Having once understood the widely held opinion that the rise of degree apprenticeships was often termed simply as a “land-grab” by the middle classes, I am now witnessing firsthand the transformative impact that degree apprenticeships can have on individuals, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.
In a landscape where traditional higher education has long held a privileged status, the apprenticeship sector continues to face an ongoing battle against biases and misconceptions significantly in post-16 career advice and guidance. One such manifestation of this bias however is emerging from within, this time it is the reverse snobbery that undermines the value of higher-level, degree apprenticeships.
I will attempt to offer a perspective from within a degree apprenticeship provider and challenge the belief that the apprenticeship system, levy and all, should be exclusively reserved for lower levels of vocational education, and aim to shed light on the immense career opportunities that higher-level apprenticeships offer.
