Most young people leaving school in the UK plan to “earn and learn” rather than follow a traditional university route, according to new research from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
The ACCA gathered responses from nearly 300 pupils aged 14–18 across the UK using the Unifrog platform
The findings suggest employers that do not offer structured work-and-study options could lose out on future recruits to those that do. Four in five respondents (80%) in the survey said they were very or somewhat likely to start a degree apprenticeship after leaving school. By contrast, 37% intended to go to university and only 2% planned to move straight into full-time work.
The ACCA said that the results indicate an “emerging generation of pragmatists”. They demand clear professional development, avoid large debts and carefully filter potential employers, it added. Demand is particularly strong for so-called “triple pathway” roles, which provide a salary, a professional qualification and a degree at the same time.