Get a Job
Not everybody is destined for an academic route. And it's perfectly acceptable to hop off the education train after your GCSEs or A Levels and head straight into the working world. If you aren't interested in an academic future, but would much rather get your hands stuck in, the last thing that'll appeal to you after finally leaving school is... well, more school. A good option for you could be to cash in on the qualifications you've earnt at your time in school and begin your working life early. If you have the right attitude and are hard working, you could find yourself moving from rung to rung on the career ladder in no time.
4) A Career in the Trade Industry
Tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians and gas engineers are thriving off the skills shortage that's currently plaguing the industry. As a result, the trade industry is set to boom. In addition to this, with a rapidly rising UK population and huge housing and road developments proposed for the future, tradespeople are virtually guaranteed a healthy, stable and rewarding career.
With a huge workforce needed to make these developments happen, as well as the maintenance and installation of appliances for years to come, a career as a tradesperson could be the perfect for you.
Trades vs University
Outdated stereotypes and preconceived notions have caused the trade industry to be disregarded as a plausible alternative to university. Below, we observe the results of a recent study commissioned by Selco, which surveyed 500 manual skilled workers to see how they are faring in the trade industry. Here we consider the real benefits of all career options.
Trades vs University: Financial Security
The most startling figures uncovered by Selco determine that tradespeople are, on average, far more financially stable than students after their education is complete. While the average student debt is around £45,000, the typical tradesperson's debt is at only £5,600.
This can be explained by the fact that tradespeople are able to earn a salary much earlier on in their careers; vocational training courses also tend to be shorter and more inexpensive than university courses. Students will typically have to wait beyond their graduation until they can find employment, and are then playing catch-up to pay back their fees.
Having fewer debts allows for greater financial flexibility and even opportunities for investment. 70% of tradespeople asked have savings, and over a third said they invested their earnings in ventures such as property, stocks and shares, or crypto currency, allowing them to grow their wealth and remain financially stable. Such opportunities seldom lend themselves to students who have to scrimp and save throughout their degrees.
Not only are tradespeople earning earlier in their lives, but they are typically earning more, sooner. A living wage can be expected to be earnt by age 22 as a tradesperson, and while this is also a possible achievement for a university graduate, it can take as long as age 29 before they can earn the same.
Trades vs University: Lifestyle
73% of tradespeople asked in the survey said that they were happy with their jobs, which is considerably higher than the average figure of UK job satisfaction, between 41-65%.
But why is this figure significantly higher than the rest of UK workers? The primary reason is undoubtedly about a sense of pride. 72% of the tradespeople in the survey said that pride was the single most fulfilling element of their job happiness. 67% answered that the satisfaction of hard work was the reason, 54% gave a sense of responsibility, 49% suggested that it was the confidence generated by trade work, 37% noted the work's required dedication, while 34% put it down to the demand for focus.
It goes without saying that work in the trade industry requires all of these characteristics, as of course do other academic vocations. However, it's far easier to enjoy and to feel pride in your work while you're earning and feel yourself progressing, rather than slipping into an ever steeper pit of debt.
Trades vs University: Home Ownership
Statistically, you are more likely to be a homeowner at a younger age as a tradesperson than as a student – three years younger, to be exact – and are typically leaving home one year sooner than your student equivalents.
Tradespeople are generally homeowners by the time they are 27, whereas the rest of the UK are on average aged 30 before they are given the keys to their own place. Not only this, but 44% of tradespeople are likely to have owned multiple properties than average workers, and 1 in 6 tradespeople will have statistically owned more than one property at the same time.
Trades vs University: Settling Down
The decisions you take after leaving school can impact things further down the line, and according to the results of this survey, these can be as significant as how soon you get married and have children.
Along with home ownership, tradespeople are typically married and settled, and will even have had their first child, at an earlier age than their student counterparts. The average male tradesperson's marriage happens on average five years earlier than other men, and for women this is three years earlier.
Tradespeople will statistically have had their first child by the age of 26 – this is two years before the female average (28), and a whopping seven years before the male average (33).
Trades vs University: Success
Success in life is ultimately subjective, and can be measured in a number of ways. By no means is it true that the life of a tradesperson is necessarily any more successful than that of a university student, and it goes without saying that, you can make the most of any decision you make.
It's worth emphasising that the trade industry can be an option for a highly successful career, perhaps more so than is typically expected. 1 in 4 tradespeople have gone on to start their own businesses, and have taken their futures into their own hands. It's a career which offers promise, growth, self-discovery, and autonomy.
Unfortunately, a debt-free life is no longer a guarantee for anyone, but university graduates are particularly vulnerable in today's job market. Job security is increasingly hard to find in the wider world, but the trade industry is providing this secure option for thousands of people.
The trade industry could be the safety net – and even saving grace – for you and your future. Access Training is one of the UK's biggest training companies, and can provide you with the skills and direction you need to invest in your future and establish your career.
Become a Fully-Qualified Tradesperson with Access Training
If a career in the trade appeals to you more than going university, take a look at the courses available at Access Training today.
Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.
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