In 1999, the Labour government set out a pledge that half of all young people should go on to higher education – an aim that has almost been achieved; but BBC has met five of those youngsters who did not want to go down the academic route, and who have become apprentices in some of Britain’s oldest trades.
The BBC writes:
Leighann Perry, leatherworker developed an interest in the trade after working at Walsall’s leather museum…. Leighann, who struggles with her mental health, said her schoolteachers ‘thought apprenticeships were a waste of time’.
‘I was pushed to do college because I couldn’t get my English grades. I wanted to go to university, but at the time it wasn’t right,’ she said.
‘I’m happy doing what I’m doing though. College, sixth form and universities – they’re not the only way.’
Eddy da Silva, an apprentice globe-maker at Bellerby and Co. in London. says ‘There’s nothing quite like holding the world in your hands.’…said: ‘I feel incredibly privileged to be doing something like this. You just have to have the ambition to seek out unique roles like this and be a bit of a risk-taker.’
JoJo Wood, clog-maker says: ‘Craft is seen as the stupid option. It’s what you do if you can’t do maths…. At 18, when I started getting into [woodwork], people thought I was mad. But as they’ve got to university and their hope for the future has gradually dropped off, suddenly it doesn’t seem so bad.’
George Richards, wheelwright says ‘I’d like to think I’ll be a wheelwright for the rest of my life.’
A Department for Education spokesperson said: ‘We have 43 apprenticeships in the creative and design category, which includes traditional craft apprenticeships. Schools must allow providers of technical education and apprenticeships access to talk to pupils about their offer. This will help young people to hear about the full range of options available to them and make an informed choice about their future.’
