NEWS
Young people turning their backs on university as AI reshapes a generation's views on the world of work
Updated 05/26
Driven by a growing recognition that AI is set to fundamentally reshape the careers they are considering, new data reveals that young people are turning their backs on university in favour of apprenticeships, with a majority saying they would consider a career in the trades.
AI transforming careers
New research from Checkatrade finds that more than half (54%) of young people believe AI will transform the career they are considering, with eight in ten (80%) expecting a significant change in office-based work.
Apprenticeships more appealing
Faced with a shifting job market, more young people now say an apprenticeship is more appealing than university, with nearly four in ten (39%) backing training on the job compared to three in ten (32%) who would prefer university.
Careers that AI cannot replace
Nearly two-thirds (65%) would consider a career as a plumber, electrician, or roofer, with three-quarters (75%) saying they want to pursue a career where their skills and experience cannot be easily replaced by a machine.
With more than 1.3 million trades needed over the next decade to help the Government meet its net zero and housing targets, the industry is well placed to meet such demand.
Based on research with young people across the UK, more than half (53%) expect AI to significantly change the career they are currently considering. Furthermore eight in ten (80%) anticipate major shifts in office-based careers, signaling an understanding from young people that AI is set to significantly alter the traditional world of work. More than eight in ten (83%) 16-25 year olds are concerned about the state of the job market in Britain in general.
The data published by Checkatrade, the platform of trusted tradespeople, shows that the rise of AI is making hands-on careers more attractive than office-based roles, with over half (52%) of young people agreeing. Yet six in ten (60%) say they don't feel teachers have talked to them honestly about how AI is transforming the world of work and what that means for their career prospects.
The Government's own data shows that while 37% of 18-20 year olds were enrolled in higher education in 2024, just 6.4% of 18 year olds enrolled in an apprenticeship. However, Checkatrade’s data reveals that current concerns around AI are now pushing even greater numbers of young people away from the traditional university path. Nearly four in ten (39%) now say an apprenticeship is more appealing than a degree, compared to just three in ten (32%) who favour going to university.
With a million young people currently not in education, training, or work, the trade industry offers a clear and rewarding route for those reconsidering their options in a changing jobs market. More than six in ten (65%) young people taking part in the study say they would consider a career as a plumber, electrician, or roofer, with two-thirds (66%) believing a career in the trades is a respected path to follow. Notably, 50% of women say they would also consider a career in the trades.
Despite the Government's ambition to put apprenticeships on a similar footing to university, barriers remain. The biggest obstacle cited by young people is simply not knowing where to find an apprenticeship (21%), closely followed by the industry being talked about as a back-up plan (18%), a belief that trade pay is lower than office jobs (18%), and schools and teachers pushing university above apprenticeships (16%).
These findings should act as a wake up call. Young people are ready to look beyond university, and parents are behind them, but without honest guidance from teachers, ambition stalls. Government and educators must act together to end the stigma around a career in the trades and put apprenticeships on an equal footing with university degrees.
Work also needs to be done to improve the quality of apprenticeships themselves: only a third of the 18-24 month process for adult electrical NVQs involves real skill-building, with the remainder taken up by bureaucracy. Cutting delays and simplifying the process would get more tradespeople working faster.
Jambu Palaniappan, CEO of Checkatrade, said:
"AI is set to transform huge swathes of the economy, and that is going to create real opportunities, including for young people thinking about where to build a career. A generation is already waking up to the fact that practical, skilled work is where long-term opportunity lies.
"Tradespeople are already harnessing AI to work smarter, run better businesses and deliver a better service to customers. But AI can't fit a kitchen, replace a bathroom, or install a heat pump. The UK's 900,000 tradespeople do work that will always need doing, and that number needs to grow.
"The talent is clearly there. Now the education system needs to catch up. Every year we fail to act, we risk creating a generation that saw the opportunity and was told to look elsewhere ."