Next step12.08.08 | EducationGuardian | A guide to vocational and practical routes to success | guardian.co.uk/nextstep

In association with Edge

‘My foundation degree in crime-scene and forensic investigation is one of a kind and really prepares you for doing this work’What to do after A-levels, page 4

Climbing the career ladderWhy practical and vocational courses are an increasingly popular choice for school leavers

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Next step Introduction/Overview

Joe Clancy

Around 800,000 school leavers will be eagerly collecting their A-level results on Thursday, and more than half that number will be looking forward to spending the next three years at university.

A significant number, however, will be taking vocational routes allied to specific career paths they want to take. Last year, 3.25m vocational qualifications were achieved, more than double the number passed four years previously. In the last 10 years, apprenticeship places have risen from 75,000 to nearly 240,000.

These figures show that parents and young people no longer regard the straightforward, traditional academic route as the only pathway to success. A variety of vocational courses are becoming a more attrac-tive option for school leavers, getting them ready for the world of work.

There is a growing awareness that vocational courses and appren-ticeships are not just for plumbers, builders and hairdressers, but also for accountants, graphic design-ers, IT specialists, scientists, and a plethora of other professions.

Alex Khan, managing director of the training provider VT Training, part of the VT Group, which includes warship builder Vosper Thornycroft, says: “Historically, there has been a stigma attached to apprenticeships, that they are for learners less able. Yet we are finding more than ever that young people with good GCSEs are taking the vocational route. Major employers are now offering apprenticeships and value them.”

Prime minister Gordon Brown said earlier this year that cur-rently one-in-15 youngsters is on

Inside

04 After A-levelsUniversity isn’t the only option for high-flying students. We take a closer look at alternative routes to success

07 An employer’s perspectiveThe importance of practical learning and why vocationally qualified young people are essential to business

08 Pull-out chartAn easy-to-read map of the different routes available after A-levels and GCSEs

10 After GCSEsWhat’s new in vocational learning and apprenticeships — and what can they offer young people?

12 Where to studyWhy an inquisitive mind is key when assessing potential places to study

14 Careers adviceExpert guidance for choosing the next step — plus: handy online and published resources

Editor Sarah Jewell Produced for Guardian Professional, a commercial division of Guardian News and Media, to a brief agreed with Edge Paid for by Edge All editorial content commissioned by the Guardian Contact Jennifer Evans on 020-7713 4376 For information on supplements visit: guardian.co.uk/supp-guidelines

an apprenticeship, and he wants to see that increased to one-in-five by 2018. Conservative party leader David Cameron is also backing an increase in apprenticeships. Last month, his party launched a “train-ing and apprenticeship revolution” at which he vowed to create 100,000 more apprenticeships.

Heather Green is director of apprentices at Manchester Solu-tions, which is training 2,500 apprentices in fields including con-struction, childcare, information technology and banking.

She believes that much is still to be done to make more young peo-ple and their parents aware of the options open to them. “Too many are being steered towards A-levels and university because parents assume it is the best route,” she says.

“There are many young people who don’t like the classroom envi-ronment. Why shouldn’t they do an apprenticeship and a foundation degree alongside it, in something like banking and financial services? Four years on, they will have a degree, work experience and no debt.”

Of those who start university in September, as many as 100,000 stu-dents are likely to drop out before

completing their degree. A report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee shows between 2001 and 2005, 22% of students did not complete their courses.

Andy Powell, chief executive of the education foundation Edge, which promotes practical and voca-tional learning, has a view on why the dropout rate is so high. “This country is riddled with academic snobbery, more than any other in the world,” he says.

“For some people, it is appropri-ate that they do something that is theoretical before they go off and learn their trade. It is equally legiti-mate to say you will leave school at 16 or 18 because you know what you want to do in life, that you will start your professional training and learn about the job as well as getting a qualification through that route.”

Heather Elrick-Tobin surprised her family and teachers when she abandoned the academic path to study beauty therapy at West Chesh-ire college. She had been excelling in biology, chemistry, physics and Latin at A-level, but realised it was not tak-ing her where she wanted to go.

She wants a career in the film industry as a prosthetic make-up artist and plans to study for a foun-dation degree in artistic make-up and special effects at Leicester col-lege next term. When completed, she will be able to convert it into an honours degree in art and design with a further year of study.

“I had always been pushed to follow the academic route, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” she says. “I enjoy this course at college. It is so much more hands-on.”

An alternative route to success

Introduction

Practical learningExam results in England and Wales are published this week and thousands of students will be considering what to do next. If you are one of these students, and you are not sure if a purely academic education is right for you, there are a vast number of vocational and practical training courses and qualifications to prepare you for a successful career. Vocational training has never been more popular and, from this autumn, all 18-year-olds

will be eligible for new government support for continued education or training, whether opting for a vocational course, apprenticeship or university programme.

In this guide, we look at the many pathways available after A-levels and GCSEs. We look at the benefits of these vocational and practical routes, which include apprenticeships, NVQs, HNDs, HNCs, diplomas, BTecs and foundation degrees, and show the aspirational jobs they can lead to.

We talk to students and professionally-qualified people and

ask them why they have chosen one of these pathways. On page 5, Carly Cook describes why she is studying for a BTec national diploma in musical theatre, while on page 6, Shaun Griffin explains why he is studying for an advanced diploma in casino operations.

On pages 8 and 9 there is a diagram to help you make up your mind about which one of many pathways you want to take and, on page 14, a careers adviser answers some of the most frequently asked questions about what to do next.Sarah Jewell

Heather Elrick-Tobin: ‘My college course is so much more hands-on’

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Next step After A-levels

It’s no crime to be differentUniversity is often seen as the next logical step for successful A-level students. But for career-minded young people, it’s not necessarily the best option, says Joe Clancy

Saddled with debt, thousands of stu-dents will have graduated from uni-versity this summer with either no clear idea of what they want to do or without the right qualifications to achieve their goals.

