Making your choices after year 11

Your Next Steps After you finish Y11

You need to decide what your next steps are going to be. There are several options available to you, and it is important to choose the one that is right for you. All young people must be in some form of education or recognised training until they are 18. 

Why study after 16? 

Gaining more qualifications after 16 is a good idea as more qualifications mean more job choices. You are, therefore, more likely to find a job you enjoy rather than taking the risk of having to do unskilled work. 

A-Levels - either on their own or in combination with other qualifications such at BTECH’s. These are excellent general qualifications that are valued by employers and universities. A-Levels offer a great route to Higher Education.

The subjects you take at A-level can have a major impact on your future direction so before embarking on two years’ hard work it’s well worth doing your research. 

How do I make the right choice?  Ability and Enjoyment -Thinking about the subjects you are good at, like and enjoy is a useful starting point. If you enjoy your studies, you are likely to be more motivated. Similarly, having a natural ability in your chosen subjects can increase your chances of success. For this reason you often need a certain grade at GCSE to study a subject at A-level, so you’ll need to check what subjects are open to you. But beware, there can be significant differences from studying subjects at GCSE to A-level, so it doesn’t always follow that choosing a subject you enjoyed before will be a safe bet. It still pays to do your research, even if you feel you’re on familiar ground.  

Subject Combinations - Some schools or colleges have restrictions on certain subject combinations, so you will need to check your options.

Apprenticeships - earning while you learn with most of the training on the job. If you have a job sector or career in mind then an apprenticeship can be a great choice, as you will learn about a job area and get paid, and you could have a good chance of getting a job at the end of your training. There are different levels of apprenticeship, depending on the level of your GCSE qualifications. If you decide to do A-Levels first, you could then go on to do a Higher or Degree Apprenticeship. 

Vocational Courses - courses that are job related. These will be focused either on a general area such as business or on a specific job such as hairdressing. Many school sixth forms offer a range of vocational courses like Applied General Qualifications, and Cambridge Technical qualifications. By applying learning to real-life situations, these qualifications offer a more practical approach than traditional A-Level academic courses. Further Education Colleges offer a large range of vocational courses at all levels.

The pathway you choose will be based on the following: 

• What GCSE grades you have achieved. 

• How you like to learn. 

• Where and what you would like to study later. 

• What job/career you would like in the future. What you can do now to make the right choice. Find out about the different careers that interest you - you can take careers quizzes to find out what jobs might suit you.

• Get advice from the people who know you (like your parents and teachers) and from those with expertise in this area, such as careers advisers. 

• Look at the qualifications on offer to you in your school and in local colleges and also consider whether an apprenticeship might be a good route for you. 

• If you are interested in a higher-education course at 18/19 or in the future then check out the entry requirements

• Find out what other people with the qualifications you are interested in have gone on to do.

If you have a good business idea, being self-employed or starting a small business can be very rewarding but it can take a lot of hard work and dedication. It is also worth noting that until the age 18, if self-employed, there is a requirements to work 20 hours+ per week alongside part-time education or training.

Self-employment can offer:

• An opportunity to do something you enjoy and are good at
• A chance to be your own boss
• Flexible working hours

How to get started?

• Is there a gap in the market for your idea?
• How much money will you need to set-up?
• Where will this money come from?
• What equipment will you need?
• Where will you work from e.g home or an office?
• Will you need to employ anyone else?

There is plenty of free information, advice and practical support available to help you set up your own business.

Useful Contacts

The Princes Trust Enterprise Programme offers support to young people aged 18-30 to explore self employment.

Gov.UK For free access to online tutorials and advice on how to start, including developing your business idea, tax, finance and marketing, visit 

Start up Britain is a national campaign set up by 8 entrepreneurs last year, with the support of the government. It offers links to many sources of information.

Business in You case studies of successful entrepreneurs and help to find a mentor.

What is an Apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and you gain practical skills from the workplace. There are up to 25,000 quality apprenticeship vacancies available at any one time here in the UK, did you know that there are apprenticeships in more than 280 industries and 1500 job roles, from graphic design to nursing?

How will I do the training part if I'm working?

Every apprenticeship is different but two phrases that you’ll hear mentioned a lot are: on-the-job training and off-the-job training.

• On-the-job training will see you learn in the workplace. You’ll be developing your skills by working with colleagues who will show you how to carry out certain tasks – either informal, structured sessions or informal and unplanned learning.
• Off-the-job training will allow you to learn and develop your skills and knowledge away from your immediate place of work. You might need to access a computer to do some online learning or maybe go to a training centre where you will learn in a classroom or workshop.

