School-leavers 'may have to delay university plans'

August 02 2010

People leaving school this year may need to consider options such as apprenticeships if they are unable to secure a university place, it has been claimed.

Speaking to the Independent, Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of the University and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), said there will not be an open-ended number of places, so some young people will inevitably be left without a place.

"They may have to look at alternatives. These include re-applying next year, if that's the right thing for them, or taking up apprenticeships, which the government is quite keen on," she commented.

More than 660,000 people have submitted Ucas applications this year. However, the number of places on offer currently stands at approximately 481,854.

Sarah Clover, business development manager at notgoingtouni.co.uk, said last month that since the average university graduate leaves with debts approaching ?20,000, a vocational course or apprenticeship could be a good option for many people.

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