This time last year, Elena Avetissian was in that situation. She had completed a master’s degree in crime science at University College London, a Russell Group University, the same institution where she took her first degree in psychology. Yet her qualifications were not sufficient to set her on the path she wanted to take. Her ambi-tion was to become a crime-scene examiner, for which she needed the practical experience her academic degrees had failed to provide.

She embarked on a two-year foundation degree in crime-scene and forensic investiga-tion at City and Islington college in north Lon-don. The course is run in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police, who advise on course con-tent and structure. The college has a warehouse containing mock crime scenes in which students get to practice collecting DNA evidence and test-ing and analysing it in the laboratory.

When she completes the foundation degree next year, she finally hopes to be job-ready at the age of 25, seven years after passing her A-levels in chemistry, biology, and English literature.

“In a way, I feel that some of the time I spent at university was time wasted,” says Avetissian. “If I had known about this course earlier I may have chosen a different path. The master’s degree I took in crime science involved a lot of crime anal-ysis and theories of crime, but I felt at the end of it I wasn’t quite ready for the job I wanted to do. This course is one of a kind and really prepares you for doing this work.”

BT is one of a growing number of companies developing higher apprenticeship programmes to nurture its own graduates. A third intake of more than 100 higher apprentices will start with the telecommunications giant this September.

Higher apprenticeships enable people aged 18 and over who have A-levels, or other level 3 qualifications, to combine a foundation degree with on-the-job training. BT believes that career-minded young people can get a headstart on their peers who follow a traditional degree course.

The added attraction is that higher apprentices do not incur student debt or fees. They get paid to study and work at the same time while gaining a qualification and establishing a career.

Jerry Comber, apprentice lead for BT Oper-ate, says: “We find the innovative combination of on-the-job learning, work experience and the foundation degree is a great alternative to full-time university study.

“It gives us the ability to nurture our own tal-ent and develop new recruits into managers of the future. It is impossible to replicate the skills and understanding that come from working in the business within a purely academic course.”

Around 11,000 foundation degrees were

awarded last year, 24% more than the previous year and representing close to four-fold growth since 2004. There are currently 72,000 students studying them per year, with a target of 100,000 set for 2010. They are not available in Scotland.

Foundation degrees are flexible qualifications that can be undertaken full-time prior to finding a job, or part-time as part of a training programme with an employer. They are the equivalent of two years of an honours degree, which most students go on to complete.

Despite the introduction of foundation degrees in 2001, the alternative qualifications — higher national certificates and diplomas (HNCs and HNDs) — remain popular, particularly in computing, engineering, business, and creative arts and design. These qualifications also com-

bine work with learning and are important for people who learn by doing.

The HNC is a one-year programme and more than 90% are done on a part-time basis. The HND is a two-year programme and most are done full-time. They are clearly linked to practical occu-pations, and those who study them need to be clear in their own minds about the career they want to follow.

Karen Price, chief executive of e-skills UK, the employer-led sector skills council for the IT and telecoms industries, says the sector is the latest to see the advantages of recruiting A-level stu-dents and growing their own graduates.

“Companies can tailor the degree around the needs of the business. They get highly skilled people delivering value at an earlier age, they see the sort of loyalty it generates in their retention rates, and it is not costing them any more than training graduates,” she explains.

NVQ ‘I have no regrets about not going to university’

The owner of a three-bed, semi-detached house and an Audi TT, her “dream car”, Fiona O’Sullivan is the envy of many of her friends who are struggling to pay off student debt.

O’Sullivan, 26, has a first-class honours degree in business and IT and a well-paid job as a database administrator. The difference is she went straight into employment after A-levels, while her friends went off to university.

With eight years of paid employment behind her, she is able to afford the luxuries of life that are unattainable to many graduates her own age.

She was offered places to study at several universities after passing her A-levels with good grades, but chose instead to start an apprenticeship at 18 with an IT company in Telford, Shropshire.

Starting on NVQ level 2, a lower level qualification than A-level, she quickly moved on to NVQ level 3 and then a foundation degree.

Elena Avetissian: ‘This course is one of a kind and prepares you for doing this work’ Zak Waters

She then converted that into an honours degree, studying evening and weekends while continuing to work.

“I have no regrets about not going to university,” she says. “With my experience and business knowledge, I feel as if I am in a much better position than if I had taken the academic route.” JC

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Next step After A-levels

BTec ‘I wanted to be doing it rather than writing about doing it’

BTec ‘The way I wanted to learn’GNVQ ‘The teachers give you a lot of help and support’

Academic high-flyer Carly Cook was just four weeks into her A-level course when she realised she had made the wrong choices about her future. She had her sights set on a career in musical theatre and began to study English literature, music, drama and performing arts at A-level, planning to later study drama at university.

The content of her courses were theoretical rather than practical. “It just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t happy,” says Cook. So she left the school where she had passed 12 GCSEs at top grades to go to college.

“I have always wanted to perform, but I thought I had best get some qualifications,” she says. “But it wasn’t long before I realised I wanted to be doing it rather than writing about doing it.”

Bored at school and disenchanted with the results of her AS-level exams in science subjects, Sophie Harrigan believed her childhood dream of becoming a veterinary surgeon had faded.

But two years later, the teenager, from Colchester in Essex, has been accepted for a highly sought after place at the Royal Veterinary College in London.

Sophie is one step nearer to achieving her ambition after following a vocational route. She quit school and went to Otley college in Ipswich to study for a BTec national diploma in animal management.

“To get to vet school you probably need four A passes at A-level, but I was not enjoying school and didn’t do too well in my exams,” she says.

“So I found this course and I loved it. It was the way I wanted to learn — a mixture of practical and theory — and focused on what I wanted to do. It involves learning about animals rather than plants and is more course-work based than exams.”

She passed her BTec with three distinctions, the equivalent in university-entrance Ucas points of three A-level passes at grade A.

“If I had not switched I don’t think I would have got the A-level grades to get to vet school,” she adds. JC

When Michael Ogei-Tulley left school at 16 with just two GCSE passes in art and photography at grade A-C, he could not imagine that five years later he would be studying for a degree. But by taking vocational courses in subjects he is passionate about, Ogei-Tulley has achieved what he once thought was impossible.

