Apprenticeships vs University: Is There Really a ‘Best’ Route?

I left sixth form three years ago and made the decision not to go to university.

For a lot of people, stepping away from the traditional route of school, sixth form and university can feel scary. For me, I knew that another three or four years of only education wasn’t the right fit.

Before making this decision, I spoke to a lot of people who had taken the University route. Near enough every single person shared the same sentiment…

• ‘I did a year before deciding it wasn’t for me’

• ‘I needed a more hands-on approach’

• ‘In my first two years on the job I learnt more than I ever did at university’

This is no disrespect to those who chose to go to university, I completely appreciate that it is the best route for a lot of people. I just didn’t feel that it was right for me.

I wanted structure, the ability to learn practically, the opportunity to gain experience from people who had been in the industry for years, and the chance to earn some money while I was doing it.

For me, the traditional route didn’t offer those things.

So, I left school and joined a B2B Marketing Agency in London. It was great. I learnt a lot, but I felt like something was missing. I was craving more structured development and felt like I needed an educational element to teach me new things and consolidate what I’d already learnt. Most importantly, I wanted to feel more confident in my knowledge and what I was saying.

That’s when I began a marketing apprenticeship with Sloane Curtis.

Since starting, I’ve been following online courses, joining mentor and group learning calls, and producing reports and presentations. It’s been really interesting to hear from other people on my calls who work across different industries and to learn from their experiences.

At the same time, I’m still getting all the practical experience. I’m creating content, managing our online presence, writing case studies, updating the website, attending conferences and visiting sites, and there’s still so much space to do more. Email campaigns, more creative content, maybe even putting on an event of our own?!

It’s what I love about this route, I’m able to build things, rather than just learning about them in theory.

A huge part of this role has also been about learning the construction industry, which was completely new to me. Being able to visit sites and walk around with our managers and directors has been invaluable. They’ve introduced me to the many different parts of our projects, and given me the opportunity to see how everything comes together in practice. It’s been really exciting learning something new. Three months ago, I had no idea what subdivision or enabling works even were!

Looking back, I know this was the right decision for me. That doesn’t mean I think it’s the right decision for everyone - but that’s the point, there isn’t one route that works for everybody. For me, the apprenticeship has been the structured learning I was looking for, while giving me the chance to learn directly from people doing the job day in, day out.

I’m excited to continue my learning journey in the construction industry and, of course, to work towards the completion of my qualification.