By Roger Hartshorn, chairman of Garner Aluminium Extrusions.

When I left school at 16, I became an apprentice. Looking back now, it was one of the most valuable opportunities of my life. It gave me practical skills, experience and a mindset that shaped the rest of my career.

Over the past four decades, however, the narrative around higher education in the UK has shifted dramatically. University has increasingly been presented as the natural next step for school leavers. In many cases it has become the default expectation: apply to university, take out student loans and hope that a degree leads to a successful career.

But when we consider the realities of today’s job market, the burden of student debt and the skills shortages affecting industries like ours, it is worth asking an honest question: is university really the right path for every young person?

From elite route to default option
In the mid-1980s, around 12–15% of young people in the UK went to university. Higher education was typically reserved for those pursuing specialist careers such as law, medicine or finance.

Today that figure is closer to 45–50%. In just 40 years, participation in higher education has effectively tripled.

This expansion was largely driven by Blair’s policy introduced in the late 1990s aimed at widening access to university, including a target for half of school leavers to enter higher education. But while expanding opportunity has many positives, it has also shifted perceptions of what the ‘normal’ route after school should be.

University is now widely presented as the expected next step, while vocational pathways are often discussed far less frequently.

Yet industries such as manufacturing, engineering, construction and fenestration rely heavily on skilled trades and technical expertise. These sectors need talented people just as much as professions traditionally associated with degrees.

University has its place
This is not an argument against higher education.
Universities play an essential role in society and many professions depend on academic training. Doctors, scientists and many engineers require the depth of study that universities provide.

The concern arises when university becomes the only respected option presented to young people.
Trades and technical careers should never be seen as second-best. They are vital to the economy and offer highly rewarding long-term careers.

Success should not be measured by whether someone attended university. It should be measured by the skills they develop, the value they create and the contribution they make in their chosen profession.

The strength of apprenticeships
For many young people, apprenticeships offer a powerful alternative.
A university graduate may enter the workforce with a degree but little practical experience and significant student debt (according to a House of Commons Student Loan Statistics Paper published in December 2025, the average debt for an English graduate is around £53,000 before they have even earned their first wage).

An apprentice of the same age may already have several years of workplace experience, a recognised qualification and no debt at all.

Apprentices understand how businesses operate, how teams collaborate and how problems are solved in real environments.

In sectors like fenestration, where practical knowledge and technical skill are essential, that experience is incredibly valuable.

My own journey began as a toolmaking apprentice at 16, working under Godfrey Harris – the ‘H’ in HL Plastics.

Like many young people, I did not have a clear career plan at that stage. What I did have was the opportunity to learn a trade while earning a wage and working alongside experienced professionals.
Those early years taught me far more than technical skills.

They taught discipline: the importance of turning up every day and doing the job properly.
They taught responsibility: understanding that your work contributes to something bigger than yourself.

And they built confidence. When you contribute to real projects from the beginning, you quickly develop a sense of purpose and pride in what you do.
That experience has provided the foundation for everything that’s followed in my career.

The financial reality of university
The financial landscape surrounding higher education has changed significantly over the past 40 years.

In the 1980s, tuition fees for most UK students were covered by the government and maintenance grants were available to help with living costs. As a result, many graduates entered the workforce with little or no debt.

Today the situation is very different.

Most students rely on tuition fee loans and maintenance loans to fund their studies. By the time they graduate, many have debts of over £50k.

That debt is accumulated before graduates have even started their careers.

At the same time, the UK continues to experience skills shortages in technical and manufacturing sectors while many graduates struggle to find roles related to their degrees.

Recent analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) shows the UK has over 700,000 degree-educated students out of work and claiming benefits. The same report also highlights that Level Four apprentices earn £5,000 more on average than university graduates after five years.

This does not mean university is the wrong choice, but it reinforces the importance of ensuring young people fully understand the financial commitment involved and the alternatives available.

Apprenticeships in practice
My belief in apprenticeships is not just based on my own early career.
All of my children have taken the apprenticeship route. My eldest now runs his own business, while my sons Ross and Ben have recently taken on leadership roles as managing director and technical director at Garnalex.

Watching them develop their careers through practical experience has reinforced what I experienced myself years ago. Apprenticeships build independence, confidence and real understanding of how businesses operate.

Throughout my career, the companies I have been involved with – HL Plastics, Eurocell, Liniar, Wegoma/Avantek Machinery, Tarpey Harris and now Garnalex – have consistently invested in apprentices.
This has always been a deliberate strategy. Apprentices bring energy, curiosity and a willingness to learn. When properly supported, they often grow into highly skilled professionals and loyal members of the team.

Today we have several apprentices working across different parts of the business, with more joining this year. We also rotate apprentices between departments so they gain experience in areas such as product design, toolmaking, electrical and mechanical work and can see the impact each department has on others within the process.

Over the years I have seen many apprentices progress into senior roles within our industry, which is something I take great pride in.

Tackling the skills gap
The fenestration sector, like much of UK manufacturing, faces an ongoing skills shortage.
Systems companies, fabricators and installers all rely on a steady pipeline of skilled workers.

Strong apprenticeship programmes are one of the most effective ways to develop that workforce.
By training young people within our businesses, we can all help ensure the next generation develops the expertise our industry depends on while building stable and rewarding careers.

Part of the challenge in the UK is cultural.

For too long vocational careers have sometimes been viewed as a second choice compared with academic routes. That perception needs to change.

People learn in different ways. Some thrive in academic environments, while others excel when learning through practical experience. Neither path is better. They are simply different routes to success.

What matters most is helping young people choose the path that best suits their abilities and ambitions.

Parents, schools and employers all need to play a part in recognising this and helping to create opportunities for young people.

Since starting my own career as a young apprentice, I have seen time and again the value apprenticeships can create – for individuals, businesses and industries. Young people can bring a fresh dynamic to teams; and it’s good for the economy too! Research suggests that for every £1 invested in apprenticeships, the UK economy gains around £21 in return.

University will always play an important role. But it should never be seen as the only path to success.
For many young people, the most powerful classroom is not a lecture theatre.
It is the workplace.

And by continuing to invest in apprenticeships, we can strengthen our businesses, address the industry’s skills gap and create meaningful opportunities for the next generation.