He spent three years studying graphic design at Redbridge college in east London before leaving with the qualifications that enabled him to take a degree course. He is now studying graphics at Havering college of further and higher education in Essex.

After leaving school he took a year-long

GNVQ course at Redbridge in art and design and progressed on to a BTec national diploma in graphics. This was a two-year course, which he passed with two distinctions and a merit, the equivalent in university-entrance Ucas points of two grade As and one grade C pass at A-level.

Ogei-Tulley, from Stratford, east London, says: “I am surprised I have come this far. I didn’t enjoy school much, but going to college has given me the chance to pursue what I am interested in.

“The teachers at college are inspiring and give you a lot of help and support. I have them to thank if I achieve my ambition of becoming an illustrator for books and magazines.” JC

Cook, from Connah’s Quay in north Wales, is now studying for a BTech national diploma in musical theatre at West Cheshire college. “We sing, dance and act all the time. I absolutely love this college course,” she says.

Her mother, however, took convincing. With her two eldest daughters having already taken the academic route to university, Carol Cook was confident that her third daughter would follow the same path to success.

“Initially I baulked at her change of heart,” Carol Cook says. “We are geared up to think that the more qualifications, the better chances young people have and they should make university. But I thought, ‘it isn’t my life, it’s hers’. I rang round to find her a place at a college, and now I am glad I did. She is so much happier and has grown in confidence too.” JC

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Next step After A-levels

How to stand out from the pack

Tony Tysome

This summer, the prime minister announced that workers are to be given the right to ask their employers for training. The move aims to bring about a culture change in an estimated one-in-three firms that do not train their staff. However, there is evidence that a growing number of work-ing people are already somehow finding the time and money to study for professional qualifications, with or without support from their employers.

A survey commissioned by the education foun-dation Edge found that the number of national vocational qualifications — and their Scottish equivalents — achieved rose by 67% over five years up to 2006-7. More than half of these were gained by people over the age of 25, and a quarter by people over 40.

Bob Coates, managing director of City and Guilds, one of the major awarding bodies for vocational qualifications, says these figures are significant.

“The average age of our candidates is 28. That tells you that there are an awful lot of people who are doing qualifications at a crucial point in their career development, which is often not at the start of their career,” he says.

Many of these workplace students start their career straight after A-levels. At some point they reach a stage where professional qualifications are needed if they want to progress further. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as gaining a licence to practise or acquiring the knowledge and skills needed at management level. Fortu-nately, there is a wide range of qualifications available to cater for almost every situation.

National vocational qualifications are “certifi-cates of competence” set at five levels, the upper two of which are considered broadly equivalent to degree and postgraduate levels. To gain an NVQ, candidates must build a portfolio of wit-nessed achievements. A total 670,000 NVQs were awarded in 2006-7. There are more than 1,300 to choose from, but the most popular cover jobs in health and public services, retail and commercial enterprise, and business administration and law. Vocationally related qualifications (VRQs) are similar, but include more underpinning knowl-edge and testing. BTecs are another type of work-related qualification set at the same five levels as NVQs. Over the past two years, 2.5 million people have taken BTecs, many of which are designed in collaboration with employers.

A great raft of professional qualifications are awarded or overseen by hundreds of professional bodies and associations, covering just about every occupation imaginable. Certificates and diplomas, as well as NVQs and BTecs, are on offer. They all allow progression to professional status, and most also open up opportunities to progress on to a foundation degree or degree course.

Gaining a professional qualification can open doors within an organisation, or simply demonstrate your worth to potential employers

Professional qualification ‘It’s opened up new possibilities’

Advanced diploma ‘I’ve already started earning’

Julie Flinn’s career in the housing sector is already what most people would consider a success. At the age of 31, after just seven years in the industry, she has reached the position of neighbourhood housing manager for housing association Home Group Ltd. She has responsibility for managing lettings and rent arrears for 2,500 properties across the Tees Valley and oversees 14 staff.

To progress further, however, she needed to gain a professional qualification recognised by the Chartered Institute of Housing. She has now passed that milestone, having just completed the professional top-up element of the HNC in housing she started at New College, Durham three years ago.

Flinn says: “Experience can take you a long way in housing, but there comes a point where you need to gain corporate membership of the institute if you want to get further ahead. Now

that I have managed to get that, it has spurred me on to go for a full degree.”

Flinn dropped out of studying for A-levels at school and spent eight years working in an opticians before switching careers. “I am really driven by this career,” she says. “I find it so interesting, and people will always need housing. Gaining a professional qualification is opening up new possibilities for me.” TT

Shaun Griffin is leaving nothing to chance with his ambition to scale the management ladder of the casino industry. The 19-year-old trainee dealer at the Paris casino in Blackpool has decided the best way to give himself an edge in his chosen career is to gain professional qualifications that are recognised by all the leading operators.

He is currently studying for an advanced diploma in casino operations at Blackpool and the Fylde college, in Blackpool, Lancashire, which will give him a solid grounding in dealing all the key casino games, an understanding of the importance of customer relations, and a basic knowledge of slot machines. Once qualified, he hopes to gain experience travelling the world

on cruise ships before returning to study for a foundation degree in casino management.

Despite holding three good A-levels, Griffin decided he had more to gain from the professional qualification route than going to university. He says: “I have friends who went to university and are now building up big debts, while I have already started earning. Once I’ve got my qualification, I’ll have something on paper that will make me stand out from many others in the industry.”

Griffin’s tutor, Rick Dunston, says: “The people who complete this course have a more in-depth knowledge than many who have been working in the industry for 10 years.” TT

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Next step An employer’s perspective

When knowledge alone isn’t enough...

Pilot Drilling Control employs technicians with vocational qualifications and project engineers with university degrees Simon Barber

Neil Merrick

Vocational skills have never been more highly valued by employers — regardless of the route young people take after leaving school. Five years ago, the divide between employees with vocational and academic qualifications at the engineering company Pilot Drilling Control (PDC) could not have been more stark. “It was them and us,” recalls training and development manager Anne Swietlik.

