Now that the number of available places at university is plummeting, while tuition fees for those that remain are rocketing, is it any surprise that vocational training is becoming increasingly popular with school leavers? The job market is incredibly unstable at present, but should they take three years to gain a degree at university, who's to say what the market will be like once they've graduated? In many ways, then, a vocational education, offering both qualifications and work experience, might just be the fast track to their chosen career.
People of a different generation, though, may be forgiven for looking at university as the default route into a decent job, but they can't be forgiven for thinking that vocational education is some kind of "poor relation" to degree studies at university. In fact, they might just be surprised to learn that many vocational education qualifications are actually at degree level, meaning that somebody undertaking vocational training would have the key skills and work experience required for their chosen career in less time (in many cases) then it would take to achieve a degree at university.
And with more than 500 training courses on offer from market leaders like City & Guilds, there's a wealth of vocational education out there for the choosing. And those courses aren't strictly limited to careers one would refer to as "trades" - unless, of course, you consider a barrister a tradesman. But vocational training and a university education aren't mutually exclusive. Many university students have taken time out for some vocational training before returning to their degree studies. And those with the qualifications and experience gained through prior vocational training, who need additional qualifications, tend to be welcomed with open arms by any university they apply to.
Vocational education is often directly linked to employers, meaning that there's a very good chance of an offer of permanent work to a trainee once the course has finished. After all, it's much better to recruit somebody you already know and trust - with exactly the right kind of training - than it is to recruit a total stranger from outside.
So it's not surprising, since so many recent graduates are still looking for the graduate position they've been preparing themselves for, for so long, that those still at school and able to choose between several years at university and a vocational education that in many cases is considerably shorter - and actually pays you while you train - would choose the more cost-effective alternative.
People of a different generation, though, may be forgiven for looking at university as the default route into a decent job, but they can't be forgiven for thinking that vocational education is some kind of "poor relation" to degree studies at university. In fact, they might just be surprised to learn that many vocational education qualifications are actually at degree level, meaning that somebody undertaking vocational training would have the key skills and work experience required for their chosen career in less time (in many cases) then it would take to achieve a degree at university.
And with more than 500 training courses on offer from market leaders like City & Guilds, there's a wealth of vocational education out there for the choosing. And those courses aren't strictly limited to careers one would refer to as "trades" - unless, of course, you consider a barrister a tradesman. But vocational training and a university education aren't mutually exclusive. Many university students have taken time out for some vocational training before returning to their degree studies. And those with the qualifications and experience gained through prior vocational training, who need additional qualifications, tend to be welcomed with open arms by any university they apply to.
Vocational education is often directly linked to employers, meaning that there's a very good chance of an offer of permanent work to a trainee once the course has finished. After all, it's much better to recruit somebody you already know and trust - with exactly the right kind of training - than it is to recruit a total stranger from outside.
So it's not surprising, since so many recent graduates are still looking for the graduate position they've been preparing themselves for, for so long, that those still at school and able to choose between several years at university and a vocational education that in many cases is considerably shorter - and actually pays you while you train - would choose the more cost-effective alternative.
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Have you thought about craftsmen training? Are you searching for craftsmen training opportunities in your area? www.notgoingtouni.co.uk offers various vocational training jobs, positions and offers.
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