There are different ways to complete the training that forms part of your apprenticeship and your employer will decide the best route for you and their business. Here are some different ways you might learn:

• Release-based training: One day a week or fortnight you attend a training centre to learn in a classroom or workshop.
• Workplace-based training: Some of your learning is completed on the job with an assessor / tutor visiting you in the workplace
• E-learning: You access learning materials online and gradually work through them.
• One year up-front: Some industries, such as Engineering, prefer their apprentices to learn a lot of skills before entering the workplace. With this model, you may spend your first year being paid to attend a training centre.
• Blended learning: Your learning may take a combination of the approaches we’ve already mentioned.

Why should I become an apprentice?

Helping you gain all the skills you need to succeed in your career, an apprenticeship gives you real insight into your chosen industry – and you’ll get paid!

The key benefits:

• You gain valuable workplace skills and experience
• You work in a real job for a real employer
• You are paid a salary and have a contract of employment
• You achieve an apprenticeship recognised by employers
• You get support from your colleagues and training organisation
• It’s a carer pathway that helps you achieve your goals
• It’s something for your CV to show skills, achievements and work experience

What makes a good apprentice?

Being an apprentice is the same as working as an employee in a business. There are different skills and attributes that each company will be looking for in candidates which will also be linked to job role. Your ability to fit in, as well as your personality, will go a long way to determining whether you’re right for an apprenticeship too.

Apprenticeships have moved on a lot in the last decade or so. If you have the drive and determination to succeed – and you’d like to earn a wage while working towards a rewarding, lifelong career – you’re likely to be a good apprenticeship candidate.

Do I need to English and Maths to be an apprentice?

This varies because each employer will look for a different set of qualifications. While some company directors feel that asking for English and Maths GCSEs will help them to attract the right candidate for their role, others will allow you to work towards Functional Skills (English, Maths and ICT) as part of your apprenticeship.

Why not just get a job?

An apprenticeship offers lots of additional benefits to simply having a job – but in short, it allows you to earn while you learn!

Your qualification and experience gained will be based on the skills and knowledge that you require for the job you’re doing – and you can progress further up the career ladder while taking home a wage at the end of the week or month.

Also, with an apprenticeship you’ll set yourself up for the future – apprentices enjoy marked salary increases when they complete their training.

Advertised throughout the year, apprenticeships can start in any month and can be in almost any job sector.

How apprenticeships work

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. As an apprentice you’ll be an employee earning a wage and getting holiday pay, you will work alongside experienced staff and gain job-specific skills, you will get time for training and study related to your role (at least 20% of your normal working hours)  

What will I get paid?

This depends on the employer and how much they pay their apprentices. Of course, your salary will depend on the job, its location, the sector it’s in and how much responsibility you’ll be given. This information should all be set out in the job description

You will be pleased to know, however, that there’s a National Minimum Wage for apprentices (for those under 19 or in their first year of an apprenticeship) the amount paid often changes each year for more information check GOV.UK (www.gov.uk/become-apprentice) 

How can I progress afterwards?

Once you’ve finished your apprenticeship, you’ll be in a much better position to progress in your career.

With a qualification under your belt, you can use this experience to work your way up the career ladder. You may even decide to embark on a degree level apprenticeship.

Do I get a job at the end of an apprenticeship?

A survey conducted by the National Apprenticeship Service revealed that a high percentage of apprentices either stay on with the employer they have completed their apprenticeship with, or go on to find a similar job with another employer. Some apprentices decide at the end of their apprenticeship that they want to go on to further study, perhaps to do a degree.

You can find apprenticeships using the website www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch

You can use the Apprentices vacancy system to:

• Search for Apprenticeship vacancies and save your search results
• Log your areas of interest (e.g. business administration)
• Manage your applications

You’ll be able to see:

• detailed information about the job
• the employer
• training
• pay and the qualifications you will be working towards

Once you've found the job you want, applying is easy. The application form is simple, secure and reusable, so you can respond to as many vacancies as you like, and save your application forms. You can view the status of your applications and manage them online.

A traineeship is an education and training programme with work experience that unlocks the great potential of young people and prepares them for their future careers by helping them to become ‘work ready’.

Designed to help young people aged 16 to 24 who don’t yet have the appropriate skills or experience, traineeships provide the essential work preparation training, English, maths and work experience needed to secure an apprenticeship or employment. 

A traineeship has three core elements:

• A high-quality work experience placement with an employer.
• Work preparation training, provided by the training organisation.
• English and maths support, if required, provided by the training organisation.

Traineeships last anything up to a maximum of 6 months with the content tailored to the needs of the business and the individual.

Employers are not required to pay trainees for the work placement and traineeships are exempt from the Minimum Wage. Young people taking part in traineeships will be undertaking education and training and some may qualify for financial support, including the 16-19 Bursary Fund.

The government is encouraging employers to provide trainees with financial support to meet their travel or meal costs, but not all employers will comply.

Traineeship opportunities are advertised regularly on find a traineeship.