Apprenticeship vs degree
Apprenticeship route
£25K +
Starting salary on completion of an advanced level apprenticeship programme
Source: Rate my apprenticeship
Degree route
£21K-£24K
Starting salary range for UK degree graduates
Source: Save the student
85%
Apprentices stay in full-time employment after finishing their apprenticeship, 65% with the same employer
Source: January 2020 Simply Academy
12%
Graduates remain unemployed a year after completing their degree
Source: July 2021 Evening Standard
321,400
Apprenticeship starts in 2020/2021, with a 6.6% increase in achievements compared to 2019/2020
Source: gov.uk
37.5%
Recent graduates are stuck in a non-graduate level job
Source: Office of National Statistics
£2.7 billion
Government pledge to spend on apprenticeships by 2024/25
Source: January 2022 FE Week
35%
Under-graduates achieved a first in 2019/2020
Source: September 2020 Statista
“We recruit a lot of school leavers on to our apprenticeship programme, but we also offer the opportunity to people already in the business. It offers them the chance to develop and progress their career. Our apprentice’s have that optimism and drive to move things forward and we’ve seen some really exceptional people come through the apprenticeship programme.”
Freya, Project Manager, Network Rail