Businesses risk talent dilemma by overlooking apprenticeships

Despite the growing recognition of apprenticeships as a valuable strategy for workforce development, barriers such as resource demands, unclear business benefits, and the complexity of the system are deterring many businesses from adopting these programmes.

However, the survey* of 605 UK mid-sized business leaders identified that the businesses who are already offering these programmes report significant advantages, including:

• Access to fresh talent and perspectives
• Cost-effective training and development
• Enhanced diversity in recruitment

Over three-quarters (76%) of the businesses surveyed who already offer school leaver apprenticeship programmes also plan to increase their recruitment in the next five years.

School leaver apprenticeships are increasingly becoming part of the conversation for post-secondary education opportunities, with previous Grant Thornton research showing 44% of parents now favour apprenticeships over university education (40%). This shift reflects a growing recognition of the key benefits they offer, including: practical experience, immediate earning potential, and avoiding substantial student debt.

This changing sentiment is also reflected in recent ONS data for the 2024/25 academic year, which shows an 8% increase in higher apprenticeship starts compared to the same period the previous year.

Grant Thornton’s longstanding commitment to apprenticeship hiring and development demonstrates the value of this approach. The firm has welcomed over 550 school leavers onto its trainee programme over the past four years alone and was named one of the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in England in 2024 by the Department for Education.

Caroyln Hicks, Partner and Head of Transformation for Grant Thornton UK LLP in the North West, said: “While university will always offer a positive route for many, the ability for young people to start work straight away and earn a salary through an apprenticeship, while also studying towards a qualification, offers a valuable alternative route; and it’s only growing in popularity.

“While a school leaver apprenticeship offers many benefits to the individual it also opens up a significant new talent pool for employers. Businesses who don’t explore this route may be missing out on talented individuals who are eager to learn and progress, and able to bring in diverse views and ways of thinking to the organisation. An apprenticeship programme also allows the employer to provide skills development that directly supports the needs of their business and the wider market, developing a strong future talent pool.

“At Grant Thornton, we have focused on the school leaver apprenticeship route, alongside graduate recruitment, for many years now and would encourage any employer to do the same. Many of our senior leaders started their careers as school leaver apprentices and the skills an apprenticeship programme can provide to the individual, and the skills gaps it can address for the employer, highlights the exciting opportunity this alternative route can provide.”

Ben Davies, 21, joined the firm’s Liverpool office in September 2022 on the firm’s school leaver apprenticeship programme. While he received multiple offers to attend university, he knew that this was not the right route for him.

Commenting on his experience and why he chose the apprenticeship route he said:“I always had a love for Maths and anything numerical in school, so I wanted to do something with figures and numbers. I had offers to study accountancy at university, but I wanted to start earning straight away and learn on the job from colleagues and others within the profession.

"This way I could start saving to move out and experience the things I enjoy outside of work, such as travelling to different countries, while avoiding the debt that comes with a degree. The opportunities for a school leaver to progress through the firm also drew me to the apprenticeship route, after seeing positive experiences shared on the Grant Thornton website and social media pages.

“The school leaver apprenticeship programme has significantly boosted my confidence and interpersonal skills. After finishing my A-Levels, the thought of engaging with clients regularly would have made me apprehensive. However, since joining the programme I have grown in confidence, and I have even had the opportunity to visit a client's site independently - a task that would have seemed overwhelmingly daunting before I joined the firm.

"The opportunities that have arisen through the school leaver apprenticeship route have enabled me to develop my professional capabilities to a level that would not have been possible had I opted to attend university. I now have aspirations to progress to Director and Partner level within Grant Thornton.”