It’s natural to seek advice and guidance from your school and your parents for when you’re planning your future. But what if you feel that an Apprenticeship is the right option for you and your future, but your parents aren’t on board? Or your school tries to discourage you and convince you to go down a more traditional academic route?

It’s quite possible that you will find yourself in this position. Research from educational charity The Edge Foundation indicates that only a quarter of parents of young people judge vocational training to be worthwhile, and that 22% of students are told that they are “too clever” for vocational education.

A lot of these problems come from a lack of understanding of the benefits of Apprenticeships and the qualifications that can be gained through vocational training, or often a more ‘old-fashioned’ view of this type of training. Many parents are still of the opinion that Apprenticeships are only for people who aren’t ‘academically minded’ or ‘haven’t got the grades’ for university. Often, they’re also not aware of the wide range of Apprenticeships available, thinking that they’re only offered in traditional trades such as plumbing.

So how do you get your parents to understand that you want to do an Apprenticeships and that it’s going to be a smart move for your future? A good starting point is ATG Apprenticeships’ Parents’ Guide – this will give your parents a good overview of what Apprenticeships involve, the types of qualifications that can be gained and the benefits of an Apprenticeship. It can also be useful to show your parents examples of the Apprenticeship vacancies available within the industry that you’re interested in. And don’t forget the case studies and videos on the ATG Apprenticeships website – these really show how successful you can be when completing an Apprenticeship.

If your parent’s still aren’t convinced, make sure that you remind them that you’re not actually making a final choice between a degree or an Apprenticeship – many apprentices go on to complete a Higher Apprenticeship and gain a Level 4 or higher qualification (such as a foundation degree, HND, HNC or undergraduate degree). Take a look at our article on University vs Apprenticeships for full details.