Decisions at 16

Decisions, decisions. ...during year 11 you will be making some pretty major ones about your future. This is the chance for you to decide what you want to do.

So what are the choices?

To stay on in full-time education - either at school, college or sixth form centre
Start an Apprenticeship or a job with training - earning and learning at the same time.

Staying in full-time education

General qualifications

This includes A / AS levels, International Baccalaureate (IB) or maybe more GCSEs.

These type of courses could be for you if you:

have a strong interest in taking particular subjects further
need specific subjects for the career you want to do
don't want to commit yourself to a particular career but keep your options open

A wide range of subjects is available and you can combine general courses with more applied ones if you wish.

Applied courses

This includes, for example, Diplomas, BTECs and OCR National courses.

This may be the route for you if you:

have an interest in a broad career area and want to find out more
want to know there are definite progression routes
learn better when study is applied

There are courses available at different levels, where you start will depend on the GCSE grades you get.

Vocational courses

These could be for you if:

you're sure that you want to train for a particular career
you want to develop your skills and knowledge before getting a job
you need to get relevant qualifications before starting work

These courses will lead to recognised qualifications, including National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs).

Start an Apprenticeship or job with training

Apprenticeships combine working and training to gain relevant qualifications. There are opportunities in different sorts of jobs from retail to warehouse, carpentry to catering and more.

You can find out more about Apprenticeships by visiting the National Apprenticeship Service website here

Whatever you do, try and keep on learning, as jobs without training usually offer lower pay and fewer prospects.

Making these choices can seem bewildering but there is plenty of help and support around.

Who can help?

Your school or college - your teachers can help you with your choices and give you realistic advice on what you may achieve
Your careers co-ordinator - can help you find out about career plans and entry requirements
Your personal adviser - can help you think through your options, look at how to make decisions and help you overcome any barriers you may experience
Parents / carers - know what makes you tick
Friends - can all support each other making choices