On this page we outline our choices at 16+
- What are my options?
- I don’t know where to start and money matters
- Online resources
- Information for parents and carers
“What are my options?”
Young people have several choices after Year 11;
- attend a school sixth form, Further Education College, Sixth Form College or smaller training centre
- start an accredited course online (self-paid)
- start employment or voluntary placement (ideally combined with part-time education and training)
- look for an apprenticeship, supported internship (for young people with an EHCP)
- undertake a programme or short course if they need time to plan their future goals or are not ready for full time education
Remember that learning can take place in different settings, including school, college, training providers, employment, bespoke programmes or volunteering.
When choosing your next steps there is a lot to consider such as:
- location of the education/employer
- transport
- entry requirements
- type of options/subjects
- enthusiasm for the subject
- costs of equipment
- size of the provider
Think about what suits you and how you learn best.
What are my choices, and what should I do next?
Your options range from college courses and sixth form, to apprenticeships and other work-based learning options.
You can:
Stay in full-time education – at a school sixth form, Sixth form college or Further Education (Fe) College and study a range of qualifications at all levels from foundation courses to Level 3, vocational to A level and T Level Study Programmes.
Attend a training provider – Some training providers also offer full time courses, with start dates throughout the year. These are much smaller than a 6th form or college, and give you the chance to get work experience, improve your maths and English skills, and gain confidence.
'I have additional needs'
If you have additional needs, find out about your options and the support available to you on our page - 'I have additional needs'.
If you are in care or leaving care, find out about you options and the support available to you on our page - 'I am in care or leaving care'.
“I don’t know where to start!”
It can feel overwhelming!
The information and tips below may help…
Qualifications
A Levels – Subject-based qualifications, studied across two years. Assessment is through exams and coursework. With A Levels, you can progress onto university, employment or a higher apprenticeship.
T Levels – Two-year qualifications designed to give you a head start towards the career you want and offer a mixture of classroom learning and work placement. They follow GCSEs, gain you UCAS points and are equivalent to three A Levels.
BTEC Nationals (BTEC) – Level 3 vocational qualifications trains for a specific trade or industry such as hairdressing, plastering or animal studies. There are lots of different courses to choose from and generally you will only study one subject on an in-depth level.
Sixth form schools/colleges or College?
Sixth form schools – Provides education to students in Years 12 and 13, so that they can gain the qualifications needed to take them on to the next stages of their career. At a school sixth form, you are given more independence than younger year groups.
Sixth form colleges – Have courses that are less well-known, more precise and with a wider variety available, compared to school, where there may be thirty subjects offered as A-Level courses. They may also offer other vocational qualifications.
Colleges – Can provide T Levels and BTECs, which can be vastly different from anything students have ever experienced before, just like in university.
1) Think about what you enjoy, how you like to learn and what type of qualification suits you.
2) Think about where you would like to study - e.g school sixth-form, sixth-form college, further education College, training centre, on the job such as an apprenticeship.
3) Speak to your school for careers advice (if you are a recent school leaver), or you can contact your local adviser from the Youth Support Services(16-18)Team to find out who can help you.
Sixth Form Colleges and Schools in Suffolk
Colleges in Suffolk
View our saved search of the main Post-16 Education and Training Providers.
Youth Support Services
Thinking about what to do in September? Not sure if a mainstream course is for you?
There are options!
See the leaflet below to help you explore study programmes within Suffolk.
Money Matters
The leaflet below contains links to help you think about money, benefits and your post 16 choices.
Choosing a career
This video ‘Choosing a career’ has some great advice about why we should be flexible and take one step at a time and not be too fixed on one career path.
“If you don’t have a fixed destination, it’s impossible to take a wrong turn! You just need to know what you want to do next.”
Rate Your Skills!
Employers are looking for what skills you have and not just your qualifications!
When applying for jobs employers are looking to see how you demonstrate the following skills:
- Listening – How good are you at receiving and retaining information?
- Speaking – How do you communicate with others and customers?
- Problem Solving – How do you go about trying to solve a problem or situation using your knowledge or creativity?
- Digital skills – How confident are you at using digital devices to communicate and work with people?
- Creativity – How do you come up with ideas – use your imagination to solve problems?
- Positivity – How you deal with setbacks when working towards achieving goals? How do you stay motivated and emotionally well to overcome challenges?
- Planning and organising – How do you plan and manage your tasks on time?
- Leadership skills – How do you support and encourage others to develop and achieve a shared goal?
- Teamwork – How well do you work with groups of diverse people to achieve a shared goal?
Think about these question and which skills you are best at? Get your friends or family to help you identify which of the above skills are your strongest and which skills you may need to develop more. These skills are things that you are most likely to be asked about during a job interview.
Online Resources
- What do I want to be when I am older?
- icanbea – designed to help young people navigate the large spectrum of employment possibilities in Suffolk and Norfolk.
- National Careers Service website – for careers advice and you can explore careers, search for learning opportunities or take the skills assessment. They also have a handy page called outlining your post-16 options, that details different types of qualification.
- Skills for Life – Browse your education and training choices available and view the different ways to get the skills you need for your career.
- Home – Apprenticeships Suffolk – Search for and find support to find an apprenticeship.
- The Mix – Work and Study advice
- Royal Air Force Careers and Army Careers
- Care Careers – Apprenticeships in social care
- Sports Education Programmes for 16-18 year olds
The tiles below will take you to a LinkTree with even more careers resources including a link to the different sectors of work and information and resources surrounding them.
Information for parents and carers – ‘Options after year 11’
Looking for information and careers advice for a young person? Visit the Suffolk County Council website.
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Page updated on December 20th, 2024 at 01:50pm