With hundreds of thousands of students across the UK receiving their GCSE results today, many will be deciding on the best next steps to take towards their future career. Many are likely to be doing so with some justified uncertainty.

We are facing unprecedented change, not only in terms of the ways in which we work, but also what skills will be in demand in the future.

While university is undoubtedly valuable for some, it’s not the right choice for everyone. With a depressed jobs market and an economy badly impacted by coronavirus, it’s more important than ever before that we ensure that young people are aware of the full range of options available, what jobs are available and which routes are most likely to lead to a job at the end of their studies.

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Wider opportunities available

Unfortunately, many young people are still not getting all the information they need to make informed choices. This year, once again, we saw a record-breaking number of young people apply to university, despite the wider opportunities available to develop the skills and knowledge needed to progress into a career.

One can hardly blame young people for wanting to take a well-trodden path in such uncertain times, but are we doing them a disservice by having greater numbers than ever before racking up huge debts, with no guarantee of a job at the end of it?

Many employers have stated that they will be cutting their graduate recruitment programmes because of coronavirus. A survey by the Institute for Student Employers earlier this year found that 27 per cent of businesses intended to reduce the number of graduates they take on this year. And even pre-pandemic there was already an over-supply of graduates, with only 52 per cent of graduates ending up in graduate-level positions according to research by the CIPD.

In contrast, independent research commissioned by City & Guilds in relation to some of its technical qualifications found that 84 per cent of learners achieved a sustained positive destination by completing the qualification, 35 per cent continuing with education or training and 55 per cent in work following completion of the qualification. Perhaps most importantly, 81 per cent of all the former students who were in work reported that they were satisfied with their current role.

So what are the alternatives?

1. Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships have faced difficulties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a 60 per cent drop in apprenticeship starts reported in May. But the prime minister’s recent promise of guaranteed apprenticeships for young people does show that they remain a priority for the government. There will be key areas where we expect growth in apprenticeships over the coming years – the National Infrastructure Strategy is expected to be announced in the autumn with tens of billions of pounds of investment and the NHS recently announced 8,000 new nursing apprenticeships.

In the face of an ageing population, the care sector is also expected to expand. The Office for National Statistics predicts a 36 per cent growth in persons aged 85+ between 2015 and 2025, up to 2 million. This, in turn, will lead to significant growth in opportunities, many of which can be accessed via apprenticeships or T Levels.

2. T Levels

T Levels will start to be rolled out this year, representing a genuine alternative to A Levels. T Levels will allow young people to study a profession such as engineering or construction and will equip them with the skills and experience they need to enter the workforce on completion of the course, or to pursue a degree or a higher-level apprenticeship.

3. Traineeships

The government has announced its commitment to traineeships, a skills development initiative for 16- to 24-year-olds in England offering a work placement for up to a year.

Traineeships give employers the flexibility to design their training and mentoring programme to suit the needs of their business and the trainee, helping them develop the skills they need to lead into an apprenticeship.

4. Kickstart

The government’s newly announced Kickstart scheme is now open and providing another alternative route into work for young people.

The £2 billion programme is open to 16- to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit and at risk of long term unemployment, providing six-month work placements for entrants. The scheme will fund 100 per cent of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours per week as well as National Insurance contributions, with employers also free to top up this wage.

This scheme gives young people the opportunity to gain valuable experience, earn a wage and demonstrate their skills and enthusiasm to potential employers.

5. Other vocational qualifications

And then, of course, there are the other well-established vocational qualifications to choose from, which allow people to train for careers from construction and engineering through to hairdressing and animal management. In response to the pandemic, the government is offering exceptional/additional funding for 2020-21 only, to enable young people aged 18 and 19 to access an extra year’s study to take one of a selection of qualifications that will increase their employability in priority employment sectors at level 2 or level 3.

The nature of work is changing, and these changes are happening rapidly. For young people, the importance of learning skills that will enable them to adapt to and thrive in the transformed workplace has never been higher.

Vocational training and apprenticeships should not be viewed as a “second” choice to academic study, but rather as an alternative route that can have huge value for young people entering the workforce.

As employers increasingly prioritise workplace experience and practical skills, many young people may find that apprenticeships and technical and vocational programmes are the best choices for them.

David Phillips is managing director of City & Guilds and ILM