You’re hired! Apprentices are the new university graduates in the world of work

Lauren Brown outlines the advantages of earning while learning

Iti shard to believe that the first of our‘ new mill en nia ls ’– children born from 2000 onwards – are now entering their final years of secondary school, contemplating higher education, or taking the first steps on the employment ladder. The transformation in 17 years, and particularly the rapidity at which technology has affected our lives, appears to have happened in the blink of an eye.

Yet, this is just one indicator of the rapid pace at which the world is changing. Indeed, we could not have anticipated the extent to which digital career paths would have expanded – from app developers to social media executives – and this is a trend that is set to continue.

According to Skills Development Scotland, two out of three children starting primary school will have jobs that don’t exist today. For young people who are considering their future career options, it must be quite exciting to know they might have the option of working in a dynamic new profession.

However, f or parents and carers trying their hardest to support and advise their children into the right career options, how do they go about best preparing their children for jobs that haven’t been created yet?

Global professional services firm EY recently conducted a UK survey and found that “parents in Scotland are amongst the most cautious when talking to their child about careers, with 46 p er cent saying they don’t want to advise the wrong thing”.

With so many options on offer (compared to the“traditional” pathways that were previously avail able), it can be a daunting prospect for parents and guardians to provide the right career guidance.

Yet, parental influence is crucial. Research has shown that a huge 80.75 per cent of school/ college students say their parents help them make key career decisions. Therefore, it is vital for parents to be aware of the range of pathways that their children could pursue.

Many pupils will be keen on university and for many vocations this is absolutely the right route. However, with the world of work evolving at such an incredible pace, it is just as important for parents to discuss the alternatives, to ensure that young people have all the information to make the decision that is right for them.

This is certainly not to say that university is not a worthwhile option. However, amongst many other factors, influences at policy level are driving a step change in both education and the world of work.

The Scottish Government’ s Developing the Young Workforce programme aims to reduce youth unemployment by 40 p er cent by 2021, with regional DYW teams working throughout Scotland to drive increased employer involvement in schools and to encourage access to more vocational options during the senior phase of secondary school.

Furthermore, the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in S cot-