What does the gen z worker really want?
"Gen Z Are Not Lazy" — Apprenticeships, TikTok and rewriting the rules with Holly Hobbs
This week on Work Is Weird Now, we sit down with Holly Hobbs, founder and CEO of Apprentivia, who’s rewriting the apprenticeship playbook for the TikTok generation—and racking up 600,000 organic views while she’s at it.
At just 22, Holly’s already transformed her personal experience of over 30 apprenticeship rejections into a mission-driven business that connects Gen Z talent with top employers. She’s built a 44k-strong TikTok community, authored guides, spoken on national TV, and helped brands like British Gas triple their intake of female apprentices. In other words, if you're thinking “lazy Gen Z” — think again.
"I’m not where I thought I’d be—And that’s a good thing"
From Tesco to Microsoft to TikTok entrepreneur, Holly’s career journey is anything but linear. After choosing an apprenticeship over university (because debt and indecision don’t mix), Holly began documenting her experience and spotted a gap in how young people learn about careers.
Fast-forward to now, and she’s helping employers speak with young people, not at them, through video content that resonates, reaches, and secures hires.
Apprenticeships: not the “easy option”
A big myth Holly busts? That apprenticeships are easy to get. In fact, the opposite is true: most are competitive, misunderstood, and poorly explained to young people. She breaks down the structure, the levels (from GCSE-equivalent to master’s degree), and how companies can do a better job showing what jobs actually involve.
Gen Z aren’t lazy: they’re disillusioned and determined
In a TikTok post that reached 70,000 people, Holly asked why nearly a million young people in the UK are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The responses were brutally honest.
Gen Z want to work—but they’re battling:
A lack of clear pathways
Unrealistic experience requirements
Local job deserts
And a media narrative that paints them as unmotivated
They crave purpose, progression, fair pay, community, and—crucially—authenticity.
“Mindset is the missing curriculum”
Holly doesn’t just want to get Gen Z into jobs. She wants them to thrive. And that starts with teaching mindset.
Confidence. Self-belief. Resilience. The things schools don’t teach, but the real world demands. It’s why she believes schools should be embedding mindset work just as rigorously as any academic subject. It’s also why she champions showing up, being seen, and even posting your prices on LinkedIn—yes, really.
A 600K-view TikTok campaign that drove real hires
Want a corporate success story with Gen Z? British Gas worked with Holly to run a TikTok campaign that generated 600,000 organic views—and delivered 20% of their 2024 apprentice cohort. Not bad for three videos and zero ad spend.
Her secret? Speak in the language of the people you're trying to reach. And maybe hire someone under 25 to help.
If she had a magic wand...
Holly’s top priority for making work better for Gen Alpha and beyond? Embed mindset work in schools. Because opportunity is everywhere—but belief is the key to accessing it.
Final word
From flipping the apprenticeship narrative to building a business out of TikTok authenticity, Holly Hobbs is showing us that the future of work is already here. And it’s unapologetically Gen Z.
“Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is too. What’s missing is access—and belief.”
Find Holly at:
LinkedIn: Holly Hobbs
TikTok: @howtogetanapprenticeship
Instagram: Same handle
