to think it's a bit much for a 13yr old to have already started planning his career?

[GoreRenewed]

DS is interested in engineering. We went to a careers fair last night and one of the exhibitors we spoke to suggested that anything DS could so in terms of extracurricular activities would help when he later applied for apprenticeships
or university places. Fair enough. I quite agree.

So we had a look at a website that offered course designed for Yr 9sto give them a taste of the subject, experience working with professionals, working on projects
in a team. All good stuff. So we down-loaded an application form. The cost is £145 which is a bit ouch atm but worthwhile if it helps him longterm. But that is only payable if he is accepted onto the course. They also ask for a list of thing he has done that show his interest and aptitude for the subject to see if he will be an asset to the other applicants And the school has to complete a form in support of his application. So what this seems
to be saying is that he has to be involved in clubs and projects already. To have estabished himself in school or elsewhere as a an enthusiast. And if he hasn't done so they could turn him down in theory.

He loves D&T and science and gets good marks, but they don't study 'engineering' in yr 9 and he isn't a joiner in terms of school clubs. He is simply interested and would like to become involved and find out more.

How early do children have to start this informal networking then? Should we have been locking him in the garage with some grease and a mechano set at age 6?

Oh yes and another thing that made me laugh! It was suggested that he could start doing weekend jobs to show his enthusiasm. Who
these days would take a child of 13 on (even unpaid) to help out in an engineering works or a garage?

[Chil1234]

Some kids genuinely are interested in engineering (or medicine, or acting or whatever) from an early age and they'll find ways to do the thing they love. Joining clubs and voluntary groups etc. is a pretty standard way in so not being a 'joiner in' probably has to change if he really wants to progress this idea. My brother was always interested in mechanics and found a group of people locally that raced hovercrafts of all things who would let him tag along and tinker with engines. That's probably the kind of 'weekend job' they mean.

[GoreRenewed]

How odd. that he could be excluded because he hasn't been organised enough before the age of 13.

[NewbeeMummy]

I think you would be surprised at looking at him helping out for free at the weekend for a few hours - or maybe look at him spending a couple of hours a week after school at a architects firm.

What sort of engineering is he interested in?

I wanted to be a vet from about the age of 8, and at 10 I was helping out at the local vet, just feeding and mucking out cages, I did it most weekends and school holidays for free of course. By the time I was 16 I was assisting with some of the operations (just prepping, passing instruments etc). I also got a job after school as a lab technician when I was 16.

I would be surprised if your son was excluded especially if he shows an apptitude for the subjects involved.

(just to add I did make it to uni to be a vet, but dropped out of the course as I couldn't afford the fees, and didn't qualify for a loan or scholarship)

[chandellina]

I think you are overreacting and jumping to a conclusion that he must have firmly demonstrated his enthusiasm. I'm sure the school can write something nice about his abilities.

[cory]

He won't necessarily be excluded for being an engineer for life because he wasn't organised by the age of 13. Just that lots of youngsters are beginning to explore their interests about this age and finding ways of spending time learning about it. It's not the only way, but it is one good way. What employers and/or universities like to see is not necessarily that a youngster has gone down one particular path, but that he has been creative in finding some way of indulging his interests (and that he has a genuine interest to be indulged, rather than having applied for a uni course/job because he can't think of something better to do).

At dd's recent career fair, the kind of examples of aptitude and interest they were asking for was maintaining your own bike, mending or maintaining household appliances, or joining mechanics club. It didn't have to be official, but if somebody had a genuine aptitude or interest, you'd expect it to come out somehow.

You do sound a little negative about the whole thing.

[Chil1234]

'Excluded?'... The course seems to be encouraging children that have been mad about engines for a while, that's all. If you're stumping up hard cash I expect he'd easily get a place, even if all he's ever done is play with Lego. Just 'sex up' whatever related interests he's had to date and they're unlikely to turn him down.

[cory]

Can't you arrange for the washing machine to break down?

[cory]

Like CHil says, think about what he actually does and let him write that up. When the car breaks down, is he out there with you/your dh trying to suss out what is wrong? Can he mend simple household appliances? Is he forever tinkering with things and wanting to take them apart to see how they work? Doers he build things/make models/do meccano?
tbh if he has a genuine aptitude for engineering, I'd expect it to break out somehow. My db was mending the hoover before he started school, by the time he got to secondary, he was taking computers to bits and putting them together. It's like a love of art or a love or reading: if someone really has it, then it will show.

It's like when you're interviewing for the English dept: you may not be looking for lots of extracurricular qualifications, but you do expect to hear that they actually enjoy reading books.

[squirrel007]

I'm an engineer and it's not all about fixing cars and washing machines! I'm lost if I ever have to look beneath the bonnet of a car. At age 13 I think it's more about having a natural inquisitiveness about the way things work, how they are designed, why pieces fit together etc. Can he demonstrate this?

[SuchProspects]

I assume you're looking at mechanical engineering.

It doesn't have to be clubs and organized activity. Does he love Lego or Meccano? Does he make models? Has he got a huge collection of books on how things work? These could all demonstrate his aptitude for engineering and a portfolio of photos is good evidence - or he could put up a website about it.

Jobs in an engineering works at 13 might be a bit hard! But he could perhaps volunteer at a steam railway or something. There are a lot of clubs run by (usually) older men to indulge their engineering passion that would probably love an enthusiastic youngster. Other possibilities would be a race track or something similar. His job doesn't have to be involved in the actual engineering - he could sweep floors, but he'll pick up a lot just being around people who are enthusiastic.

