Number of students seeking alternative route to university after A-level and GCSE results 'on the rise', says NotGoingToUni

CEO says employers are much more likely to interview candidates with real, first-hand experience when, before, they used to favour only graduates

George Osborne meets with a young apprentice earlier this year (Dave Thompson/Getty Images)

The number of young people seeking alternative routes to higher education after this year’s A-level and GCSE results is on the rise, according to a student website.

NotGoingToUni – the leading website for school and college leavers in the UK, which offers students thousands of apprenticeship opportunities – reported a 44 per cent increase in traffic and enquiries to their website compared with the same period last year.

The team witnessed a 157 per cent increase in sign-ups to the website on A-level results day in comparison to the day before they were released.

As well as this, NotGoingtoUni saw a 102 per cent rise in the number of log-ins to the website when compared with last year’s A-level results week.

The team added how the findings indicate an increasing interest in alternatives to university and full-time education amongst young Britons.

Searches for ‘apprenticeships’ were up 14 per cent on last year, with ‘sponsored degrees’ up by 8 per cent during A-level results week. The website also noted the top ten most commonly searched-for subjects in order to gain an insight into the areas students are most interested to learn about, without having to pursue a university education:

1. Engineering

2. Banking and Finance

3. Art and Design

4. Electrical

5. Science

6. Fashion

7. Automotive

8. IT

9. Nursing

10. Game Design

Welcoming the record-breaking figures, the website’s CEO, Sharon Walpole, said she was surprised to see a surge in the number of young people searching for subjects such as art and design, fashion, and even game design.

She added: “It is clear the new approach to recruitment that prestigious apprenticeships, traineeships, and sponsored degrees bring is changing for many businesses.

“Employers are now much more likely to interview candidates with real, first-hand experience and a strong work ethic – when they used to favour only graduates.”