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Post 16 options

When you leave school, you can choose from many different options for the next couple of years. The decision can be overwhelming, but there is a lot of guidance out there, and you can seek the support of your teachers, parents or carers, and school careers advisors.

When deciding between your options, enjoying what you do after school is essential as you will get more out of it and be more fulfilled. To work this out, it is worth thinking about:

- Your favourite school subjects,
- Subjects that are available in further education that you might enjoy,
- Exploring what careers you are considering going into and what they require,
- And if you want to volunteer or get work experience alongside your education.

There are four main options to choose from when you finish school:

- Full-time education
- An apprenticeship
- Part-time education and working or volunteering for 20+ hours a week
- Join the military (with parents’ consent)

Full time education

A-Levels

- A-levels are subject-based qualifications taught in classrooms and assessed by exams.
- Most people choose to study 3 subjects at A-level; each is a level 3 qualification worth UCAS points, which are used to apply to university.
- They are good if you love particular subjects at school and want to keep your options open at this stage.

Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQ)

- Practical qualifications designed to give you the skills and experience needed for a specific job.
- There are different types and levels of VTQs: BTEC diplomas, Cambridge Nationals, and Cambridge Technicals.
- You can choose from over 2000 subjects, each one focusing on a specific job or employment area (like engineering, IT, or childcare)
- They might be for you if you want to work in a particular industry.

T-Levels

- Qualifications combining classroom learning with a 9+ week placement with an employer.
- You will only study one T-level over 2 years.
- There are many subjects to choose from in various areas, including agriculture, business, engineering, design, health and more.
- T-levels are a reasonably new qualification, so more subjects will come in the next few years.
- T-levels are a level 3 qualification (like A-levels) worth UCAS points.

You can search for courses through the National Careers Service.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are jobs that combine work with training and study. You’ll earn a wage and still gain a qualification while also getting experience. In some cases, people are even offered a job at the end of their apprenticeship.

There are over 700 types of apprenticeships in many different areas of work, so you’ll find a course no matter what you’re interested in. You can also start an apprenticeship at any age, so if you’re undecided on a career, you can spend a couple of years in full-time education before deciding.

For more information on apprenticeships, you can check out Become an Apprentice or Search Apprenticeships.

Part time education and working or

volunteering

Although it is standard to study your qualifications full-time, some colleges offer to take them part-time. They will take longer than 2 years to complete but give you more time for other obligations, like working or volunteering, to get work experience in a job that interests you.

For more information on post-16 options, you can visit National Careers Service – Post-16 Options or Skills for Careers to explore training and career possibilities.

Military

It’s recommended that you stay in education until you are 18, but you can choose to enlist as a soldier in the British Army with your parent’s or carer’s consent. You’ll train at Harrogate as a junior soldier to learn skills such as map reading and handling a weapon; once you have completed the course, you’ll join the army as a soldier at 18. Soldiers can gain qualifications and apprenticeships during the army. If you sign up at 16 or 17, you will serve until 22.

For more info, visit Army – Junior Soldier Training.