Research by Enginuity reveals a change in attitudes towards vocational education

15 August, 2024

Vocational routes gaining traction

Parents and children aged 11-18 in 1000 households across England were surveyed, with the results revealing a significant shift in attitudes towards vocational routes into employment.

Nearly 90% of parents and are now more interested in vocational routes for their children to enter their chosen careers instead of the traditional university path. As for the children surveyed, 82% said they would be interested in more vocational routes to enter their chosen career. This shift is largely driven by the escalating costs associated with university education. For many parents, the prospect of saddling their children with substantial debt is becoming less appealing.

Parents are also recognising that vocational education, particularly in technology-based careers, offers a pragmatic and financially viable alternative. A staggering 89% of parents and 80% of children agreed that hands-on experience is now more critical than purely academic qualifications for certain tech careers. This sentiment is especially strong among parents aged 45-54, with 91% affirming the importance of practical skills over theoretical knowledge. Parents said the most important reasons for supporting their children taking more vocational routes were to help them develop skills that better prepared them for the workplace (56%) or to gain skills specific to the career they want to go into (54%).

Apprenticeships: growing interest among young people and parents

Another significant finding from the survey is the growing interest in apprenticeships as a means to "earn while you learn." A resounding 93% of parents expressed a desire to learn more about apprenticeship opportunities for their children. This interest peaks among parents of 15-year-olds, with 97% keen on exploring this route.

Young people also had a strong interest in apprenticeships. Among those surveyed, 86% of children aged 11-18 would now consider an apprenticeship over a conventional university degree. This trend is particularly evident in cities like Manchester, where 93% of students would consider an apprenticeship over a traditional university degree, and 76% of parents said they would encourage their children to consider an apprenticeship, closely followed by London (74%).

When asked why they would consider a more vocational route, like an apprenticeship, into their chosen career, 44% of children aged 11-18 said they wanted to take a more vocational route to develop skills specific to the career they would like to enter in to, closely followed by those who said that they are keen to develop skills in order to be better prepared for the workplace (40%). Only less than 3% said that they would not consider taking a more vocational route into their chosen career

Improved awareness of vocational routes is key

One reason for this shift in attitudes towards vocational options might be greater awareness amongst young people and as a result their parents. 66% of the 11-18-year-olds surveyed said their school speaks to them about both academic and vocational routes to make them aware of all choices when they leave school. 61% also said they had noticed their school talking about wider options for students when it comes to vocational routes post-exams. Again 61% said they gave had heard speakers come in to talk to students about more vocational careers.

Now is the time to capitalise on changing attitudes

Enginuity is a charity dedicated to finding new ways to close skills gaps in UK engineering and manufacturing. By doing this it wants to create a more productive sector where employers have the right skills at the right time to embrace advanced manufacturing and lead the net-zero transition.

More young people choosing vocational routes into engineering and manufacturing can play a key role in achieving this, but only if government and the sector acts now to capitalise on growing interest in these pathways.

That is why Enginuity is actively engaging in the following activities:

1. Promoting the benefits of engaging with apprenticeships to UK engineering and manufacturing employers and T Levels to employers in England. Increased interest in vocational routes won’t deliver a skills workforce unless employers offer apprenticeships, or the work placements required for T Levels.

2. Providing policy recommendations so that technical and vocational education is better able to keep up with the pace of change. We work with employers, industry bodies and government so that policy discussions consider the skills that are increasingly in demand.

3. Engaging with the technical and vocational education system to ensure it is fit for purpose. Enginuity helps to develop and maintain national occupational standards, occupational standards, apprenticeship standards or frameworks to meet industry needs. EAL is the Enginuity Group’s specialist awarding and end-point assessment organisation. In England it offers end-point assessment against a broad range of apprenticeship standards in engineering and manufacturing, and related industries, and is a national delivery partner for Engineering & Manufacturing and Construction & Building Services Engineering T Levels. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland it offers a comprehensive range of qualifications that support apprenticeship frameworks and skills development needs across the engineering and manufacturing sector, and related industries.

Ann Watson, Chief Executive of Enginuity, comments: “The results of our survey paint a clear picture on T Levels results day: both parents and young people are increasingly recognising the value of vocational education, particularly in fields like engineering and manufacturing that require technical expertise and hands-on experience.”

“T Levels and Level 3 apprenticeships are both equivalent to three A Levels and widely accepted by universities across the UK. It’s good to see that this equivalence is now being appreciated by potential students and their families, making them an increasingly considered and potentially preferable pathway to a successful career.”

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