Alternative routes to higher level study and how the Careerpilot website can help you find out more

Sue Lewis: Western Vocational Progression Consortium (WVPC)

www.careerpilot.org.uk

Why not go to uni at 18/19?

Who isn’t convinced that uni will be worthwhile?

Who is worried about the debt?

Who wants to start work at 18?

You don’t start paying back until earning

£21,000. At £22,000 that’s £7.50 a month

• 30% of students study part time

• Many are over 21

Degree essential route for specific jobs. Also good if you are undecided about job area as many employers are looking for graduates with any subject.Applications to universities in the UK have risen by 4%

compared with this time last year - with many more women than men applying.

Whatever you decide, you need to:

Explore all your choices and work out the pros and cons

Check out the progression opportunities, funding support, etc.

Website helping 14—19 year olds in the South West plan their future work & study:

What is Careerpilot?

What is Higher Level Study?

www.careerpilot.org.uk

Higher education means any qualification at Level 4 or above (A levels, BTEC National and Advanced Apprenticeships are Level 3).

Higher education courses are offered at universities, colleges and also some training providers too.

Combine study and work, jointly designed by employers and HE

Two years at a college and then a top up year to honours degree

Can sometimes be cheaper than a uni degree and lower entry requirements

Here are some of the vocational areas that offer Foundation Degrees:• Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care• Arts, Media and Publishing• Business, Administration and Law• Construction, Planning and the Built

Environment• Education and Training• Engineering and Manufacturing

Technologies• Health, Public Services and Care• Information and Communication

Technology• Language, Literature and Culture• Leisure, Travel and Tourism• Retail and Commercial Enterprise• Science and Mathematics

http://vimeo.com/18052903

Alternative routes: Employer funded

Sponsored degrees

Apprenticeships

More than 85,000 employers across the UK offer apprenticeships lasting between one and four years, and covering about 200 different jobs, from animal care to construction to web design.

Learn on the job with an employer, building up knowledge and skills, gaining qualifications and earning money at the same time.

CompetitiveNow available in over 40

sectors

You might need to start here if you haven’t got the

vocational experience

£99 + a week

http://vimeo.com/27764227/

An employer will pay for your training to degree level

Competitive and vocationally focused

Business Management and IT

To be eligible, you will need:

• At least five A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent), including English and maths.

• To have, or be predicted to get, 300 UCAS points across 3 A-Levels (or equivalent) at grade C or above.

OU offers 570 courses and 250 qualifications.

Study full or part time.

Standard fee of £5124 for 120 credits (equivalent to a year full time)

Loans available for part time study as long at doing 25% of full time course

MOOCs : Massive Open Online Courses• Introduction to ecosystems• Introduction to forensic science• Climate Change: Challenges and Solutions• Shakespeare’s Hamlet: text, performance, and culture• Preparing for uni• Exploring our oceans• Introduction to Mathematical Thinking• Music's Big Bang: How American Roots Music Gave Birth to Rock 'n'

Roll• Etc…..

Why MOOCs?• Chance to try out a uni level course.• Help you prepare for a specific uni subject.• Do alongside work.• For personal interest.

Summary of alternative routes:Diff

eren

t

qualifica

tion:

•Fo

undation

Degre

e

•HNC/H

NDs

Employer funded:• Apprenticeships• Sponsored

Degrees

Distance learning:

•Open University

•Free MOOCs

HE Level Study

To help you

choose

Save all your topics of interest and your Profile in My Careerpilot

Get the free Careerpilot App. for any phone or tabletDownload it from the Careerpilot site or from www.careerpilotapp.org.uk

Careerpilot App. QR code

413 users completed online survey:

Filtered the responses from post 16 (61):• 99% said it was useful• 97% said it was interesting• 97% will use again• 86% learnt about routes to uni

through work• 83% learnt info. about jobs

Careerpilot has enlightened me to the

exciting range of possibilities that await me in the near future and made decisions

that little bit less daunting!

Directed me into the right

directions after sixth form!

I now know what qualifications I need to

go to university.

Feedback from users

Explore, ask for support, decide what is best for you.

www.careerpilot.org.uk