But after striving hard to challenge entrenched attitudes, the Suffolk firm is expanding fast in response to a rising demand for down-hole drill-ing tools in the oil and gas industry.

PDC, based in Lowestoft, relies on techni-cians with vocational qualifications and project engineers with university degrees to develop and sell equipment.

Five years on, staff with higher education backgrounds recognise the work involved in gaining a NVQ. “There is also respect from the vocational side that it takes time and effort to get a degree,” adds Swietlik.

Whereas 12 months ago, PDC employed just 13 staff, it now boasts 24. This includes four undergraduates from Brunel University who are spending a year gaining vocational experience as part of four-year degree courses in mechani-cal engineering. “The vocational route is about applying knowledge. It’s a unifying force,” says Swietlik. “But changing attitudes takes time. We have to keep chipping away and showing people what we mean.”

The company’s philosophy was set by manag-ing director George Swietlik, her husband, who saw the value of hands-on experience while studying mechanical engineering via a sandwich degree. Vocational qualifications, she says, recog-nise the changing nature of work, including the need to upskill quickly and transfer knowledge.

Graduates with conventional degrees can struggle to deal with the sort of machinery produced at firms such as PDC. “You can have a whole arsenal of knowledge through the aca-demic route but, very often, the truth is people don’t know how to apply it,” she says.

But the company has noticed changing attitudes within higher education. “We would have strug-gled five years ago to attract young people inter-ested in work-based learning in engineering,” says Swietlik. “Now we are attracting them through apprenticeships as well as attracting undergradu-ates from university on work placements.”

Bruce Draper is chair of Warwickshire Edu-cation Business Partnership, the business and education link organisation run by Warwickshire council. He says students should recognise that — sooner or later — they will end up in employ-ment. The route taken, and the speed with which they gain their first taste of work, can make a sig-

nificant difference in the long run.The time required to gain A-levels and a degree

is increasing, says Draper, who is also director of a small scientific distribution company. “By the time they reach the world of work, a lot of what they learned has become obsolete,” he adds.

While parents who feel they “missed out” on higher education tend to push their children towards academic courses, teachers and careers staff must stress the benefits of vocational learn-ing. “Academic qualifications should become more vocational,” says Draper. “You don’t just need theoretical knowledge, but the ability to improve processes when you do a job.”

Along with other firms in land-based engi-

It’s a mistake to think employers are only interested in academic achievement. In many professions, vocational skills are a must

neering, Claas UK is switching its apprentices from NVQs to level 3 national diplomas, which require a minimum entry standard of five GCSEs at grades A-C and take four years. The company, which distributes agricultural machinery for its German parent, normally has between 50 and 80 apprentices studying at any time.

John Palmer, training manager at Claas, accepts that people from academic backgrounds sometimes regard vocational courses as “dirty subjects” for those with lower grades. But Claas’s service engineers receive the empathy of farm-ers who buy its equipment, because they too are frequently seen as under-achievers.

Engineers must fully understand the electron-ics and hydraulics in complex machinery, says Palmer. “Other than the speed, the technology in the machines is not dissimilar to that used in formula one,” he adds.

VQs Popularity on the rise, says report

More people are gaining vocational qualifications (VQs) than ever before, according to one of the most in-depth studies of VQs ever undertaken.

According to the report, The VQ Landscape 2008: A Review Of Vocational Qualification Achievements in the UK, at least 3.25m VQs were awarded in 2006-7 — up from 1.5m in 2002-3. This included 673,000 NVQs and their Scottish equivalent, a rise of 67% during the past five years.

The study, published by the education foundation Edge in July, defines a VQ as a recognised award that is designed to allow people to enter, or advance in, a specific line of work. It includes HE programmes such as higher national diplomas (HNDs) and qualifications awarded by professional bodies.

Although the majority of VQs are achieved by young people, more than half of NVQs and SVQs are awarded to people aged over 25, and a quarter to people over 40. VQs are also a growing feature of the school curriculum, with schools accounting for at least 155,000 vocationally-related qualifications in 2006-7, which were nearly double the previous year.

Nearly 11,000 foundation degrees were awarded in 2006-7, up 24% on the previous year, along with nearly 30,000 HNDs and diplomas of higher education. Employers report that VQs motivate young people, raise their career prospects and improve staff retention. NM

View the report at edge.co.uk

8 The Guardian | Tuesday August 12 2008

The traditional academic route which most people still take to get to university. A-levels are offered by schools, sixth-form colleges and some general further education (FE) colleges. Employers may also require them for entry to higher apprenticeship programmes.

Starting in September in five subjects, they offer a mix of classroom learning and hands-on experience and 12 more diplomas will be added in the next three years. At the highest level, they are the equivalent to three-and-a-half A-levels and offer a route to university, vocational courses, and apprenticeships.

For those who wish to get a job and receive work-basedtraining while they work, apprenticeships are offered in more than 180 occupations. Students with GCSEs will begin studying for a NVQ level 2 and may then take an advanced apprenticeship at NVQ level 3. A technical certificate and key skills are other elementsof the apprenticeship.

National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (NVQs and SVQs). Predominantly delivered by further education (FE) colleges and private training companies, they are practical qualifications based on being able to do a job. They are awarded at five levels from foundation level to postgraduate level, and are achieved through training and assessment.

These include BTecs, City and Guilds, and OCR Nationals, delivered mainly by further education (FE) colleges and private training companies, and an increasing number of schools. They are achieved through full-time study and may include work experience placements. Many are A-level equivalent qualifications and a route to honours degrees, foundation degrees and higher apprenticeships.

The traditional academic route. Six of the top 10 degree subjects are in work-related disciplines, but you can still gain practical experience in other subjects through work placements and extra-curricula activities.

This may involve taking a NVQ level 3, which is A-level equivalent, but enables you to earn money while learning a skill. They can lead directly to a foundation degree in a career of your choice. Advanced apprenticeships are also available at these higher levels.

