Choices at 16
Choices at 16 What do you need to think about before finishing Year 11?
What are my options?
You don’t have to continue learning after you finish in Year 11, but it will help your job chances in the future if you gain more
qualifications or experience (voluntary or paid).
You can...
- Get more qualifications
Qualifications are highly valued by employers and most jobs require them. Different jobs require different qualifications.
Find out more about this in the Careers section.
- Get a job
It can be hard to get a job straight after school but Connexions is here to help. Look at the Jobs and Opportunities section
for more. You need to be aware that there aren't many jobs that don't require GCSEs or more than GCSEs -
Have you considered ways of getting more qualifications?
You don't necessarily have to go to college to get them
- Get an apprenticeship
You actually get further qualifications as part of an apprenticeship.
If you are not being offered the chance to get further qualifications as part of it then it's not a proper apprenticeship.
Many apprenticeships are found by asking family and friends but there is now a 'National Apprenticeship Matching Service'.
Have a look at this 'Help' sheet and our latest Apprenticeship Handbook for more information.
Connexions can help with this in many ways:
Register on this website, see your Connexions adviser at school or contact your local Connexions office for further help.
You aren't entitled to benefits until you are 18 unless you are estranged from your parents.
I want to get more qualifications. What courses or training programmes should I choose?
- Ones you are likely to gain the entry requirements for
- Ones you know you can do well in
- Ones that you are interested in and that you enjoy
- Ones that let you learn in the way that best suits you e.g. do you prefer sitting in a lesson taking notes or would
you rather do something practical?
- Ones that will give you the qualifications to enter the higher education courses, work based learning programmes
or career options that you hope to get at 17, 18 or 19.
What if I don't get any qualifications by the time I officially leave school, or I do really poorly in my GCSEs?
There are work and/or learning options for people with few or no GCSEs. You can work your way up through the
levels of qualification, it just means it takes a bit longer and you start at a lower level. Try working out why you
didn’t do so well at school – did you struggle to work and learn in classrooms, did you not enjoy many of your subjects,
did you have problems in your life that got in the way?
Speak to your Connexions adviser for help and advice so that you can avoid things getting in your way again.
Where should I study after year 11?
Somewhere that does the courses/programmes that you are interested in. But before you sign up make sure you visit
the place and talk to students who already go there to find out what it is like.
Also check out what you will be doing all day i.e. what the course or programme involves.
You can get qualifications in school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, further education colleges,
training providers and the workplace as an employee or apprentice.
For more information on places that offer qualifications click the colleges link or visit the onlince prospectuses, via our Post 16 Section
Can I afford to study after Year 11?
Financial help is available to encourage students to study after Year 11 e.g. Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
See the Money section. Help with travel costs is sometimes available.
These payments should not affect any benefits your family receive.
What else do you need to think about?
If you have a particular idea about a higher education course or a job you want to do you need to find out what the entry
requirements are going to be If you have a general idea about the type of work you want to do you should find out which
courses or training will help you on your way, but won’t stop you doing something else if you change your mind. If you
want to continue in full time education find out what subjects you can do and what they might lead to. If you have no
clear ideas about what you want to do in the future think about the courses and programmes you are doing:
which ones do you enjoy? Which ones do you get the best marks in? Can you think of any jobs these link to?
Where do I find out more?
All local authority areas in Greater Merseyside have websites detailing all the options for study after year 11 in those areas.
Keep checking back with Connexionslive for the latest information on local opportunities, including volunteering.
Before you make any decisions about your future it is a good idea to talk them over with your friends, family and teachers.
It may also be useful to speak to your Connexions Personal Adviser. He/she will be impartial about the various options available and
will be able to keep you up to date with new courses and opportunities that may interest you, as they become available.
