Class of 2024: The Jobs School Leavers Aspire To and What’s Actually Available

• The most viewed job ads for school leavers include positions like Remote Research Panellist, Apprentice Gas Engineer, and Journalism Intern.
• Top available roles for the Class of 2024 are Bus Driver, Support Worker, and Teaching Assistant.
• Common benefits offered to school leavers include company vehicles, uncapped commission, and training & development programs.

As the Class of 2024 receives their grades, many opting to enter the workforce directly after school are looking for Engineering apprenticeships, journalism internships, and remote roles, according to recent research from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board.

With the cost of university estimated at around £66,560, more school leavers in 2024 are exploring careers that don’t require a degree. CV-Library analyzed over 1 million job listings on its platform from the past year, identifying the most sought-after jobs for school leavers based on job seeker views and the positions with the most vacancies.

Flexible, work-from-home roles are particularly popular among the Class of 2024. The position of Remote Research Panellist topped the list, averaging 2,072 views per job and offering an average salary of £24,700. Two technical apprenticeships also ranked highly: Apprentice Gas Service & Repair Engineer (661 views) and Apprentice Rail Engineering Technician (265 views), both providing pathways to well-paid careers.

Other popular roles included Journalism Intern (135 views) and Dental Nurse Apprentice (116 views).

In terms of availability, the role with the most job postings for school leavers was Bus Driver, with 1,567 listings on CV-Library over the past year. This was followed by Support Worker (1,120 jobs), Teaching Assistant (669 jobs), and Business Administration Apprentice (521 jobs).

Overall, CV-Library featured 63,186 jobs targeting school leavers in the last year. The research also highlighted the most common perks for school leavers, with company vehicles and uncapped commission among the top offerings.

Lee Biggins, Founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “With the cost of attending university spiralling, more school leavers are questioning whether they want to fork out for a university education, or if it makes more financial sense to go straight into the workforce. Similarly, employers are waking up to the value of hiring school leavers and offering work perks like training courses or company cars to tempt them onboard. For jobs with a talent shortage like Bus Driver, Support Worker and Teaching Assistant roles, the Class of 2024 graduating could mean an influx of talent to fill positions. But they will need to work hard to stand out to students, with apprenticeships and flexible and remote roles topping school leavers’ wish lists.”