Does the apprenticeship system beat university for most careers? Dan Cholewinski weighs in.
Dan Cholewinski is a self-described "big advocate of the apprenticeship system." His core argument is clear: apprenticeships deliver practical experience and learning simultaneously, in a way that a university degree simply cannot replicate for the majority of careers. In his view, university is not necessary for most professional paths — medicine being one of the few genuine exceptions he acknowledges.
Cholewinski's position goes further than a simple preference. He challenges the architecture of the current education system itself, which he sees as too one-size-fits-all — structured in a way that systematically favours theoretical knowledge over practical application. For him, this is not just an inefficiency; it is a mismatch between how young people learn best and what the world of work actually demands from day one.
That perspective is grounded in lived experience. Cholewinski entered financial services at 18 — not via a degree programme, but directly into data administration. He progressed to underwriting at 19, telesales at 20, and had his first leadership role by 26. Fifteen years at the same motor finance lender, watching it grow from around 65–70 employees to roughly 600, gave him a front-row view of how careers are actually built. You can hear the full episode — including his take on education and business funding — on Listenly's Purpose People Podcast page.
"If I feel I'm not making enough sales, it's because I'm not talking to enough strangers — as simple as that. Being sat behind the desk being really good at something isn't gonna bring you a whole load of sales."
— Dan Cholewinski, Co-founder, Vast Commercial FinanceAbout Dan Cholewinski
Dan Cholewinski built his entire career through direct, on-the-job progression — the very path he champions. He entered financial services at 18, starting in data administration before moving through underwriting and telesales roles in quick succession. By 21, he had joined a growing motor finance lender; by 23, he was the first salesperson in a newly formed national accounts division targeting the top 100 UK motor dealer groups; and by 26, he had taken on his first leadership role managing a field sales team. He spent 15 years at that single company, witnessing it scale from approximately 65–70 employees to around 600 — a trajectory that gave him deep, ground-level insight into how organisations grow and what genuinely develops talent. He later co-founded Vast Commercial Finance, which has been trading for four and a half years at the time of this recording. His view on apprenticeships versus university is not abstract: it is the direct product of a career built entirely through practical experience rather than formal academic qualification.
See also
Both co-founders came from the same motor finance lending business, knew each other well, and left at the same time — a shared history that established deep trust from the very first day of building Vast Commercial Finance together.
Dan Cholewinski describes networking as central to Vast Commercial Finance's growth over its first four and a half years, with regular, consistent networking activity forming a core pillar of the firm's business development approach.
According to Dan Cholewinski, there is genuine market appetite for M&A funding and it is more accessible than many business owners assume — lenders are actively interested in supporting acquisition-led growth strategies.