An increasing number of companies are offering higher apprenticeships, enabling you to study for Level 4 qualifications, usually foundation degrees, while receiving on-the-job training.

Vocationally related qualifications. Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNCs and HNDs) are linked to practical occupations, combining work with learning, and are valued by employers. The HNC is a one-year programme and more than 90% are done on a part-time basis. The HND is a two-year programme and most are done full-time.

Flexible qualifications that can either be studied full-time in a further education (FE) college or university, or part-time while you are working. They are the equivalent to the first two years of an honours degree, to which they may be converted after additional study.

Thousands of vocational qualifications are awarded by professional bodies such as the Association of Accounting Technicians, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and the Institute of Leadership and Management.

What to do next after A-levels?

There are many paths you can follow...

What to do next after GCSEs?

There are many paths you can follow...

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The traditional academic route which most people still take to get to university. A-levels are offered by schools, sixth-form colleges and some general further education (FE) colleges. Employers may also require them for entry to higher apprenticeship programmes.

Starting in September in five subjects, they offer a mix of classroom learning and hands-on experience and 12 more diplomas will be added in the next three years. At the highest level, they are the equivalent to three-and-a-half A-levels and offer a route to university, vocational courses, and apprenticeships.

For those who wish to get a job and receive work-basedtraining while they work, apprenticeships are offered in more than 180 occupations. Students with GCSEs will begin studying for a NVQ level 2 and may then take an advanced apprenticeship at NVQ level 3. A technical certificate and key skills are other elementsof the apprenticeship.

National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (NVQs and SVQs). Predominantly delivered by further education (FE) colleges and private training companies, they are practical qualifications based on being able to do a job. They are awarded at five levels from foundation level to postgraduate level, and are achieved through training and assessment.

These include BTecs, City and Guilds, and OCR Nationals, delivered mainly by further education (FE) colleges and private training companies, and an increasing number of schools. They are achieved through full-time study and may include work experience placements. Many are A-level equivalent qualifications and a route to honours degrees, foundation degrees and higher apprenticeships.

The traditional academic route. Six of the top 10 degree subjects are in work-related disciplines, but you can still gain practical experience in other subjects through work placements and extra-curricula activities.

This may involve taking a NVQ level 3, which is A-level equivalent, but enables you to earn money while learning a skill. They can lead directly to a foundation degree in a career of your choice. Advanced apprenticeships are also available at these higher levels.

An increasing number of companies are offering higher apprenticeships, enabling you to study for Level 4 qualifications, usually foundation degrees, while receiving on-the-job training.

Vocationally related qualifications. Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNCs and HNDs) are linked to practical occupations, combining work with learning, and are valued by employers. The HNC is a one-year programme and more than 90% are done on a part-time basis. The HND is a two-year programme and most are done full-time.

Flexible qualifications that can either be studied full-time in a further education (FE) college or university, or part-time while you are working. They are the equivalent to the first two years of an honours degree, to which they may be converted after additional study.

Thousands of vocational qualifications are awarded by professional bodies such as the Association of Accounting Technicians, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and the Institute of Leadership and Management.

What to do next after A-levels?

There are many paths you can follow...

What to do next after GCSEs?

There are many paths you can follow...

Next step After GCSEs

Earn and learn

Andrew Mourant

Everyone seems keen to hire apprentices these days — even John Denham, the skills secretary. He is looking for three apprentices to join the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills next month, where their job will be draft-ing letters and organising visits.

From plumbing to interior design, there are around 180 apprenticeship routes to the work-place. Overall standards have improved mark-edly. “The real issue has been making sure the quality is right,” says David Harbourne, director of policy and research at the education founda-tion Edge, which promotes practical and voca-tional learning.

“Some years ago numbers qualifying were much lower than they should have been. But poor providers have been weeded out. There’s been investment in further education colleges and professional development of staff.”

Standard apprenticeships lead to an NVQ at level 2; advanced apprenticeships to one at level 3. Now there are trials with higher apprenticeships, leading to level 4 and a possible route into higher education. These higher apprenticeship candi-dates should be at least 18 with A-levels or other level 3 qualifications.

“Advanced apprenticeships are in areas requir-ing high levels of technical expertise such as tel-ecoms or aviation, and have proved successful,” says Harbourne. “There’s an expectation that peo-ple on them will go into senior management.”

Besides joining a college or work-based learn-ing provider with good links to employers, DIY apprenticeships — where young people make their own approaches to a company — are another route. “We don’t how how many are going down this route but it’s [not many yet],” says Harbourne.

Apprenticeship take-up is increasing: in 2007 more than 110,000 people completed an apprenticeship, compared with a total of 37,400 in 2002. Earning on the job and avoiding student debt remain compelling attractions. JTL, a major provider of building and engineering apprentice-ships, says electricians can expect to earn up to £36,000 in their first year after qualifying.

Elliott Sampart left school with A-levels in biology and chemistry but short of the grades he hoped for. Instead he contacted JTL, passed the aptitude test and landed an apprenticeship in London with T Clarke, a big electrical contractor with offices around the country.

A year after completing four years of college theory and on-site experience, Sampart, 22, is managing a large commercial rewiring project in London. “With bonuses and pension my package is worth around £40,000 a year,” he says.

And he can see a clear career path ahead of him: the current managing director, Mark Law-rence, began as an apprentice.

With nearly 200 different courses available, from entry level to the highly technical, many young people are now opting for apprenticeships

Apprenticeship ‘I’d rather learn practically’

Apprenticeship ‘My skills have greatly improved’

Engineering student and Unilever employee Craig Robinson, 19, recently named the Learning and Skills Council’s north-west apprentice of the year, has thrived since being taken on as a 16-year-old.

Robinson, of Leasowe, Wirral, who attends West Cheshire college, admits that money was an attraction for choosing his path. He says the average salary for engineers after qualifying is £27,000; and a fourth-year apprentice can make £20,000. A first-year starts on £9,500.

