Gas engineer hails apprenticeship benefits

Nathan Heron said he would urge any young person to consider an apprenticeship instead of university

An apprentice gas engineer said he hoped other people would consider apprenticeships instead of university as he felt it had "opened many doors for me".

Nathan Heron was studying for a sports and exercise science course at Stoke-on-Trent College and said he had been considering university.

But he picked an apprenticeship and said the move had left him happy and with "no debt whatsoever".

"I thought 'do I go to uni or do I get an apprenticeship?' And I thought it was a no-brainer really," he said.

"I think I've always had the drive and ambition just to do better than I can. Just to try my hardest and see where that takes me."

Mr Heron was awarded Apprentice of the Year by his employers Unitas and the college while this month he received the same accolade at the Staffordshire Business Awards.

Mr Heron said becoming an apprentice gas engineer had left him with no debt which he felt he would have had from going to university

Staff with the college said they expected a rise of 25% this year in people picking apprenticeships with them, after a 20% increase in 2023.

Mr Heron said he would urge people to seriously consider the role over university as he was guaranteed a job afterwards.

"I've got no debt whatsoever, it was paid from the get go and really happy with how it's going," he said.

He now voluntarily attends careers events to highlight the benefits to him of similar courses for young people.

Cath Brierley, the deputy principal with the college, said they were seeing high demand from employers for apprenticeships and had introduced another 12 courses this year.

"Company's come to us with these niche needs and we respond to them," she explained.

"If I had my time back again, instead of university, I would definitely have gone down the apprenticeship route. It gives you a really grounded view of what work is about."