What Are My Options?

The futures bright, but it does need a bit of planning!

There are lots of options open to young people across the South West and you can find out more on the following pages, we also have listed lots of supportive websites on our Resources Page.

It is really important that you learn as much as you can about any course or Apprenticeship before you apply for it. Get some advice from your careers adviser, teacher or tutor. It’s often a good idea to talk through your plans and ideas with your parents, guardians or a trusted adult, an extra opinion can really help you make decisions.

Planning ahead is essential! Give yourself lots of time to think about your options and to make the right decisions. Never leave these important things until the last minute, however, don’t panic if you can’t decide, there are people who can help!

Look at the Programmes on our Young People Page for the support we can offer or get in touch.

The World of Work

Across the South West people are working in hundreds of different types of jobs and careers. However, there are some types of businesses more commonly found in Devon and Cornwall, compared to other areas.

We’ve put together some employer insights and top tips for job searches and interviews.

Click here for the World of Work

Would you like to study at school, college or university?

There are many types of courses available at school or in sixth form, such as A levels and BTEC’s and you can often study part-time as well as full-time. You could also study with a training provider.

Each course will have its own entry requirements so it’s important to check out what these are. The school or college can help you with this or you can check out their websites, as this information is often available on there.

If you want to gain higher level qualifications, you could consider attending a University course or undertake one of the new Higher Apprenticeships or Degree Apprenticeships in the future. There are literally thousands of different courses available at Universities across the world to choose from. All these courses are different, some will provide you with a qualification that enables you to focus on entering a particular career (e.g. a nursing degree) whilst others are more general in content. It’s really important you think about your choices carefully. Click here to see your options through UCAS.

Your local authority also has a wealth of information on choices in your area:
Cornwall | Devon | Plymouth | Torbay

Would you like to learn and earn at work?

If full-time study is not for you, then you could learn whilst at work by doing an Apprenticeship, where you can get both work experience and a qualification. It’s a real job, with real training, meaning you can earn while you learn and gain a nationally-recognised qualification.

To get your career started you usually need a combination of experience and qualifications. An Apprenticeship gives you both by combining on-the-job training with study (usually one day a week) meaning you can earn while you learn. With many Apprenticeships you can now study at Degree Level too, meaning you can get a degree, whilst earning rather than taking out loans for tuition fees.

If you don’t feel ready to start an Apprenticeship straight away then you could go on to a Traineeship. This may only be for a few months but will offer you the chance to improve things like your Maths and English, get some work experience, and build up your confidence ready to move forward to an Apprenticeship.

I don’t feel ready for these options, is there anything else I can do?

Many young people feel they need help to build their confidence before they start work, an Apprenticeship, or a college course; so, don’t worry as you’re not alone and there is help out there for you.

Personal Development Courses, Voluntary Work, and Employability courses can give you the boost and support you need to get ready for your next step, especially if you are not quite ready to ‘jump straight in’, and often only take a few weeks to complete. Lots of different organisations offer these short courses and they are often much less formal than being at school or college.

We have a number of programmes designed to support you, visit the Young Peoples page for more on these programmes. Also, your local authority may be able to support your choices, visit their local offer pages for more information:

Are you an Education Provider

Find out more about our Services to Education

Click here