You need to stay in education or training after you’re 16, but how you do this is up to you. There are lots of options and you need to pick the one that will help you get the future you want.
Help making your decision
You don’t have to do this alone
It’s normal to be unsure or not know what to do for the best in this situation, but you don’t have to make this decision by yourself. There are lots of places where you can get help and advice, or just have a chat about what you think is the best option for you.
- Ask your school. They have to give you impartial advice and will have free access to a careers advisor for you.
- Talk to your friends and family. They know you and can give you their honest opinion.
- Go to a school or college open day, or come to one of our briefing events. You’ll get to meet staff and providers who can answer any questions you might have about the learning, working or training opportunities on offer.
- Think about the job or course you want to do, and then go online for careers advice or to a careers library to find out what qualifications you need to get it.
- Try some work experience or volunteering to get a feel for different types or areas of work.
- Visit the National Careers Service to try their online tools around finding out what your skills are and what kind of way forward might suit you.
- If you want to know more about the things you could do that don’t involve staying on at school or college, try Ready To Work Kent.
It’s also important for you to have faith in your instincts. It’s useful to get other people’s opinions, but you’re the only one who has the final answer. Trust yourself.