Developing the young workforce: key influences for young people in Scotland for choosing apprenticeship pathways into the world of work

Abstract

The transition into world of work is a focus in educational and skills policy in Scotland. This dissertation examines the influences that affect young adults’ choice—from their perspective—to complete modern apprenticeships in Scotland and enter the labour market via the vocational route. The study is a qualitative case study of 10 young adults that have completed a modern apprenticeship in an office-based setting. The collected data consists of ten semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the key influences for young people’s decision-making are school careers advisors, parents and relatives, peers, and online resources such as ‘My World of Work’. In most cases the young people utilised careers advisors and online resources as their primary sources of information about apprenticeships and job roles. For some, the parents, relatives, and peers added to the information, but these groups predominantly provided other forms of influence. Parents, relatives, and peers linked opportunities to young people, assisted in the application process, and provided other support and approval that influenced the young people’s choice to apply into apprenticeships. Further research should include a broader sample and include the influencer side of the relationship to provide a more complete picture of the influences.