There has always been a misconception with apprenticeships. People believe they are an alternative for the less 'academically gifted' to learn a hard graft such as plumbing or wood carving. But sitting here now, a year and a bit after leaving New Hall, I am happy to report this couldn’t be further from the truth.
 
Apprenticeships are now offered by some of the biggest companies and banks in the world, and act as a fast route into the industry, for those who are prepared to take a small leap of faith and try an alternative from the traditional university route.
 
Take me as an example. I loved the A levels I was studying and was always interested in what was being taught, but I was perhaps not the best person for learning or focussing on the crucial exam technique needed (which I'm sure Mrs Jones can vouch for, as my physics write-ups were appalling), so university was maybe not my best option. I knew I wanted to go into finance, which I then narrowed down to investment banking, and after digging around on the internet (which is the hardest part of the process as there's no unified system like UCAS  to look for these opportunities), I found a long list of incredible apprenticeships, all offering a fast route into their respective industries with the offer of paid for qualifications as well.
 
Fast forward two years after my initial decision to look for an apprenticeship, I now work in the UK Investment Banking Team at UBS as a junior banker, absolutely loving the work I get to do, and the opportunities offered to me — which all came about after I decided to do a bit of searching on the web and consulting with the careers officer at the sixth form centre.
 
My advice to any student thinking about what they may like to do as a career, don’t write off apprenticeships just because it may not be the status quo, University will always be the smart option for those who need additional education to start their career. But if being trained in engineering at Rolls Royce, or accounting at one of the 'Big four' are the types of opportunities that spark your interest, I would strongly recommend you have a quick look on websites such as getmyfirstjob.com and notgoinguni.com — what have you got to lose?!
 
And for anyone specifically interested in learning more about Investment Banking or corporate finance, feel free to get in touch, as I am more than happy to help offer advice in any way that I can!