In the UK, concern has been growing about the number of young people ‘churning’ (Furlong, 2006) between unpaid voluntary work; low-paid, insecure jobs; and never-ending training courses with no clear employment opportunities in sight (MacDonald, 2011; Thompson, 2017). Recent government policies promote apprenticeships as a way to equip young people with in-demand skills through the reform of the apprenticeship programme and other vocational offerings. Statistics show that apprenticeships have a high probability of leading to employment. According to the 2011 census results, 89.4% of 24- to 35-year-olds who completed apprenticeships were employed. Nonetheless, despite a recent increase in take-up, overall only 7% of 16- to 18-year-old young people opt for apprenticeships (Department for Education, 2017b). Schools and career advisors still appear to privilege academic qualifications (Ryan & Lorinc, 2015). In this chapter, focusing on the opportunities and challenges presented by apprenticeship schemes, we investigate alternative learning arenas and pathways that lead to skilled employment. Drawing on in-depth qualitative research, we consider firstly the perceived advantages of undertaking these programmes despite the widespread concerns that still surround this type of training in the UK. Secondly, we examine some of the limitations and challenges of these programmes based on interviews with apprentices, their tutors, employers and several policy makers. © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Lore Van Praag, Ward Nouwen, Rut Van Caudenberg, Noel Clycq and Christiane Timmerman; individual chapters, the contributors.
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