Eight in 10 young people prefer degree apprenticeships, ACCA finds

Eight out of every 10 young people prefer to do a degree apprenticeship after leaving school.

A survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which had nearly 300 respondents aged 14–18, has found that 80% are very or somewhat likely to begin a degree apprenticeship after leaving school.

37% of respondents said they intended to go directly to university, while 2% planned to directly begin full-time work.

The ACCA has attributed the results to young people being more pragmatic about their careers, opting to get ahead in their careers without debt and choosing which employers can reliably offer such career progression.

The ACCA further argued that employers who do not offer combined ‘earn-and-learn’ career pathways risked losing incoming talent to employers who do.

The findings also have shown young people gravitating towards the ‘triple pathway’: positions offering a salary, professional qualification, and a degree. Indeed, 94% of respondents have been reported to find this very or quite appealing, while 44% are reported to be likely to take said career route.

Earning money while studying was cited by a quarter as their primary motivation

ACCA Survey

George Tsiounas, the Early Careers Manager at ACCA, commented: “Among those drawn to combined pathways, earning money while studying was cited by a quarter (24%) as their primary motivation – that’s equal to the proportion (24%) who said gaining real-world work experience was the deciding factor.“And only 16% said avoiding student debt was their main driver, suggesting financial pragmatism is only part of the picture.”

This has also affected how young people choose employers: 67% of respondents preferred a lesser-known company offering the triple pathway over a well-known employer that did not.

This practical experience gives me an advantage

Isabelle Farby

The ACCA interviewed 22-year-old Isabelle Farby, a financial accounts executive at Thinc, a Manchester-based IT company. She stated: “There were many reasons why I chose to pursue an apprenticeship. Learning on the job allows me to develop both technical (hard) skills and interpersonal (soft) skills in a real working environment.

“I believe this practical experience gives me an advantage, as I can immediately apply what I learn while building valuable workplace skills that employers look for.”

The ACCA itself offers apprenticeships, ranging from 12 to 36 months long, including an entry route for school leavers and a graduate route for university graduates.

Other surveys have found similar findings. A 2025 YouGov survey found that 46% of Britons say an apprenticeship best prepares young people for the future, compared to just 6% who think a university degree is best.