Young People in Britain: Alternatives to Higher Education

Abstract

In Britain, the wellbeing of young people is often linked to the education they receive, and going to university in order to obtain an undergraduate degree is seen as a necessary and desirable step in life, which should secure their employability and financial future. However, high university fees and student accommodation and subsistence costs are not normally covered by government grants anymore, so a young graduate is destined to begin his or her professional life with tens of thousands of pounds of student debt, which he or she is expected to pay over three decades of their working life. Although the demand for university places remains as high as ever, it becomes questionable in some situations, whether pursuing a university education at all cost is, in fact, beneficial for a young person and his or her future. This paper explores an alternative path for a young person's successful career - apprenticeship and traineeship, giving a detailed account of a registered gas engineer training route as an example.