I left school at 16 not really knowing what I wanted to do, only that university and the debt that came with it didn't feel right for me. A careers afternoon put me onto an electrical apprenticeship and I haven't looked back.
Three years in, I'm a qualified installation electrician working on substations. I earn a proper wage, I've got no student loan, and every day is different. My advice to anyone unsure: the trades aren't a fallback — they're a real, skilled career.