For people stuck in roles they are desperate to progress in, there has been a long-standing debate of whether they should do so by part-time University, or whether an Apprenticeship would be more beneficial. But how can you argue for either side when the best route is the one best suited for the individuals’ desires and personality.  

So, if you are one of the people struggling with which path to take, carry on reading and keep in mind: there is no wrong answer.

LIFESTYLE:  

Choosing part-time University would mean taking control of your schedule and being the manager of yourself. If you chose this route you would have decided to do this from a personal perspective, choosing to do the course without going through your employer and the company you work for. This means you work would be done in your own time, on weekends, before work, after work, within your lunch break.

On the flip side, doing an Apprenticeship would mean doing it through your current employer, in which the ESFA requires Employers to give you the time within your employment hours to complete your Apprenticeship work.

CONTENT:

In terms of what you learn, University gives you the theoretical knowledge you need to succeed in your desired field and sets you up with a broad range of skills you could possibly need in the future of that field. However as an Apprentice, you are taught the very specific knowledge you will need to excel in your role, as you will be learning by doing. For example, if you ask your employer to put you on Clear Quality’s Management Level 5 course, you will be implementing techniques and using the skills as you learn them. Your coursework is designed around your job description and your companies’ industry.

However, in fast paced industries choosing to go to University could create barriers. Take IT for example, look at how quickly technology develops. By the time you graduate, what you learned in first year may be a thing of the past, where as an Apprentice will have evolved with the industry, learning the changes as they happened.

WHO AM I LEARNING FROM?

Studying at University means studying under industry experts. These are the people who have dedicated their life to the field. Lectures can bring the curriculum to life with their own knowledge and experiences. Whilst there is no denying these experts would be great to study under, the sizes of the classes mean 1-1 time is limited and probably rare. In an Apprenticeship however, you are in the workplace surrounded by specialists. There are hundreds of chances to network and even the opportunity of a mentor, who (just like a University Lecturer) will teach you all the knowledge they have gained, but their teachings will focus more on their own experience and can give you a more practical education. If you learn better on a 1-1 basis, this would probably be the best route to go down.

The key thing to remember though, is that a mentor isn’t always guaranteed.

COST

Now, the obvious point everyone talks about: Debt.

Whether part time or full time, University ends with a degree and a huge student debt, but asking your employer to enrol on an Apprenticeship would cost you nothing. In fact, it can also cost your Employer nothing if you are a Levy paying company.  

“What if I’m not a Levy paying company?” Well then your company only has to pay a 5% contribution which means a £7000 management course would only cost £350.

This information isn’t to try and sway you one way or another, it is purely informational. As I said previously, the choice depends on who you are and the career you want to progress into.

Remember, Apprentices do not have to be 16, just like university students don’t have to be 18.