The New Way to Get a Good Job Without Uni

University is no longer the expected education pathway for young Australians. With the payoff of a bachelor’s degree being harder than ever to demonstrate, more Australians are turning to higher-level apprenticeships, which are set to more than double next year.

So what are higher apprenticeships, and what opportunities do they present as a pathway to getting a high-paying job without university?

Higher apprenticeships provide an alternative pathway to high-paying jobs, previously only thought to be for university graduates. In fact, the qualifications available through higher apprenticeships will extend to bachelor’s degrees by 2020, even being set to overtake a university education.

This change is partly a result of the way we view up-skilling changing. Now, developing skills with on the job training is seen as highly valuable and more suited to the future of work. Higher apprenticeships offer a number of advantages over university degrees, pointing towards better job prospects in a lot of cases.

The face of the modern workplace is changing, leading to a greater interest in higher apprenticeships. Apprentices enjoy better employment rates and higher salaries than university graduates.

Comparatively, only 67.4% of bachelor degree graduates found employment within four months.
A lot of these figures are explained by the fact that there are more available jobs in vocational industries, in particular, healthcare, hospitality and tourism.

According to the Employment Department report, VET outcomes were stronger than bachelor degree outcomes in a number of fields such as:

Additionally, because apprenticeships take place within a workplace, apprentices are more likely to be kept on by their host employer, eliminating the job search process after the completion of training.

In addition to faster employment after graduation, apprentices also enjoy higher salaries over the course of their lifetimes.

With the cost of university degrees often not matching up with the pay offered by many entry-level jobs, more young people are considering their career choices more thoughtfully.

Additionally, apprentices can also earn while they learn, setting them on a smoother financial path than someone who graduates a three or four-year degree with debt.

Completion rates are also higher among apprentices, with PricewaterhouseCoopers finding that 94% of their higher apprentices successfully completed their training. Comparatively, 2/3 of university students complete their degrees within six years.

Students are more likely to stay engaged or simply be able to afford their education when being paid during their apprenticeship, or knowing the strong job prospects and high salaries they will get to enjoy upon graduation.

As well as providing more options to school leavers looking to enter the workforce, higher apprenticeships also offer mature workers the chance to progress in their careers.

Higher apprenticeships allow you to learn exactly what is relevant to the work you’ll be doing on a daily basis, providing more clarity and confidence when entering or reentering the workforce. When considering the fact that employers prefer to hire those with work experience, the benefits of higher apprenticeships become abundantly clear.

Opportunities are manifold through apprenticeships, with some high-paying career paths including dental hygienists, real estate agents, law enforcement, diagnostic medical sonographers, elevator installers, radiation therapists, web developers, air traffic controllers and commercial pilots.

When it comes to the highest-paying jobs attainable through vocational education, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research reveals that the highest annual salaries are enjoyed by those who studied:

• Education ($73,200)
• Engineering and related technologies ($61,700)
• Natural and physical sciences ($59,200)
• Health ($58,000)
• Management and commerce ($57,100)

With cultural norms and the needs of the workforce changing, apprenticeships are increasingly being seen as a rewarding and legitimate pathway to getting a high-paying job without university. Browse some of our popular training programs today to kickstart your new career path!