University does not adequately prepare future contractors and other professionals for the working world, one expert has said.

Sarah Clover, sales and marketing director at notgoingtouni.co.uk, said that the jobs market is full of candidates with solely academic qualifications who lack practical skills.

"The recent obsession with degrees has not been equipping young people properly for the workplace. Employers want hands-on, practical learning, so the fact that more apprenticeships are going to be on offer is just awesome news," she said.

This comes after the business secretary Vince Cable and skills minister John Hayes urged more employers to create a new generation of skilled workers in order to drive economic growth.

Ministers praised UK firms British Gas, Superdrug and Procter & Gamble, all of which are planning to create thousands of apprenticeship places during 2011.

Dr Cable vowed that the government would work with businesses to help provide 100,000 more apprentices by 2014.