I don't think 13 is too young to be thinking about a career - but he won't necessarily end up doing what he thinks he wants now. It may be that all the experience puts him off (and that's also a great lesson to learn). But getting enthusiastic about something like that should set him in good stead for whatever he does do.

[GrendelsMum]

I decide which students go on similar events, and I don't expect them to have much experience at that age - I want to know about their ideas and enthusiasm and why they're interested in the subject, in their own words. Like Cory says, someone who said they'd experimented with their bike or designed a gadget in the holidays would be great.

If he wants a more formal way of showing his interest, why doesn't he do a CREST award? That's only £4 - £15.

www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/ccaf/CREST/index.htm

[brimfull]

well i hope you are in the process of writing the first draft of his personal statement
all these extras will have to be listed

[GoreRenewed]

"At age 13 I think it's more about having a natural inquisitiveness about the way things work, how they are designed, why pieces fit together "

squirrel - that is DS exactly. if anyone was to ask what he has spent most of his time doing to date, I'd have to answer skateboarding, building lego, and playing X-Box . But anything doesn't work and he will be hanging round trying to fix it, or work out what is wrong.

I don't doubt that school will say some very helpful things about him.

I find it irritating that because he hasn't joined anything he isn't showing enthusiasm. Some people just don't join things.
I guess it just worries me that a child might not 'do' because at age 13 they haven't found their feet.

cory - i'm not the one being negative. I'm the one who is upset that his options are being potentially restricted.

BTW re vets - DD wants to be a vet but she cannot do voluntary work anywhere apart from the stables helping out with mucking out. Which is fine of course, but vets, wildlife rescue centres etc don't want to know. Insurance reasons apparently.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I think it is a lot tougher nowadays. DD has already decided what she is going to do with life, and has a rough draft personal statement on her laptop which lists everything she has been involved in in and out of school. And she is not even planning to go to university (however what she plans to do at 18 is tough to get into, so is forward planning).

Mind you, I ended up as an engineer after spending all my teenage years lying in my bedroom listening to The Smiths on repeat whislt tippexing my fingernails.

Does he go to a techical school Orm? If not perhaps his school has inroads to those Young Technician competitions that they run sometimes have a look here

[GetOrfMoiLand]

ooh look at this Orm, something run by Airbus which may be up his street

Apols if you have seen it before.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Some kids are emphatically not joiners though.

I never joined a club as a teen, I went once to Guides and left in high dudgeon. I loathe organised stuff (still do).

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Also (sorry for completely taking over thread) if he fancies something after school I really recommend Air Cadets, they get to muck about with aeroplane electonics, fly a plane etc. DD loves it (sorry I may have mentioned this before on another thread)

[cory]

I think you misunderstand what they are after. He doesn't have to have joined things: he needs to have demonstrated an interest/aptitude. Which it sounds like he is doing- write it up! All the fixing he does, that's precisely the kind of thing he is after. You shouldn't be thinking about options potentially being restricted: you should be looking at what he has already achieved and teaching him how to sell that.

According to your own post, all they are asking for is "a list of thing he has done that show his interest and aptitude for the subject". That doesn't seem to me like it has to be formal clubs, more as if they are open to anything he may have done, even mending the hoover.

[Hullygully]

Orm, you are full of unnecessary dudgeon because you are worried he's fucked at 13.

He really isn't, like wot everyone is saying. What is the course he wants to do?

[GoreRenewed]

Hi getorf - thanks for that.

I am speaking to his tutor soon - not going to be hold of him before half term now - to ask lots of questions about what they do and don't offer. I am not familiar with anything engineering related. It's a science college and has links with quite a few organisations.

The airbus things look brilliant! I am going to show it him as soon as i get home. he has a couple of mates who would love to get involved with him.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Also, not engineering related, but my brother spent from 12 - 16 in his room playing Championship Manager and Fifa. he got involved with no extra curricular activities at all. It was only when he was in 6th form, and he took an FA football coaching course, did he realise what he wanted to do in life and actually do something about it. He went to uni to study Sports Science and is now a full time football coach in California.

Some kids (and boys especially) develop a but later. Perhaps your boy Orm might be happy as a sandboy in the skateparks for a few more years, and will get involved in stuff when he is a bit older.

[Hullygully]

Getorf - tell me more about Air Cadets, please. I don't know anything about this sort of thing. Was only a Brownie once very briefly.

[Hullygully]

Is CCF connected do you know?

[A1980]

Nope. Not at all to much or too early.

If you want to do medicine for example, you can't sudddenly start worrying about it after GCSE's or later.

If you don't get straight A's across most of the board at GCSE's you will not get a place to study medicine. Resits are not permitted.

Alot of potential careers require you to start planning much earlier.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

at the 'briefly at brownies'. What did you do



DD has been going to Air Cadets for a year now - she was recommended to go as she had been bullied at a previous school and was completely lacking in confidence.

She goes twice a week (7 - 9.30) and they spend time doing drill, researching planes and aricraft jobs etc, doing assault courses etc).

At the age of 16 they end up with a diploma in public service (or something), plus DD is doing her DofE with cadets as it is easier to do than with a school group apparently.

Theer are always weekend activities, dd has played football, hockey and netball for her squadron, plus has flown a plane (and done aerobatics), flown a glider many times, flown a simulator, gone on residential weeks etc, gine shooting, is part of a rifle drill etc.

It is rather strict and regimented but dd absolutely loves it. It has boosted her confidence no end and she has made loads of really close friends.

It costs £15 a quarter (is highly subsidised) and the unifrom is free, apart from the shoes.

I looked on the internet www.raf.mod.uk/aircadets/ to find her nearest squadron, sent them an email and they invited her along. Is very welcoming and there is no obligation to join.