AS GCSE results day approaches on Thursday, school leavers are encouraged to explore all their options for post-16 education.
Young people in England must remain in education until age 18, but national training provider Skills Training UK is highlighting the range of vocational options available for those wanting an alternative to traditional college or sixth-form.
Technical certificates (for 16-18s) and traineeship programmes (for 16-24s) offer a qualification in a specific work sector, such as customer service, business enterprise, manufacturing and warehousing, or hospitality.
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Through a mix of classroom-based and practical work experience, learners are supported to achieve vocational qualifications and skills to help them to reach their next level of study, an apprenticeship or full-time employment.
Graham Clarke, director of education and social mobility for Skills Training UK, said: “Vocational qualifications are a valid alternative to A-levels, offering young people a different pathway into a job, an apprenticeship, college or university.”
Callum Evans, 20, pictured, completed a hospitality course with qualifications in food hygiene, English and maths. As part of it, he had a work placement at an NHS hospital cafe and has since been offered a full-time job.
www.skillstraininguk.com/start-your-career
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