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This paper reports a survey of the progress of participants in a year in industry scheme for A’ level graduates in the UK typically aged 18/19. The scheme involves spending a supervised year in industry prior to a degree programme in engineering. The evidence shows that the year in industry: has a beneficial effect on the degree classification of the academically weaker participants, but little effect on the stronger; encourages all participants to take up further study; provides participants with a more positive picture of industry and engineering; but does not provide greater motivation to enter industry; provides greater financial remuneration in the world of work than would otherwise be the case. These results can be interpreted in terms of the way young people weigh the benefits of different career paths. Our hypothesis is that this involves moving to situations where they are more likely to be treated as adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]