Further Blow to UK Universities

Report shows most considering apprenticeships over degrees

LONDON, Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — More than 90% of young people would consider an apprenticeship over a university degree, a new survey from the skills charity Enginuity has revealed.

In what could be seen as a further blow to UK universities, 71% of parents would encourage them to do so.

One thousand parents and their children (aged 11-18) were interviewed about their current attitudes towards vocational pathways to work.

With the cost-of-living crisis, many people are querying the viability and sense in taking on massive amounts of debt without a guarantee of a job in the process.

The news comes within a few days of the inaugural Vocational Celebration Day, created by Enginuity and specialist awarding organisation EAL, which took the form of a live telecast/stream from Teagle Machinery Ltd in Truro, Cornwall.

TV star, podcaster and skills campaigner Steph McGovern, who presented the programme as part of her successful podcast Steph on Skills: Powered by Enginuity said: “I have been banging on for years about the need for parity of esteem – I think the penny is at last beginning to drop with young people and their parents.”

Clearly more needs to be done in terms of furnishing both parents and young people with relevant information, with 30% of young people and 33% of parents never having heard of T Levels (the Government’s relatively new technical qualification).

42% of young people and 45% of parents said that they had heard of them but needed further information.

CEO of Enginuity, Ann Watson MBE, said: “The survey shows that the demand is there and our message is having an impact. There is evidence, however, that there remains a lag with how schools are disseminating advice and guidance to those that need it most.”

Amazon Mechatronics Engineering Apprentice, Olivia Lane, who recently won the Best of British Engineering Award at the Enginuity Skills Awards, told those tuning in to Vocational Celebration Day that her school headmaster had told her, ‘not to waste her life’ on an apprenticeship as she was ‘better than that’.

“That made me really angry”, said Olivia.

The regional picture shows variation rather than uniform progress. Some areas show stronger momentum in parental encouragement or school guidance, while others combine high appetite for apprenticeships with weaker reported school visibility.

The South West recorded the largest uplift in parental encouragement, rising from 60% in 2025 to 77% in 2026. Greater London also increased, reaching 75%. The West Midlands saw a sharp rise in young people reporting balanced discussion of university and vocational choices, alongside higher parental encouragement.

Other regions show signs of untapped potential. In both the North East and East Midlands, strong interest in apprenticeships sits alongside weaker reported exposure to vocational pathways in schools, indicating that growing demand is not always matched by careers guidance and awareness.

This report sets out findings from the 2026 Vocational Attitudes Survey, revealing valuable insights into how families view apprenticeships, T Levels and other vocational routes across all sectors.

Comparing findings across three annual waves, the report identifies where perceptions are shifting, where information and guidance gaps remain, and why these attitudes matter for sectors such as engineering and manufacturing, where vocational and technical pathways are critical to building the future skilled workforce.

In 2026, 95% of parents said they were interested in knowing more about apprenticeships that allow young people to “earn while they learn”, and 91% of young people said the same.

Strikingly, 90% of young people said they would consider apprenticeships over a conventional university degree, while 71% of parents said they would encourage their child to consider an apprenticeship over a degree, up from 67% in 2025. The story is not that families are turning away from university.

There is a growing appreciation of apprenticeships as a credible choice that combines affordability, practical experience and progression into skilled careers. The challenge of apprenticeship legitimacy is diminishing, with both young people and parents increasingly open to and interested in these pathways. The focus must now shift to strengthening high-quality careers guidance and ensuring routes into apprenticeships are clear, accessible and easy to navigate.

Affordability and paid learning are the clearest drivers of interest: “Earn while you learn” emerged as the top reason selected by both parents and young people for supporting or considering vocational routes. Avoiding university cost and debt also rose year on year for both groups. Qualitative responses reinforce the same pattern: families value university where it is needed but increasingly question whether a degree is the only or best route into every career.

View the Full Report

www.enginuity.org

Watch Vocational Celebration Day Live Stream

Further media information from Dan Kirkby 07785 392735 [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/777ae0d0-e034-473a-8ca4-ac4980495fa0