Don’t assume that college is the same as school – it’s not

Similarities

• You will have a timetable to follow
• You will have tutors and deadlines
• You will be expected to attend all timetabled classes and your attendance will be recorded
• College want you to achieve the best possible results. They have pastoral and academic teams to support your learning and wellbeing

Differences

• You will have gaps in your timetable to complete your own study
• Some colleges may schedule your timetable over 3 or 4 days so that you are free to gain work experience or part time work in the remainder of your time
• Many courses are very practical (vocational) – You will be treated as an adult but you will be expected to take responsibility for your work and meeting deadlines

What sort of courses can I do?

Vocational – BTEC’S/NVQ’S

• This is a mixture of hands on learning, classroom learning and work experience
• You are assessed through course work and exam
• Courses directly relate to a career area like childcare, engineering, social care, I.T, hospitality and public services
• There are different levels of Diploma (Level 1, 2 and 3) depending on your GCSE results

A Levels

• Are more classroom and exam based and you usually choose 3 subjects
• You study them for 2 years before taking your A’ Level exams
• You can choose subjects that you did at GCSE, or you could choose different subjects that you have not done before like Law or Economics
• To get onto most A’ Level courses you will need to achieve 5 GCSE’s at grade 5 or above including Maths and English, and grade 6 in the subjects you wish to study. Some colleges may ask for higher grades so always check individual college entry requirements.

• This type of learning involves on the job practical training
• You would usually go to college or a training provider one day a week then work 4 days a week with a company
• You can do an apprenticeship in many career areas to find out more look on the apprenticeship web site:- gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
• You may have to find your work placement yourself and competition for vacancies is high so you will need a backup option such as a full time college course, a study programme or a traineeship

Things to think about with apprenticeships

• You will be training to do a specific job so you need to be sure what job you want to do long term. If you’re not sure yet, it is better to choose a broader course with a college or training provider first to help you find out more about the industry you are interested in and give you more time to decide
• Apprenticeships can offer an excellent training and progression route but don’t choose it because you think it will be an easy option. It’s not; you will be working or studying for five full days per week. It requires a lot of hard work, commitment, motivation and maturity
• Employers have high expectations and will be looking for applicants who can show that they are committed to their work and learning. Before deciding to offer you an apprenticeship an employer will want to find out what you have done in school and your free time to prove that you will suit the job and work hard, E.g. Excellent attendance and work record at school, relevant work experience, taken part in extra-curricular activities

If you don’t feel ready for an apprenticeship when you leave school you could consider a Study Programme or Traineeship at a local training provider

• These are a stepping stone onto an apprenticeship or a full time college course or training
• It will support you to improve your Maths and English
• You will work in small groups
• You will undertake practical work experience whilst receiving support
• Helpful if you need support to build your confidence and job skills