apprenticeship , there appeared to be a limited amount of information sharing from these ‘ hot ’ sources .
Half of the participants stated that their parents / guardians ( as opposed to school ) were their primary source of advice on careers . However , many of their parents appeared to have limited knowledge about apprenticeships , with only one participant having a parent who had done an apprenticeship themselves . There also appeared to be limited discussions between participants and parents / guardians concerning apprenticeships .
Discussion
A key part of the UK government ’ s 2017 careers strategy was the adoption of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks as a framework that defines “ the best careers provision in schools and colleges ” ( Careers and Enterprise Company , 2019 ). Schools are working positively towards meeting the benchmarks , particularly in the case of this research , Benchmark 1 : “ A stable careers programme ”; and Benchmark 8 “ Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser ” ( Gatsby Charitable Foundation , 2019 ). This suggests the widespread use of the benchmarks is having a positive impact on careers advice and guidance . This is reflected in generally ( although not entirely ) positive comments towards careers advice and guidance within school .
Whilst participants are aware of the apprenticeship option , the research identified three key barriers to apprenticeship progression , reflected in that none of the participants were on a clear pathway to an apprenticeship at level 4 or above .
The A-level to university route is still seen as the aspirational route for young people to take , based on the value associated with obtaining those qualifications . For many , apprenticeships appeared to be an afterthought to this more aspirational route . This feeling is undoubtedly being reinforced both within school and outside of it . Given the relentless push to increase university participation over the past twenty years , this finding is probably unsurprising . As previous research ( such as Ryan & Lorinc , 2018 )) has found , the presence of a sixth form appears to be especially important in this reinforcement , particularly as it provides young people with a choice that enables them to remain within surroundings in which they feel
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