As young people up and down the country visited their schools and colleges one last time to collect their A-level results last week, new research released by the leading school and college leavers advice website revealed that those who choose to go into apprenticeships after their A-levels are statistically three times more likely to be completely satisfied in their job than those who attended university.
The team behind www.notgoingtouni.co.uk carried out the study as part of ongoing research into which demographic is ultimately the happiest and most satisfied with their chosen career path. A total of 2,658 adults, aged 21-30, all of whom were in fulltime work, were questioned. In order to make the results as accurate as possible participants were split into two even categories; half had chosen to become an apprentice after school, whilst the other half had chosen to study an undergraduate degree at a UK university.
All respondents were asked to reveal whether, in their present employment, they were fully satisfied with their job role and working environment. Of the university graduates, only 26% agreed that they were fully satisfied, whilst the majority (68%) of those who had taken an apprenticeship revealed that they were fully satisfied in their career.
Next, the relevant 74% of university graduates were asked to divulge the reasons behind their lack of job satisfaction. Each past-graduate was given a list of potential reasons and asked to state as many as possible that were applicable to them. The most common reasons given were:
- 1. My degree didn’t give me sufficient preparation and knowledge of my chosen industry – (53%)
- 2. I do not get on well with my co-workers/employers – (41%)
- 3. My job is in no way related to the degree I studied at university - (26%)
- 4. My salary is a lot lower than I was expecting after three years at university - (17%)
- 5. I could be a lot further along in my career if I hadn’t chosen to go to university - (14%)
In a recent study The National Careers Service found that 89% of apprentices are satisfied with their apprenticeship; 85% of apprentices said their ability to do the job had improved, and 83% of apprentices said their career prospects had improved. It was also revealed last year that half of UK graduates are employed in non-graduate roles, with many in industries unrelated to their degree.
Sharon Walpole, CEO of notgoingtouni.co.uk, commented on the results of this study:
“The results of our study follow the recent figures released by the Office for National Statistics that revealed more than a quarter of graduates were paid less than the £11.10 average per hour of those on work-based training schemes last year; indicating that there is certainly a shift in the earning potential of graduates compared to those who choose alternative routes.
"Our study aimed to look less into the financial aspects and find out if there was a correlation between this statistic and the difference in satisfaction levels. It certainly seems that university doesn’t make for a happier individual, and perhaps points towards the fact that many graduates leave higher education with unrealistic expectations of what their degree can offer them in terms of career opportunities.”