Number of school leavers demanding IT apprenticeships doubles
Not going to uni - applications for IT apprenticeships at an all-time high in the lead-up to A Level results day 2014, says top apprenticeship firm
14th August 2014: A LEVEL RESULTS DAY: Leading IT apprenticeships business QA Apprenticeships has today published statistics showing a 108% increase in demand for IT apprenticeships from school leavers seeking an effective route into tech careers, aside from the traditional university route.
QA has trained over 2500 apprentices in 2013/14 and has seen its apprenticeships in IT networking and software development attract significant interest over non-IT programmes. IT is also tracking high above the general growth in apprenticeship applications of 32%, reported by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS)[1] in February.
The training provider also revealed a 40% rise in the number of employers seeking IT apprentices, showing the growing confidence amongst the tech sector in QA’s programmes to deliver the skills they need to grow and develop talent into their business.
Young people move their tech knowledge away from uni
This news comes on the back of last week’s research by Ofcom[2] showing that 14-19 year-olds are the UK’s most tech savvy age group, and the recent figures from TheCompleteUniversityGuide[3] revealing that those graduating from computer science university degrees have a 46% chance of failing to find a suitable job.
Josh Uwadiae, 20, is one of the 94% of QA Apprentices that go onto full-time jobs after finishing their training, a rate well above many high-ranking universities’.
Uwadiae is an IT Manager after just two years and is now hiring his own QA Apprentices into his team.
He said:
“At 18 I decided to do an IT apprenticeship with QA and within the short space of two years I have seen fantastic returns. IT apprenticeships are more than just a course or job, they’re a career kick-start with limitless opportunity and potential. A young person should be just as excited to do a top apprenticeship as being accepted by Oxford or Cambridge university.”
Ben Pike, Director of QA Apprenticeships, added:
“We are really excited by the growth in demand that we are seeing this summer. It is clearer every year that young people leaving school or college are making more considered choices about their next career step; choosing a route that trains them specifically for a career in IT, built with their employer’s needs at its heart. Far fewer are prepared to shoulder the huge debts for a degree with no end-goal in mind.
“It’s excellent for the UK workforce that so many skilled, tech-savvy young people are looking to make the jump straight into a career with QA, contributing directly to the UK economy in a sector that is crying out for talented young recruits.”
QA’s IT programmes are designed for school or college leavers seeking careers in IT networking, software development, coding, programming and digital tech. Young people interested in finding out more or applying for an IT apprenticeship can find a list of hundreds of live jobs now at www.qa.com/apprenticeships.
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