Employment/Training
Not going to university? Here are some alternatives.
A degree is not essential for a well-paid job and more students are looking at paid training options. A
growing number of employers are offering training for school-leavers in roles in business, management
and some professions, as well as the more hands-on trades. The best schemes provide a wage, vocational
training and head start on the work ladder. Note a university degree is necessary for teaching, academia,
medicine, dentistry and medical research, but there are paid, non-university paths into most other careers:
Companies and organisations – the following offer schemes:
• PwC (Price Waterhouse Cooper) – accountancy
• KPMG – accountancy
• BP – engineering
• Lloyds Banking Group
• Retail Management training – Tescos
• The Police have a ‘high-potential development scheme’ to fast track promising offices
• The Armed Forces provide training for vocational qualifications, including apprenticeships
There are many others companies which provide similar schemes
Government Apprenticeship Scheme
This scheme covers more than 190 categories as diverse as business administration, design and agriculture.
Openings are available with big companies such as Orange. See the scheme’s website which has lists of
vacancies: www.apprenticeships.org.uk
Qualifications
Such schemes frequently include study leading to a qualification e.g. Tesco’s 12 month Trainee Management
Options Programme provides a foundation degree.
•
BP’s Trainee Officers scheme can lead to an HND, a foundation degree, a BEng in Marine Engineering
or a BSc in Natural Science.
KPMG (accountancy firm) offers a six year training programme combining vocational training, part-
time study, paid work experience, an accountancy qualification and a degree from Exeter or Durham.
Apprenticeships provide a range of qualifications such as NVQ at Level 2 or 3, or a BTEC.
•
•
Getting into the schemes
These schemes are highly competitive. You should make enquiries in Year 12 and Connexions can help with
this. Entry requirements vary. Some apprenticeships require only passes at GCSE maths and English, while
the Lloyds Business Specialist scheme requires 260-300 UCAS points depending on the stream you take.
NOTE: employers are looking for ‘polished, articulate young people who present well in person and writing’.
Work experience can be a clincher.
Pay & perks
Salaries for training schemes for those starting at 18 tend to be around £16,000 to £20,000, plus benefits.
This can lead to starting salaries of £25,000 on completion (equivalent to the average graduate starting
salary). Apprenticeships pay from £95 – £170 per week leading to starting salaries of about £18,000 at age
19 (State funding is only available for 16-18 year olds, with part funding up to age 25).
CHECK OUT all the websites listed, especially www.notgoingtouni.co.uk – this offers a range of alternatives to university – including
apprenticeships, foundation degrees, gap years, distance learning and training courses – in over 40 different sectors.
After Churston
If you know that you definitely want to enter employment but don’t know what you want to do, a useful starting point would be to search for occupations based on subjects, qualification levels and interests. Go to www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u/
An additional source of job profiles can be found at www.learndirect-advice.co.uk. If your first choice option is to enter full time work when you leave Churston then you should start planning your job search strategy at the same time as other students are making their UCAS applications.
You will find a very useful file in the careers section of the cube
If you are considering starting your own business then it would be useful for you to talk to experts in business startup.