With the number of young people in the UK going to university reaching 50%, what part do apprenticeships still have to play?

Cogent, the Sector Skills Council estimates that chemistry-using industries in the UK will need 33,000 apprentices by 2020, yet projected supply is only 21,000. So the answer is, they’ve got a huge role to play!

Young people are making decisions at a school leaving age to specialise in an area they’ve previously had very limited experience of. I take my hat off to them. They’re taking a leap of faith!

175 Faces of Chemistry recognises some of the achievements of both Jessica Sales and Joe Turton have done just that. They both made the decision to embark on their career in chemistry after taking their GCSEs and A-levels.

Joe works as an Assistant Scientist at the Food and Environment Research Agency where he started learning the basics of working in a lab to developing technical skills including extractions, culturing organisms and using a HPLC.

Joe says, “I recommend an Apprenticeship to anyone, I believe the benefits of doing an Apprenticeship are that you gain practical experience and knowledge of real life situations that are directly relevant to your career that may not be gained in a classroom environment.”

Jessica, having realised that she couldn’t afford to go to university, secured an Apprenticeship at SI-Group Ltd making chemical intermediate products. Working in the analytical department, she studies Chemical Science at Manchester Metropolitan where she completes work based projects for her units.

Jessica Says, “I was questioned if I was doing the right thing for my career, but after talking to people and showing them the work I have completed, their minds have been changed.”

Joe Turton’s image courtesy of Royal Society of Chemistry and Jessica Sales’ image courtesy of Jessica Sales