Attitudes towards apprenticeships are overdue a rethink – BAE Systems’ Richard Hamer

Apprentices are helping to build Type 26 frigates at BAE Systems' yards on the Clyde (Picture: Andy Buchanan/WPA pool) | Getty Images

This week, thousands of young people across Scotland opened their exam results. For many, it will have been a moment of celebration. For others, it was perhaps one of uncertainty. Whatever the outcome, one question will be front of mind for almost everyone. What comes next?

It's a feeling that many of us remember well. However, today's young people are entering a world of work that is changing at an unprecedented pace. Artificial intelligence is transforming industries, employers are looking for an increasingly diverse mix of skills and too many young people remain outside education, employment or training.

That's why it's never been more important that we challenge the idea that there's a ‘correct’ pathway to a successful career.

READ MORE: How an apprenticeship can be the route to a successful and rewarding career – Sandy Begbie

Ambitious, rigorous, highly technical

For many young people, university will absolutely be the right choice. It remains a solid pathway into countless professions, equipping graduates with valuable knowledge and expertise. But it is far from the only option that leads to a fulfilling, skilled and rewarding career.

Apprenticeships are still too often seen as a second choice, rather than an alternative route into a highly skilled career.

The reality is that apprenticeship schemes are ambitious, rigorous and highly technical. They offer the opportunity to earn while you learn, gain recognised qualifications and develop the practical skills employers are desperate for. Just as importantly, they build confidence, resilience and experience that cannot always be taught in a classroom.

The work underway on the Clyde is a case in point. At our Govan and Scotstoun shipyards in Glasgow, apprentices are building Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy, learning advanced manufacturing and engineering skills. If metal working and welding isn’t for you, there are also opportunities in areas outside engineering, like project management.

READ MORE: Scotland’s mid-sized employers look to invest in apprenticeships

Futureproofing the workforce

It's encouraging to see technical education back in the spotlight recently. Whether it's discussions around expanding technical pathways in schools or ensuring education better reflects the skills employers need, there's growing recognition that academic and vocational learning shouldn't be viewed as competing priorities. We need both if we're going to futureproof our workforce.

That conversation feels especially important in Scotland. From engineering and manufacturing to digital technology, renewable energy and financial services, many of Scotland’s fastest growing sectors depend on a pipeline of skilled people with the practical knowledge to help businesses innovate and grow.

To that end, employers, educators and policymakers all have a responsibility to ensure young people understand the full range of opportunities available to them and to challenge outdated attitudes about what success looks like.

At BAE Systems, we've seen first-hand the impact apprenticeships have. Since 2020, we've welcomed more than 10,000 apprentices and graduates into the company. Time and again, we've watched young people join us at the very start of their careers and go on to become senior leaders.

So congratulations to all those celebrating exam results this week. I firmly believe that the future is looking good for you, however you choose to get there.

Richard Hamer MBE is human resources director of education and skills at BAE Systems