Throughout most of the developed world, university places have become a lot more competitive due to the large number of people coming over from China and the rest of the developing world. Coupling this with the exorbitant costs of getting a diploma, when the course may have very little value when it comes to finding a job, anyone can see why people are being encouraged and choosing to go with apprenticeships for their further education.

What are the differences between universities and apprenticeships? There are a number of them, but perhaps most importantly, you get a jump-start in the professional world: While the majority of your peers are heading off to their first year in in university, you’ll be earning a salary (albeit a small one), and acquiring skills which are generally of higher value to companies. In addition to this, while they’re all piling on a load of debt (unless they’ve lucked out on the rich parents side of things or gotten a great scholarship), you’ll be getting the skills you need to be successful without any debt being acquired.