University education is fundamental because it equips someone with crucial skills needed in career advancement. Nevertheless, it is not the only avenue one can use to secure a job opportunity because apprenticeship is an incredible option.
For instance, Ellie Farrington, who enrolled for an architecture degree before switching to mathematics at the university, but upon her graduation, she felt something was amiss.
She, therefore, decided to fill the void by undertaking an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship is an incredible substitute for university education
Farrington attested that she did not regret taking the apprenticeship route because she is currently a qualified carpenter in Toowoomba. This position has enabled her garner the 2019 Queensland Apprentice of the Year award.
Despite this success, Farrington acknowledges that this was a pathway that was never suggested during her schooling years because university education always reigned supreme.
She proclaims:
“There was definitely a stigma around it that [an apprenticeship] was an inferior career option, and it was something that was less desirable than going to uni.”
Farrington also adds that many students attend university and graduate with degrees, but have no idea of how to use them because they are made to believe that this is the only option available.
Apprenticeship should, therefore, be given considerable emphasis as university education as this will be instrumental in the acquisition of distinctive skills.
Apprenticeship and university education fundamental in addressing the skills shortage
Both apprenticeship and university education are crucial in tackling the skills shortage. Despite this reality, apprenticeship is not given substantial emphasis.
For instance, the number of people enrolled in traineeships and apprenticeships has fallen by 12% in the last four years, to almost over 276,000.
On the other hand, completion rates dropped by nearly 40% during the same period. The Federal Government is, however, is making reasonable steps to address this issue, as evidenced by the $525 million skills package it announced. This will entail the support for an extra 80,000 new apprenticeships over the next five years.
Conversely, Damian Hinds, Education Secretary, confirmed a couple of months ago that the government wouldn’t be able to keep the promise of Apprenticeship Manifesto – three million apprenticeships that should’ve started in England by 2020.
