An apprenticeship is absolutely not required to be an engineer, indeed many of my colleagues did not have the concept of apprenticeships when they were growing up!
That isn’t to discount however how useful getting experience is to employers!
You can get into engineering in a number of ways. Either by studying A levels and going on to university to study an engineering.
Then the other way is to get an apprenticeship, and learn through working by doing the NVQ route.
Both are just as valuable as the other, but it is important to choose the path that suits you best. Some people will do much better in the academic environment, but others may enjoy learning by doing.
I think Matthew and Philippa have summed this up – some engineers do, but some go to university. I chose to go to university.
The difference tends to be more practical (apprenticeship) vs theoretical (university). It really depends on what job you ultimately want to do, and what type of learning suits that role/suits your way of learning! 🙂
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