Alternatives to university

An education doesn’t just happen in the classroom. A unique learning experience can come from many different areas of life, and taking a path that doesn’t involve university, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t secure the career that you want. In fact, by taking alternative routes, you might actually be able to gain an advantage over your peers when it comes to having relevant experience. If the idea of student loans and full-time study doesn’t sound appealing to you, it might be a good idea to explore alternative options for your next steps. When it comes to deciding what to do instead, there are lots of options which might be better suited to you!

If you take the right steps, and make the most of the alternative options available, here are some of the benefits you could find:

• You can learn while working and build in-depth sector specific knowledge
• You can avoid student loans and repayment
• You can gain qualifications while you earn
• You could increase your lifetime salary

Apprenticeships & Higher Apprenticeships (school leaver programmes)

There are over 1,500 different roles available as apprenticeships. You can complete this qualification in subjects ranging from engineering and IT, to marketing and healthcare. There really is something for everyone. You can find out more about apprenticeships here.

Apprenticeships offer the chance for you to get hands-on practical experience, while also working towards a qualification which furthers your career. These courses can last between one and five years and can be a blend of studying at a college or training centre alongside working in industry.

Entry-level job

Seen as an entry-point into a specific career, these jobs don’t require specific professional qualifications and don’t necessarily require applicants to have relevant work experience in the field. You will develop skills through on-the-job training. If you are a hands-on learner, and keen to get started on earning a salary this might be a great option for you!

Entry-level positions can be full-time or part-time in a whole range of industries and introduce you directly into the world of work. Typically, your salary will increase as you complete training alongside work.

Gap year

Taking a gap year can be a great gateway to discovering the best next steps for you. Taking some time to really think about what you want to gain from a career before moving into further study or the world of work can be a good option if you’re unsure about your future.

A gap year can grant you a wealth of experience, whether that be through volunteering, gaining work experience, or simply travelling around a part of the world you’ve always wanted to explore. Being proactive, having a plan and broadening your mindset will help you to achieve the most out of your gap year.

You can also raise your cultural awareness, and increase your independence, resilience and overall confidence while improving in a foreign language or gaining valuable work experience. And you’ll probably also having fun doing it!

Self-employment

You might already have a clear idea about what you want to do. If you have a great idea, some business acumen and the determination to take yourself far, then why wait to get started as an entrepreneur? This could be a great route for you.

Self-employment offers the benefits of being your own boss, working flexible hours, and the potential to earn a higher salary. It also involves some significant risks. Despite the amount of effort and motivation you may put into a business, sometimes bearing the fear of failure can weigh you down. Self-employment can mean an unstable income, and it will certainly be a challenging route to self-discovery. More information on dealing with financial anxiety can be found here.

However, if you are passionate, motivated and sharply business-minded, becoming a young entrepreneur could be the route for you! Just make sure you take an informed decision and have the appropriate support networks.

*Top tip* learn from other successful young entrepreneurs by doing your research. No journey is linear and you will take away some useful tips for where to start!

So, what now?

The activities below have all been designed to help you get fully ready to take your next steps - whatever pathway you choose to take. Each set of activities ranges from a short activity which should take no more than 30 minutes, through to portfolio activities, which are longer, project-based tasks. The more time you spend on each activity, the more you'll get out of it, but you should be able to find something each week to fit into your schedule.

Why not start with the short activity first and then work your way through the remaining activities until you’ve completed them all?

Short activity

Research young entrepreneurs, and shortlist those that interest you.

• Follow them on their LinkedIn account and check-in with what they’re doing throughout the year.

You may discover that some are studying part-time, full-time or have taken a completely different route to university and are still able to forge a successful career through hard work.

Main activity

Having a professional role model can help you make informed decisions about your future pathway.

Select a professional role model. If you need inspiration, look to the list of famous names at the top of this page.

Do some detective work and find out more about their routes to success.

• What did they do when they left education?
• Did they go to university straight after school, later in life or not at all?
• Has it been a straight path to get to where they are now?
• Do you think they would have benefited from taking a different route? Why?
• Are there any lessons that you can learn from their journey?

Portfolio

Create a questionnaire to help you find out more about different people’s routes into the world of work.

Your first question may be, 'What did you do when you left school?' with respondents being given the following choices:

• Attended university
• Completed an apprenticeship
• Started work in an entry-level role
• Took a gap year
• Other (please specify)

Aim to have at least five people who are at different points in their career to complete your questionnaire.

• Review the results and follow up with any respondents (people that have completed the survey) that you’d like to know more from.

PSHE lesson

Now that you’ve looked at the Future You pages with students...

• Split them into four groups and assign them each an alternative route - apprenticeships & higher apprenticeships, entry-level job, gap year, self-employment.

• Give each group 15 minutes to prepare to argue in favour of their alternative route, and try to convince the rest of the class that their choice is the best next step.

This will help reinforce advantages of different routes into the world of work and help dispel any misconceptions.