“I did 11 GCSEs and got good grades, but I’d rather learn practically,” he says. “I’m a very driven person. I’d like to go on and do a degree after. I’m really enjoying it.”

He is already proved his worth on the factory floor. During his second year, Robinson devised a simple innovation that has greatly reduced maintenance time for a machine used to stack boxes on pallets. His bright idea saves Unilever around £75,000 a year.

The company has a history of apprentices getting to the top — Gary Calverley, a global vice-president, is one. Most of its current intake, 35 out of 47, attend West Cheshire college on block release. They are part of the company’s drive to develop more manufacturing engineers and technical leaders.

It costs Unilever £80,000-£100,000 to train each one but Hazel Elderkin, project manager in engineering development, considers it money well spent. “The return on our investment is very strong — hardly any drop out,” she says. “This is a well developed pathway into a career — Unilever is very structured.” AM

Having struggled on a catering course at South Downs College, Sussex, business administration apprentice Gary Tarbuck, 19, is now in his element doing office work.

It was after surfing the website apprenticeshipsonline.org he discovered a possible opening with Rainer, a national charity for “under-supported” young people employing 150 people.

“Gary arrived on placement, looking for any kind of administration,” says Lou Cooper, Rainer’s vocational programmes training manager. “But when a position came up here he applied. He’s enthusiastic and works well in a team.”

Recently Tarbuck was promoted from reception to administrative assistant. “My skills have greatly improved,” he says. Meanwhile his salary has risen from £10,000 to more than £15,000, and he is progressing to an advanced apprenticeship.

Further skills and knowledge could lead to a role in training and earn him up to £25,000. “I’d like to be here in five years time,” he says. AM

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Next step After GCSEs

‘Different learning styles can offer just as good an opportunity in life and can be equally rewarding’

The vocational maze

Harriet Swain

They helped launch the careers of restaurateur Marcus Waering, McFly vocalist Danny Jones and diamond millionaire Laurence Graff. According to the latest rich list produced by awarding body City and Guilds, they lie behind the success of 25 leading entrepreneurs with a collective wealth of more than £13bn. Certainly, vocational qualifica-tions can be as likely to lead to fame and fortune as a more traditional academic route through A-levels and university — at least for those with drive and ambition. But the vocational path can be a complicated one to plot.

This is because there are so many different possible directions to take — from an appren-ticeship, as taken by Graff, to a BTec as taken by Jones, to the more specialised City and Guilds qualification taken by Waering in cooking and alcoholic beverages. Then, in five subject areas, there is now the new diploma qualification for

16- to 19-year-olds, which combines classroom learning with practical experience.

Finton Donohue, principal of North Hertford-shire college in Hertfordshire, which is offering all five of the new diplomas, alongside its existing range of vocational qualifications, says: “It may look complicated but it is tailored to meet par-ticular needs. They are all there for a purpose.”

All that potential students have to decide are what their particular needs are. This means first identifying what area interests them. The range is vast, from plumbing to art and design, to highly specialised programmes related to spe-cific industry needs.

Then they need to consider whether they would prefer to stay on at school to study, take a course while working, or study at a college or with an independent training provider. They also need to think about whether they want training for a specific job, through an apprenticeship or NVQ, or prefer a more broad-based qualification, such as a diploma or BTec.

Then there is the level of study. This usually depends on a student’s existing qualifications, and ranges from entry level, which involves building basic knowledge, to level 8, equivalent to higher than a Masters degree.

Finally, there is the type of qualification and awarding body. BTec (Business and Technol-ogy Education Council) and OCR (Oxford and Cambridge RSA Examinations) offer broad practical qualifications. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) match job skills against nationally recognised standards. More than half of all NVQs are awarded by City and Guilds, which offers more than 500 qualifications in 28 industry areas.

Another possibility is the new diplomas, which Donohue believes, through combining theory and practice, will make vocational quali-fications available to a broader range of young people, thereby boosting British industry.

But Bob Coates, managing director at City and Guilds, says that the success of the entrepreneurs who featured on the vocational rich list showed how much there was to be learned from any kind of on-the-job training. He says: “The journeys these vocational entrepreneurs have taken high-light that different routes and learning styles can offer just as good an opportunity in life and can be equally rewarding.”

Vocational qualifications have led to many a rewarding career. But they are so many and varied — how do you know which direction to take?

City and GuildsBTec ‘Real life rather than just learning’

Sharon Hilditch achieved a City and Guilds qualification in hairdressing and beauty therapy aged 17, and by the time she was 18 had bought her first salon.

The business, set up with an £8,000 bank loan guaranteed by her father, thrived, as did a second salon bought a few years later.

She sold both her salons for a good profit, and took a job in a cosmetic-surgery hospital, where she spotted a gap in the market for a gentler form of anti-aging treatment.

In 1995, she launched Crystal Clear skin products. It is now stocked by Selfridges, John Lewis and House of Fraser, exports to 20 countries, has target sales of £10m a year and has supplied products to Madonna, Cindy Crawford and Victoria Beckham.

Hilditch left school at 15 with no qualifications but has worked since she was a schoolgirl, and says the secret to her success is: “You have got to have passion for whatever you are doing.” HS

Chris Ward worked first for a water company and then as a police officer with Scotland Yard while studying part-time for a BTec, and later a degree, in applied biology at the then Hatfield polytechnic. Ten years on, he is a scientist at Manchester University involved in pioneering research to help stop the spread of cancer.

“I loved science when I was at school and had seven GCEs [the predecessors to GCSEs] but my family wasn’t academic so there was no real chat about whether I was going to go to university or do A-levels,” he says.

He worked a four-day week as a salaried employee and went to Hatfield polytechnic

in Hertfordshire for one day a week, studying from 9am to 9pm. This included four hours of laboratory work — more than he would have done had he been studying biology A-level. “By the time I came to do a PhD at Birmingham University, I was pretty good in the lab,” he says.

