In between the fence
Hi, I was wondering if you could give me some advice on a career decision I’m currently stuck between.
I’ve recently been offered an apprenticeship in lift engineering through a family friend. He owns the company and has known me for a while, and he’s genuinely willing to invest in me, develop me as an engineer and push me as far as I’m capable of going. His plan is for me to complete the Level 3, then potentially progress onto Level 4 testing/commissioning and eventually an HNC.
The opportunity is genuinely good, and I know a lot of people would probably tell me to take it because I’d be earning from 18, gaining experience straight away and having someone who is personally invested in my development. There is also the possibility of eventually becoming a highly skilled lift tester/commissioner and potentially going self-employed, which seems like it could be a very good career financially.
However, I recently got my exam results back and achieved DDD* in my BTEC National Extended Diploma in Engineering, including Distinctions in the Calculus and Further Mathematics units. Getting those results has made me realise that I might have more options academically than I originally thought, and it has made me seriously consider university.
I’m particularly interested in studying Mechanical Engineering, ideally at a good university with a year in industry/placement. The idea of doing a degree, getting a year of proper industry experience and then potentially going into aerospace, automotive, defence, manufacturing, automation or another area of engineering really appeals to me.
The problem is that I’m hearing very mixed opinions about university. Some people say a degree opens a lot more doors and gives you a much higher ceiling, while others say you spend 3–4 years studying, build up student debt and then graduate into a competitive job market where experience matters more anyway. Whereas with the apprenticeship, I’d already have some years of engineering experience by the time a university student graduates.
I’ve also just started the lift apprenticeship and after my first couple of days, I’m honestly not sure whether the actual work is for me. I don’t mind practical engineering, but I’m not sure I want to spend my whole career doing physically demanding lift work. At the same time, I don’t want to make a decision based on two days of experience and throw away what could be a really good opportunity.
So I’m basically stuck between:
Option 1: Stay with the lift apprenticeship → Level 3 → Level 4 testing/commissioning → potentially senior tester/technical roles or self-employed.
Option 2: Go to university → Mechanical Engineering degree with a placement year → graduate engineering role → potentially move into design, aerospace, automotive, defence, manufacturing, automation, project engineering, management etc.
I’m not looking for someone to just tell me “university is better” or “apprenticeships are better”. I’d genuinely like an unbiased opinion based on my situation, especially looking at the long-term outcome, earning potential, career progression, flexibility and whether the degree would actually be worth the extra 3–4 years.
If you were 18, had just achieved DDD* in Engineering, had a strong apprenticeship opportunity with someone willing to invest in you personally, but also had the opportunity to study Mechanical Engineering at a good university with a year in industry, which route would you take and why?