Your exam results can be key to your next steps at sixth form or college – or your chances of getting a job. But if you don’t get the grades you wanted, there are alternatives for you to consider.
- Just missed your grades? If you are not far off what was needed for your chosen subject you may be able to study it if your college has some flexibility. Go in on enrolment day and talk to them, with someone to support you if you need.
- If your preferred college or school won’t let you study the subject you want, maybe because they were asking for a 6 and you only got a 5, look at other places. Different colleges have different requirements for A or T levels and you may be able to have your choice elsewhere.
- If you have missed out on a pass for Maths or English GCSE, don’t panic. Although this is often a requirement for sixth forms and colleges, they also often have the facility for you to resit alongside the first year of your course. Call them and find out.
- Is college or sixth form right for you? An apprenticeship can be an exciting way to earn while you learn and gain qualifications at the same time. Apprenticeships are available at different levels and in countless different subjects.
- Investigate alternatives such as vocational qualifications. Colleges offer a range of subjects at NVQ levels 1, 2 and 3. If your GCSEs weren’t enough to get you on a level 2 course, you could start at a level 1 course and work your way up.
- Traineeships are also a great option if you are 16 – 24 (or 25 for individuals with an education and health care plan), and if you don’t have the skills or experience to take on a job or apprenticeship. You do an unpaid work placement alongside a training course. A traineeship takes from six weeks up to one year and will help prepare you for work or an apprenticeship. Find out more here.
- T Levels are the next level qualification. They’ve been created for 16–18-year-olds as an A level alternative. They are two-year courses which offer classroom based learning alongside an industry placement and are the equivalent of 3 A levels. T Levels have been created in collaboration with leading employers and businesses so that their content meets industry needs and prepares the student for work, further training or study. Find out more here.
There are plenty of options, and your local college is a great place to start to find out more. Give them a call or browse their website and fill in a contact form so someone can get in touch and help you discover your next step.
Leaving school
There’s a great future waiting in the world of eyecare.
If you like working with people and have strong communication skills becoming an optical assistant in an opticians is a good starting point. Customer service experience is helpful but not essential. The most important quality is being willing to learn. Find out more in a week in the life of optical assistant Thomas.
If technology is your passion, think about becoming a lab tech – an optical laboratory technician. This job is all about making spectacles.
Both these roles can be apprenticeships – more info here. You can improve your knowledge and skills with structured training, turning a job into a career.
A business apprenticeship is another great option. Meet Yassin to find out more. You deal with customers and suppliers and use business systems and programmes such as Excel.
In any of these jobs, you can earn while you learn with online study and day release or block release courses. You can go on to become a dispensing optician or an optometrist. If you lean towards business, there are roles in management where you can study while working and gain recognised qualifications.
Take the first step by finding work experience at an opticians. Contact a local practice and ask if you can spend a day there. Good luck!