It may be the one question that everybody is asking you from the moment you start studying for your GCSEs. What are you going to do after you leave school? You may be able to reel off the answer quite easily or it may be more difficult for you. Do you want to go to university or would you prefer to get a job? Are you going to do an apprenticeship or will you start out as a trainee? These are all very important questions that you need to ask yourself, but as well as this it is also important to be aware of the type of skills, education and training that you may need to get a job in your chosen career. So who can help you on this journey and what do they need to do?
The Role of Your Teacher
Your teacher can play a vital role in helping you decide which path you are going to take once you leave school. Having the ability to research different careers and different ways of getting into them can provide you with valuable insight into how to proceed on how to get the outcome you are hoping for. Careers advice is a vital part of this process which is why it is important that your teacher uses their skills and knowledge to ensure that you have all the information you need. This can include everything from understanding what the job involves, what qualifications you need to get it and how you can start planning for that now.
Using Your Skills
It is important that if you are to get a job once you leave school that you have attained a certain number of skills that you can transfer over to your chosen career to ensure success in that specific area. As well as GCSEs or A-levels it is important that you have the basic Functional Skills that you need to be able to perform basic roles. These Functional Skills can include English, such as communication, both verbal and written, mathematical such as problem solving and numeracy, and ICT skills. In order to learn these skills effectively and provide an employer with evidence of them it may be necessary for you to complete a Functional Skills qualification which may be able to be done through your school.
Work Based Training
If you are hoping to complete an apprenticeship when you leave school then Functional Skills are a definite must. All apprenticeships require them and they provide you with an excellent advantage, not only in getting an apprenticeship and starting it but also continuing on to a higher level and other qualifications. You will complete Functional Skills qualifications during your apprenticeship. However, if you are able to do them sooner then this may be advantageous.
Working Towards a Qualification
If you are working towards a vocational qualification and feel that it may benefit you to include Functional Skills within that then it is possible to do so through your school or on your own. Websites such as www.bksb.co.uk can provide you with all the information that you need relating to the qualification and how it may benefit your future career.
So start thinking about your future now and ensure that you have the best chance of following your chosen career path and being successful.