20 August 2026, London – The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) congratulates students receiving their GCSE results today and is calling on government to do more to promote alternative learning pathways that give school leavers access to skills, opportunities and professional careers.
As students consider their next steps, CIMA is urging government to place greater emphasis on ensuring apprenticeships are given as much focus as traditional learning routes for those aged 16 and over, making them aware of all the options open to them. Often overlooked, or not considered the next step after GCSE level, apprenticeships combine practical workplace experience, the opportunity to earn while you learn and study towards a professional qualification, and a route into skilled careers across a wide range of sectors.
Paul Turner, FCMA, CGMA, Vice President – UK and Europe at CIMA, said: “Congratulations to everyone receiving their GCSE results today. For many, this is their first major academic milestone and an important stepping stone towards further education and future career.
“GCSE results mark the start of many different journeys. While A-levels and university remain the right choice for some, apprenticeships offer an equally valuable route to higher qualifications. Apprenticeships ensure talent and ambition, rather than personal circumstances, determine career opportunities, and for many of the students we work with a pathway to a successful career in finance and business.”
A recent Skills England report highlighted growing demand for higher-level skills across professional and business services, with accounting facing both growth and rising demand as experienced professionals retire. At a time when the UK continues to face skills shortages across a wide range of sectors, apprenticeships and work-based learning can help young people, who might otherwise leave education altogether, build confidence, experience and technical capability, while helping to address skills shortages and ensuring a pipeline of talent for the future. Without a strong apprenticeship system aligned to employer demand, the ambitions of the government’s Industrial Strategy will be significantly harder to achieve.
Turner continued: “UK businesses and the modern workplace need talented young people with practical, technical and professional skills, and apprenticeships help build exactly that pipeline.
“Recent figures show the number of those choosing an apprenticeship route has risen sharply in the last three years, indicating a clear appetite.
“Apprenticeships do more than open doors for individuals; they help employers build the skilled, work-ready talent they need for the long-term. If we are serious about closing the skills gap, government must put apprenticeships at the heart of its agenda, backing employers and education providers to expand opportunities where they are needed most.”
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