There were other advantages too. “The way the BTec is formed, you do a lot of things that prepare you for real life rather than just learning,” he says. He also came across a wide cross-section of students – many of those studying with him at Hatfield worked for pharmaceutical companies. Better still, because he was working, he graduated with no debts. HS

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Perfect match: choosing the right college

Bah, humbug: Reaseheath college spent £2m boosting its agricultural resources

Jerome Monahan

Tash,18, is a practical media student at Glouces-tershire college and is full of praise for her course. Her world comprises exciting-looking digital equipment, attentive, relaxed tutors and con-temporaries full of energy and fun. It would be odd if her story seemed anything less than ideal since her story appears on a promotional DVD — a reminder of the glossy selling that can surround recruitment to further education.

Happily, the reality squares well with the marketing here, with Gloucestershire a member of one of only 17 consortia nationwide to have secured accreditation with Skillset — the media industries’ sector council. “It’s the top endorse-ment,” says director of the college’s school of media Tim Evans.

Exploring the sometimes inflated claims on college websites, brochures and films may be hard for students but it is essential that they exercise their power to pick and choose courses by asking searching questions. “Among the basic things you need to investigate,” says Michael McGuire halfway through a two-year media BTec diploma at Lewisham College, “are the quality of the equipment and facilities and how well your qualification will meet employers’ needs.”

There are other positive signs to look for. At Staffordshire University, the media department enjoys industry endorsement with Panasonic, Adobe and Avid. “These are indications that the

manufacturers recognise the quality of our train-ing using their equipment,” says film technology awards tutor Peter Hughes. “It also puts us in the front of the queue when it comes to trying and testing the latest kit.”

The fact that colleges are spending big bucks on their own facilities is a good sign too — take, for example, the £2m that Reaseheath college, Chesh-ire, put into its new pig unit boosting the relevance and prestige of its agricultural courses.

“And if the college has high standards,” points out Tim Goodall, progression manager at the Brit school of performing arts and technology in Croydon, “then its students will have an eagle-eye when it comes to other institutions trying to short-change them.” He cites examples of Brit students returning from auditions where they were expected to perform on un-sprung floors.

“Determination and commitment are prob-ably the most important characteristics of any-one applying to join us,” says Arthur Boulton, senior manager at the Brit school, where applica-tions consistently outstrip places. “A cynic might suspect that FE colleges will take anyone,” adds Gloucestershire college’s Tim Evans, “but it’s not true of us. The extent to which a student is carefully vetted about their interest in a course, and what they want to do with it, should be a good sign — an indication that a college is eager to make a positive match between its new intake and the courses it offers.”

Of course, not all students are clear about their ultimate goals. It is then that it might be worth investigating whether or not taster courses might be on offer. At Waseley Hills high school in Worcestershire deputy headteacher Chris Mead praises the work of Springboard — a charity that

Evaluating the merits of various colleges can be hard for students, but it is essential to ask questions and look beyond glossy brochures

offers opportunities for students to dip into the world of hospitality, tourism and travel.

“It’s an ideal way of finding out a bit more about how demanding the industry you are aiming to join can be — hospitality is hard work,” he says.

If you show an interest in a career with animals to Martyn East, head of agriculture at Reaseheath, he is likely to point you towards the college’s taster course in animal welfare. “We have devised a first diploma national award that gives students a broad spectrum of experiences and leaves the doors to more specialist training open in the end: farming, zoos, or veterinary science.”

However good the course, it still can take a lot to get established in a career and the best colleges are mindful of this. “At Lewisham, the promise is ‘guidance until you no longer require us’, explains vice-principal for learning and skills Nick Edwards. “Even if a student has left us, we are happy to remain a support and advocate for them. We are there too when a student starts to consider their next set of training needs.”

At Staffordshire, the on-going support for its media industries students can include providing them with a feather-bedded period of free office space in the technology park the university owns adjacent to its campus. “It is not automatic,” explains Peter Hughes, “students have to pitch for the opportunity, and the facility is also there for students on three year courses — enabling them to set up a business in their second year.”

Graduate Ben Macrow took up this chance, kick-starting a corporate video business with some fellow students. “We actually managed to pull a profit — and although we did not decide to pursue the idea, it gave us an invaluable insight into the challenges of being in business.”

Next step Where to study

BTec ‘The tutors were inspiring’

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Next step Where to study

How to stay the course in your studies

Jerome Monahan

With an alarming 22% drop-out rate among stu-dents on university courses there are a lot of young people enrolling on courses that do not suit them, so it is important to think carefully about the type of course you want to do — and what will happen if you do not like it. As Arthur Boulton, vocational quality nominee at the Brit school of performing arts and technology in Croydon, says: “It is important that young peo-ple are absolutely sure they want to join us and can cope in a less unstructured environment. It is also telling that when we interview a prospective student if a parent tends to answer for them [it’s] not a good sign.”

“Students need to know that when they join a course, they are getting a relevant qualification and will emerge with an impressive portfolio,” says Staffordshire University film technology awards tutor Peter Hughes. “Our students will typically make three film-based programmes in their first year — there’s no hanging around.”

At Reaseheath college in Cheshire, garden design lecturer Carol Adams knows her stu-dents are going to benefit from a succession of hands-on experiences working to real briefs: “Today, I am with a team at the Tatton Park flower show creating a garden for the local BBC and a butterfly garden.”

Of course, students do change their minds, and it is important for them to know that their college will be both sensitive enough to their needs to spot if they are struggling and flexible enough to offer options if they decide a particular route is not for them after all. At the Brit school, for example, it is not uncommon for students to realise that a hoped-for career as a performer may not materialise. “It is then important that we have an arts management course on offer for our 18 and 19-year-olds,” adds Arthur Boulton, “which opens up new opportunities.”

Drop-out rates among first-year students are high, but there are ways to avoid becoming a casualty

BTec ‘The tutors were inspiring’

NVQ ‘It’s paid off’

Katie Herterich, 19, has just completed a BTec in art and design from Bexley college in Kent.

“I left school at 16 and had a go at independent living for about nine months in Wales. My boyfriend and I had ideas of heading off on great adventures but the reality of making ends meet was rather different.

