Page 9 - Choices Magazine - KS3 Issue 2
P. 9

UNDErSTANdiNG




 QUALiFICATIONS







 Now we have explored the different qualifications and their levels we should now look at
 the different types of educations establishments you could move on to.

 These establishments may also be known as pathways. Understanding them in more   Specialist College   Apprenticeships
 details will help you pick the pathway which is right for you in the future.
            Some students attend specialist colleges.           If you choose to take the
            These are colleges usually outside of the           apprenticeship option, you will work and
 Full-time education options for when you leave year 11...  local area and may mean moving away   earn money at the same time as you are
            from home. Specialist colleges offer a              learning and gaining your qualification.

 School Sixth Form   Further Education College   range of courses, including courses for   An apprenticeship combines hands-on
            young people with disabilities or
                                                                training in the workplace with off-the-
 If you attend a school that has a sixth form,   (FE College)   learning difficulties.   job training at a local college or training
 you should consider that as an option, you   Moving away from your school and studying   provider. You must be over 16, living in
 already know the place, the people and   at a college is a completely different   To find out more about specialist    England and have finished school to be
 the teachers so it can be a lot less daunting.   experience. Further education colleges are   colleges, click here.  able to start an apprenticeship. There are
 However, you can also apply to sixth forms   very large with lots of students of all different   different levels of apprenticeships and the
 at different schools. Make sure you speak   ages studying full and part-time courses.   T Levels    entry requirements vary depending on the
 to the head of sixth form at the school you   Colleges offer a wide range of subjects,   T Levels are new courses which follow   vacancy you apply for. There are 100’s of
 currently attend, as well as attending open   courses and facilities, so if you are interested   GCSEs and are equivalent to 3 ‘A’ levels.   different types of apprenticeship vacancies
 days for others so you can make the best   in attending college, you should visit their   These 2-year courses, which launched in   in almost every type of industry and job
 decision for yourself based on what    open days to find out more about what is on   September 2020, have been developed   role and all pay at least the national
 they can offer.   offer and view the environment you would   in collaboration with employers and   minimum wage for apprentices.

 be working in.   businesses so that the content meets the
 Sixth Form College   needs of industry and prepares students for   In Worcestershire we have an
                                                                apprenticeship service (Worcestershire
 Enrolling at a sixth form college gives you the   To find out more about the colleges in   work, further training or study.  Apprenticeships) who can provide you with
 opportunity to have a fresh start, meet new   Worcestershire (Heart of Worcestershire   T Levels offer students a mixture of   free information and support and who can
 people, experience a different environment   College, Kidderminster College,   classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’   also help you find and apply for a vacancy.
 and meet new teachers and support   Warwickshire College Group) click here.   experience during an industry placement   Visit: www.worcsapprenticeships.org.uk
 systems. Sixth form colleges are usually   of at least 315 hours (approximately 45
 bigger than school sixth forms, so the choice   days). There are a range of different   Don’t forget- it is advisable that if you want
 of subjects and courses is usually bigger too.   TOP TIP:      to do an apprenticeship you start looking
            subjects that T Levels can be studied in            and applying for vacancies in the spring
 To find out more about the sixth form in   If you are looking to go to    but these courses will become available    term of year 11, even though you can’t
 Worcestershire, click here.   university in the future, check    at different times over the next    officially start until you finish school in June.
 the entry requirements of the    few years. If you would like to find
 course you would like to study    your nearest T Level educational
 before you make your post-16    provider, click here.                                                                 9  |  APRIL 2021
 option www.ucas.com



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