Brits are desperate for a fresh start – but dodgy advice, old-school thinking and outdated myths are stopping thousands from chasing their dream job.

Fed up and frustrated – millions of Brits are crying out for a career change, but fears about being too old, reduced income and “starting over” are stopping them in their tracks.

A bombshell new survey reveals that 4 in 10 millennials want out of their current job – but feel they’re too old to switch lanes. One in three reckon they’ve “missed their chance” to retrain.

And it’s not just the millennials – nearly half of all UK workers (43%) are too terrified to make the leap, with 58% worried about their finances and over half doubting their skills.

Men are more likely than women to stay put, with 7 in 10 feeling like they’re stuck in their current job until retirement.

And while some workers are grinning through the grind – those in Research, Pharma and Engineering – others are flat-out miserable. Media, Publishing and Police staff top the list of the UK’s most unhappy employees, with 1 in 3 thinking about quitting this month alone.

The study of 2,000 workers and SME owners, commissioned by Nottingham Trent University (www.ntu.ac.uk), found that a fifth of Brits feel totally unsupported when it comes to career progression – and a shocking 3 in 10 have NEVER received any career advice from their employer.

But the twist? Two-thirds of employees say they’d stay put if their boss simply invested in their development.

While 45% of workers say they’d consider doing an apprenticeship to retrain or move up the ladder, many are being put off by stubborn misconceptions.
1 in 4 wrongly believe they’d earn significantly less than their peers – even though all apprenticeships are paid and people can now earn while they learn whilst on an apprenticeship.

33% still think apprenticeships are just for manual trades and 28% don’t realise apprenticeships can lead to professional careers like law, nursing or science.

Similarly, 15% still wrongly assume that apprenticeships are only for 16-25 year olds, whilst a further 14% think the age limit is 30 years old and 20% admit they are not sure.
But the reality is very different. According to national apprenticeship data, the average age of an apprentice in England is now between 36 and 41 years old, completely debunking the myth that these schemes are low-paid, low-skill, and just for teens.

It’s not just the workers scratching their heads – Britain's businesses are just as baffled.
A shock number of small and medium firms still think apprenticeships are just for plumbers and chippies – and haven’t clocked what they’re missing out on!

A hefty 20% of businesses worry that apprentices lack real-world employability skills, and 12% just can’t get the big boss to buy into the schemes.

And the reasons for not taking on an apprentice? 31% are scared off by massive startup costs, and the same number say the funding system’s too confusing – and they haven’t got a clue where to start.

But while some companies are dithering, a new wave of forward-thinkers are jumping on board – and bagging the prizes.

Businesses embracing apprenticeships are calling them absolute game-changers: 73% of bosses report a massive boost in productivity, and 53% reckon apprenticeships are a magnet for top talent – and the employees stick around better, too.

Four in ten say they’ve slashed long-standing skills gaps. More than half say apprentices fit their company culture better than old-school hires.

Still, stigma’s doing its worst. Employers are ready to back career-changers – but the public hasn’t caught on yet, especially when it comes to adults retraining later in life.

David Drury Degree Apprenticeships Manager at Nottingham Trent University says:

“These figures show a clear mismatch between what the public believes and what apprenticeships actually offer. Employers are crying out for skilled staff, and apprenticeships are a proven way to train talent quickly, flexibly and affordably.”

“What’s more, adults in their 30s, 40s or 50s are ideal candidates – they bring maturity, life experience and motivation. It’s not too late to change your career, and the system is built to support you.”
Despite the facts, 1 in 10 Brits still believe academic degrees trump hands-on experience – even though over half don’t know you can now achieve both through an apprenticeship.
For Ben Taylor, 49 , going through the degree apprenticeship in social work has allowed him to progress into a new career within his existing workplace.

Explaining what led him to choose an apprenticeship he says; “After many years of being a support worker, an opportunity within my current job opened up for me to apply for an apprenticeship. I also have friends, who are social workers and worked alongside social workers for many years. I felt it was a great opportunity for progression. Doing the course has really improved my confidence and focussed my ambition on a career in social work.”

Now, thanks to NTU’s apprenticeship programme, Ben is halfway through his social work training.

Drury is urging the public to rethink what they know about apprenticeships.

“There’s a huge disconnect between perception and reality. You can now qualify as a solicitor, nurse, biomedical scientist or civil engineer via a degree apprenticeship and what’s more you can earn while you are learning. It’s not just for school leavers anymore.”

“It’s a time for a rethink. We need to bust the myths,” added Drury . “If you're feeling stuck or unmotivated in your career, there is a way forward – and it doesn’t mean starting from scratch. As a society we should be empowering people to follow the careers they truly want.”

Top Jobs You Didn’t Know You Could Do With An Apprenticeship Degree
• Solicitor
• Nurse
• Biomedical Scientist
• Civil Engineer
• Construction Site Manager
• Digital Marketer
• Teacher
• Aerospace Engineer
• Data Analyst
• Environmental Health Officer

For further information on NTU’s apprenticeship programmes visit https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/apprenticeships/appr...

-ENDS-
Further Information:
Delilah Pollard / Rose Olive
delilah@holywowpr.com / rose@holywowpr.com

Notes To Editors

About Nottingham Trent University 
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been named UK ‘University of the Year’ five times in six years, (Times Higher Education Awards 2017, The Guardian University Awards 2019, The Times and Sunday Times 2018 and 2023, Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023) and is consistently one of the top performing modern universities in the UK. It is also now one of a small number of universities in the UK providing apprenticeship programmes graded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

It is the 3rd best modern university in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023). Students have voted NTU 1st in the UK for student employability (Uni Compare 2025)   
NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with over 40,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across six campuses. It has an international student population of almost 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.  

NTU owns two Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for outstanding achievements in research (2015, 2021). The first recognises NTU’s research on the safety and security of global citizens. The second was awarded for research in science, engineering, arts and humanities to investigate and restore cultural objects, buildings and heritage. The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent.  

NTU was awarded GOLD in the national 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assessment, as it was in 2019. 

NTU is a top 10 for sport (British Universities and Colleges Sport league table 2023). 

NTU is the most environmentally sustainable university in the UK and second in the world (UI Green Metric University World Rankings, 2023).