Choices at 16
It pays to think carefully…
One of the big issues for young people and parents today in trying to decide on the next step after school is the problem of marketing. Schools, FE colleges, training providers and universities are all competing to attract “customers” onto their programmes. Marketing messages are everywhere. Adverts on the telly, on the web, in newspapers and even on the sides of buses. Go to a careers fair and you will return home laden with brochures and flyers. Further education and training (apprenticeships etc) is a huge market and the sums of money involved are immense. Much of the “information” that is put before young people is actually advertising in support of a particular post-school option. This may not be that obvious on a superficial glance and it is important that our kids develop an awareness of the extent to which “careers information” is seeking to steer them towards a particular choice (staying on in the Sixth Form or applying to local FE colleges, for example) rather than setting out all the options in a fair and balanced way. There is a clear and obvious problem here. Can you trust what you are being told and, even if you can, how can you decide between different options which appear equally good but for different reasons? Take these contrasting pieces of advice: “If you’re academically able you should get a degree. The statistics prove that this will boost your career prospects and not having a degree could drastically reduce your options in the jobs market.” and “Why build up a mountain of debt when you can work towards higher qualifications through an apprenticeship or a school leaver training programme with a major employer.” Which is right? They both are! Or putting it another way – neither is right. Either of these options might be the right one for your teenager depending on the answers to a number of key questions. Here are the main ones:
If the answer to that last question is “no” then in many cases it would be advisable to consider switching after Year 11 to more vocational learning. This might be doing NVQs and technical courses on an apprenticeship or staying in full-time education and following what is called a ‘general vocational’ course at a local college of further education or perhaps in Sixth Form. Such courses are available in a wide range of work-related subjects (such as technology, science, social care, beauty, design, construction, hospitality and catering etc) and can be taken over one, two or even three years with no fees to pay. There are a number of other issues to weigh up when deciding whether to apply for a course in the Sixth Form (or at Sixth Form College) or at an FE college and you can read more about these in our blog post on choosing between Sixth Form and College. We would strongly advise that you spend some time helping your teenager think about what really matters to them when it comes to creating an effective working life which leaves them feeling happy, successful and fulfilled. Our comprehensive and insightful INSPiRED Teenager video course provides a structure and format to help you do just that so you can be sure they are taking the right decision for them. And you never know, it may even help to increase intergenerational understanding! Alternatively, time spent with a local careers adviser, if your teen is able to access that sort of support and is happy to talk with them will help make sure they are making the right decision. |