I didn’t go to uni | UK News

As thousands of students across the UK open their exam results, many are getting ready for the next big step: university.

But that path isn’t for everyone – and it doesn’t have to be.

News spoke to four former pupils who chose a different route and still landed their dream jobs.

From working with animals at Chester Zoo to photographing Harry Styles on tour, their stories show that skipping university doesn’t mean missing out on success.

When 29-year-old Lloyd Wakefield was growing up in Stockport, he didn’t imagine his future behind a camera, and certainly not on tour with one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

“Up until college, my only goal was to be a footballer,” he says.

“I’m not the most academic. I didn’t click with any lessons outside of PE. I’m a hands-on person.”

When football didn’t work out, he took a job at Aldi.

“It took me two years to adjust, to find any kind of direction or purpose outside of football,” he says.

He “caught a bug” for photography through a friend’s film camera, spending their days off going out and taking photos together.

Teaching himself through YouTube and lots of trial and error, Lloyd began messaging agencies and chasing opportunities. That led him to a backstage gig at Fashion Week, and eventually to photographing Harry Styles’ Love On Tour.

“If you told me when I was working in Aldi that I’d be in the music world, on a tour, it was so polar opposite of where I thought I was going to be.”

His work at Love On Tour landed him the title of favourite tour photographer at the 2023 iHeartRadio Awards. He has also worked with other celebrities and brands such as Dua Lipa, EA, UFC and Arsenal FC.

Today, Lloyd runs Lloyd’s Workshop, a creative community for young photographers without connections or formal training.

His advice for other young creatives is to take their time.

“There’s no shame in getting a normal job,” he says.

“Use it to fund your passion. Don’t rush it.”

Looking back, he says choosing not to go to university was the right call for him.

“I learned way more by just kind of putting myself in those situations on set. The benefits vastly outweigh the negatives.”

Frazer Walsh’s journey to working with lions didn’t begin in a lab or lecture hall – it started with a job advert he spotted by chance.

“I applied for three different universities but I didn’t want to go – it was just because I felt I had no other option,” he says.

“Then I saw a Chester zookeeping apprenticeship listed and thought: ‘Oh my god, that’s my dream, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.'”

The 21-year-old, from Widnes in Cheshire, was “obsessed” with animals from a young age, he says, driving his mum “insane” with his love of David Attenborough.

But he had no idea how to turn that into a career.

“You don’t really hear of many zookeepers, or if you do, you don’t really know how they got into that position in the first place,” he says.

Now a qualified keeper, Frazer is thriving.

“About a year into the apprenticeship, I was finally able to work with the lions by myself. They’re your responsibility then, you’re looking after them, and you take a lot of pride in it.

“That is something that I’ll always keep with me.”

Frazer’s advice to school leavers is similar to Lloyd’s.

“Just don’t rush it, because it’s your life, isn’t it?” he says.

“A job like this is really once in a lifetime, so just go for it.”

For south Londoner Thaliqua Smith, film-making was always the dream, but going to university to get there just didn’t feel right.

“I just felt like school should be done,” she says.

“They were saying the only way for me to get into [directing and producing] was to go and do further studies. But it just wasn’t something that I was particularly interested in.”

After her dad suggested she look into an apprenticeship, Thaliqua found the Channel 4 production training scheme.

“It just sounded really cool,” she says.

“I thought, ‘Wow, this is great. I’m working, I’m learning for a year. I’m earning money for a year in a field that would be amazing.'”

Thaliqua was one of just 10 people selected for the first year of the scheme. From day one, she says she knew she was in the right place.

Now 25, she’s worked on shows like The Apprentice, Naked Attraction, and Rich Flavours with Big Zuu and AJ Tracey. She’s filmed abroad in Spain and New York and has moved up to the role of assistant producer.

“I didn’t travel much as a kid, so to be flown to amazing places, staying in beautiful hotels, meeting insanely cool people – it’s a dream come true.”

Now she says she’s passionate about spreading the word.

“Apprenticeships are amazing, [but] I had to dig through Google to find mine. They should be promoted way more.”

Her advice is to “not let anyone convince you you can’t do something”.

“It’s OK to not have it all figured out,” she says.

“Even people who act like they’ve got it figured out probably don’t.”

Faye Husband’s school years were far from typical.

Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as Pots – a condition which causes dizziness – and hypermobility, she struggled with attendance and anxiety.

“I had a lot of time off and it was hard managing being off and then coming back to school and teachers and friends not understanding,” the 19-year-old says.

She eventually left mainstream school and was homeschooled before joining a support unit called Strive.

“That literally gave me my GCSEs – I probably wouldn’t have managed them if I wasn’t there,” she says.

After going to college and earning A-levels in criminology and psychology, Faye still wasn’t sure about university. That’s when her parents suggested turning a hobby into a career.

“I’d done my own nails for years and my mum and dad said, ‘Why don’t you do a course and do it for other people?'”

Working from a converted garage at home in Redcar, she now runs her business Phaze Nails which is often booked up to a month in advance.

Being self-employed has given Faye the room to thrive despite her health struggles.

“I’ve met so many nice people and made really strong friendships from it,” she says.

“That’s usually stuff I don’t get the opportunity to do, because I don’t go out a lot.”

Faye says young people should not put too much pressure on themselves.

“Be kind to yourself,” she says.

“Don’t rush yourself into doing something that you’re not ready to do.”