Just 9% of young people believe that Apprenticeships are a valuable asset to their C.V according to new research by the Climb Academy, the digital marketing training platform founded by BBC Apprentice Winner, Mark Wright.
The survey, which questioned 1,000 participants between the ages 18 – 34 on career development within the digital sector, also revealed that 60% of young people believe work experience within their chosen industry to be most important to prospective employers, whereas only 15% placed value in university degrees.
When questioned on what sectors are most appealing for career development, 30% of participants chose digital marketing, with a further 30% opting for technology. By contrast, just 15% chose cyber security, with only 10% selecting website development.
One of the most concerning results from the research highlighted that just 16% of young people feel there is enough information to support them in developing a career within the digital sector, suggesting 84% are unaware of where to receive advice and support.
Mark Wright commented: “Our latest research into young peoples’ perception of digital skills development has produced some extremely interesting results. What’s clear is that despite the weight placed on the importance of closing the digital skills gap, young people remain uncertain as to how or where to receive support for developing a career within the digital sector, particularly with such small value placed in apprenticeships or university degrees.”
Other key findings include:
- 83% of young people believe that professionals of all ages would benefit from learning digital skills, such as marketing or coding.46% of participants believe that learning new digital skills will result in increased job opportunities, with a further 26% believing it could future proof your job role.
- When questioned on their use of technology, nearly half [40%] of young people said they use their mobile device for over 4 hours per day.
“The digital sector continues to advance at an exponential rate,” Wright concluded. “Which means we as professionals need to constantly develop in order to keep pace. Learning new skills will not only provide us with additional career opportunities, but will help to future proof our job roles, something fortunately recognised by the majority of Britain’s millennials.”