“However, the experience taught me the value of family and money. I applied late to Bexley college and was offered a place starting immediately on the same day as my interview. Bexley’s flexibility was impressive.

“Originally, I thought of going for a fine art qualification, but I am pleased I have taken a more vocational route with a place ahead on a theatre design course at Rose Bruford college in Sidcup. The tutors at Bexley were inspiring — they had wide experience as practising artists. We also had a lot of talks by other specialists during the course giving us a chance to meet people involved in everything from fashion to graphic design. One highlight was the chance to go on a study trip to Bilbao in Spain, which was wonderful.

“I must admit that after my time in Wales, I was a bit worried about going back to full-time study, surrounded by teenagers, but at college there are always a broader mix of people and I got a lot out of the team-based project work that featured in the second year of the course.” JM

David Smee, 28 is awaiting final results of an NVQ 3 in bricklaying and brickwork management (Bexley college, Kent).

“In common with all people taking vocational NVQ/construction skills courses, I have had to combine my studies at Bexley college with full-time work within the construction industry. It took me two years to get through NVQ levels 1 and 2 and another year for level 3. It was my idea to go back to college, having struggled originally at school. Sometimes employers will take on the funding, retaining a bit of your wages, but I chose to cover it myself. To my way of thinking you can never know enough and bricklaying, and now supervising others’ work, is something it can take a life-time to master. I feel I have really acquired a craft and so do my employers who have recently promoted me to foreman — it’s paid off. My next move may be taking on a HNC quantity surveyor course.

“I was impressed by the Bexley college open day which gave me a chance to see the benches where I would be working and gauge the safety standards. I was also impressed by the size of classes which meant that right from the beginning there was plenty of one-to-one attention from tutors — all of whom have industry experience and who quickly became mates. It’s worth remembering too that as you go on — so fellow students also become sources of advice and support.” JM

‘I feel I have really acquired a craft and so do my employers who have recently promoted me’

Dance students at the Brit school, Croydon

14 The Guardian | Tuesday August 12 2008

Next step Careers advice

Shop around and ask questions …

Jerome Monahan

What is the most important starting point when considering the next step at 16 or 18?Self-awareness. Think about what you really want to do and weigh up courses according to their balance of academic work versus practical challenges and assessment. If you can take advantage of any vocational “taster” courses at your local college designed to run in parallel with GCSEs they will give you an extra insight into the next best move. Solihull college, for example, has offered introductions of this sort to car mechanics.

Where should I study?Many young people at 16 are “school-tired” and so college is a good choice. However, staying on into a school’s sixth form does mean you are “known” already to your teachers and this can be an advantage to those in need of familiar surroundings and a smaller environment. Of course, such familiarity can be double-edged and a shift to college can offer a new beginning and most colleges have good pastoral and academic support systems and can be very quick to spot if students are struggling or coasting.

How important is it for students to shop around?All too often students choose a college because it is near to home or their friends are going there. While neither of these are bad reasons in themselves, you do need to weigh up college courses as much as you can on the basis of what will matter more in the long run such as the quality of the learning experience.

What should I be asking at interviews?Remember that you have every right to ask searching questions. Does your course have some sort of accreditation with the relevant skills council? Also ask about the equipment and facilities on offer — are they industry standard? Do your homework and double-check

with appropriate businesses to see that what is available to use or being offered at a college is really what employers need. Have a look around on an open day, but also see if you can drop in on a less “official” day and see how things look on an ordinary day.

Who should I be talking to for advice?It is important to talk to current or recently graduated students — they should have invaluable insights to share about the staff and whether or not they seem to have their pulse on the industry sector for which they are training students. Most good tutors will maintain their “industry experience” through regular placements or their own “freelance” activities.

Talking to current students will also mean you can check out the relevance of any work experience on offer. The destinations of ex-students should also be known to colleges and openly available. This data can be very revealing. How many people dropped out of the course? Does it look like people with the qualification a student is thinking of pursuing at a college are ending up on the kinds of higher education courses or job-based training that will lead to a meaningful career in that industry?

How important is it to keep my options open?It is important that students at 16+ are keeping their options open. There are plenty of ways of taking a vocational course that leaves lots of room to choose the next step even if your ambitions change. It is also all too easy for young people to be put off a vocational route because of outside pressures. A vocational pathway does not necessarily close off certain “high-earning” careers. For example, an Institute of Legal Executives (Ilex) course combines work experience with night-classes and those qualifying can call themselves lawyers and with further training they can go for full solicitor status.

Sarah Frend is regional director and manager, training and professional development, at Inspiring Futures, a not-for-profit organisation focused on careers advice and young people’s skills development (inspiringfutures.org.uk)

Careers adviser Sarah Frend answers some freqently asked questions about choosing the next step

Evaluate Which qualification?

• To gain an overview of the “value” and equivalence of different qualifications check the national qualification framework at: qca.org.uk/qca_8150.aspx

• For information about vocational learning, visit the education foundation Edge’s site at edge.co.uk

• The Connexions Direct website provides helpful thumb-nail sketches of the various qualifications available. Go to connexions-direct.com and click on “learning/qualifications”

• Investigate the separate sector skills councils, as these provide different amounts of practical advice online. One of the best is Lantra — the council for environment and land-based industries — at lantra.co.uk/ young-people-and-parentsAlso see Skillset, which

represents the creative media sector, at skillset.orgAnd, for a comprehensive links list to these councils, visit: tinyurl.com/5c6wdm

• For young people considering a more work-based route to a vocational qualification, learn more about national apprenticeships via the helpline (0888 150 600) or website (apprenticeships.org.uk)

• See inspiring vocational education case studies at vqday.org

• Useful publications: Beryl Dixon, Decisions at 15/16+ (Lifetime Publishing, 2006);Beryl Dixon, Decisions at 17/18+ (Lifetime Publishing, 2006);Elizabeth Holmes, What Next After School (Kogan Page, 2007)Compiled by Jerome Monahan

Taster courses, such as this introduction to mechanics, are a good start