To think DD aged 16 isn't going to have any income when she leaves school because she doesn't fit neatly into one of the boxes?

[MarthaEntwhistle]

DD will leave school in the summer. She doesn't want to do 6th form/college. She's clever but not academic. Instead she wants to work in an outdoor adventure centre - she sees this as a future career, not just a bit of fun -and has some voluntary work lined up at a local centre, but it seems they can't offer her a job until she's 18 as she'll be supervising chilldren so needs to be 18 for that. They don't do appenticeships.

So it looks like DD will be doing outdoorsy voluntary work until she's 18. There's no colleges near us that do any outdoor adventure BTECs or anything else remotely interesting to her.

A friend told me that my DD won't be allowed to "just do voluntary" as she has to be in some sort of education. Not sure how she'll be found out, perhaps the undercover zipwire police will spot her

I am concerned about her having no income as she's not conforming by staying on in education and I'm finding it hard to get any information about what entitlements she'll have, to benefits, if any. Bit of a worry really and school/careers haven't been that helpful - just wanting to pigeon hole her into 6th form or college which she has no interest in.

AIBU to hope there's someone around who knows about this stuff?

YABU not to encourage your child to get an education if she is able to. She will need to support herself one day and having a gaping hole in her CV could label her as lazy indefinitely. How about a language course? Learning a language cab never be a disadvantage?

If she is volunteering she won't have a gaping hole in her CV. I second the language course idea though.

From this summer teenagers have to stay in full time education, apprenticeship or employment with part time education until 17,

they have this in our area already (scotland) they need to stay on till 17 if they dont have anything to go too, there is exceptions though, anyway OP what about a lesure centre or something like that, are you prepared to keep her for 2 years, I would encourage her to stay in school or find part time work, I wouldn't be very happy with a 16 yr old just leaving school do do nothing,

University of the Highlands and Islands have a degree course in Adventure Tourism management and a certificate in OUtdoor Adventure studies... www.whc.uhi.ac.uk/courses/adventure-studies/outdoor-adventure-certificate-scqf-5

Realistically for entry level jobs these graduates are the people she'll be competing against. THe cert. might be available to her to start as a 16yr old but you'd have to ask them.... (this is also based in ft william where there are many jobs in this sector too so worth spending some time there, if she wants to leave education at 16 she'll have to be up to movign around the country independently to stay at live-in centres)

University of the Highlands and Islands have a degree course in Adventure Tourism management and a certificate in OUtdoor Adventure studie

my friends son is doing this course are you my friend

No, i'm not your friend - but I did a different postgrad course with UHI part-time and the photos and updates from teh adventure tourism course made me really

the photos and updates from teh adventure tourism course made me really

Before another friend moved from fort william her son was going to do it after he left school but they moved ,

you can also do a course on viking studies with UHI DD is doing her course at a UHI college , not outdoorsy though

How about she looks at colleges that offer short, 1 year or part time course that offer qualifications that may help her application to the adventure careers stand out when she applies or open up more opportunities. Stuff like a foreign language - so she could work abroad or at least have the option, First aid courses - employers have to pay for these is they require them - it may just help her future applications stand out from someone not already qualified, a child care qualification perhaps or even a travel course - I did a 1 year travel course - more so open up opportunities or a sports course.

None of these may be ideal or an exact match for what she wants to do but all of these will pass the time constructively, open up more opportunities that may take her in a different direction or contribute to making her more employable with extra strings to her bow.

www.reaseheath.ac.uk/subjects/fe-adventure-sports/

Would this be any use? A relative was in a similar situation and looked at it briefly

i have a few friends who are in this line of work and they all studied at college. Either sports science or teaching sport/PE. I would encourage your daughter to look into further education if you can. Could she maybe look into volunteering or paid employment in a local health club or similar. My local council club has a climbing arena though i realise you may not live near one. If she's adamant that she doesn't want to study then i would expect her to find paid employment of some kind to support herself until she's able to pursue her chosen career.

Ooops lost a bit of my post there. Meant to say when I did my 1 year travel course at college 2 years ago (as a mature student) alot of the young ones went on to work in adventure type places. Colleges get the heads up when companies are recruiting and colleges help the students get their applications right. The young ones went onto work at holiday ctrs in the UK to UK based holiday companies abroad and places things like Camp America.

she needs to get into whatever sport or sports it is, as a participant or an assistant coach if she already knows how to do it. This is combined with a job of some sort to earn some cash.

outdoor sports can be a career (Although not forever, but what career is?) but she needs experience, enthusiasm and all the real-world skills too. It is very hard work so you need to love what you are doing, and if you are doing it in the UK, love it whatever the weather!

In your position I'd be telling her she has to do some kind of course for the next 2 years. GCSEs aren't enough. Could she train as a Forest School leader? You can start childcare courses at 16 so that might be the same. Otherwise, could she do a Venture Baccalaureate or something like that? I'm not sure if there are many state school which offer it, but I know someone who did the course at Windermere and loved it.

There are NVQs available all over the place, which whilst they might not be directly about outdoor stuff, might be useful.

Things like health and safety, courses in play etc.

It might be an idea for her to ask what sort of qualifications would be useful so she can see continuing her education as a means to an ends.

Get her to have a look at PGL. Im.not sute what the age restriction is for staff, but no qualifications needed and it is live in.

I did a year of it, my now DH did two years there and we both went on to work for another outdoor centre which pays very well and gives nationally recognised qualifications and real transferable skills.

Oh and at PGL those with lifeguard qualifications were paid.more - I know you can lifeguard from 16.

Loads of brilliant advice and information on this thread - Mumsnet at its best!

I would draw up a list of 10 or so qualifications that are available locally or you are prepared to fund and say these are her choices. She can't leave school, she has to do something, she can either do something she enjoys that won't necessarily be useful later on and pursue outdoor activities at 18 (although she might want to do some research on how competitive the industry is and the various uni courses - Swansea are another) or something that will be very transferable later on but she chooses it you will choose from that list for her.

You have to be 18 for PGL, they wont even take college placements for under 18s

I dont know abou the law but I would get her to do her youth work ocn level 2. I am a youth worker by trade and everyone who does the work your daughter wants needs to be qualified.

I dont think she should be forced into education though if she doesn't want to.

I would say childcare, tourism or sports would all be good, relevant post 16 qualifications which will stand her in good stead with her job application at 18. I would suggest your DD tries to do voluntary work for 1 day a week at the weekend leaving the other for study. In fact she could ask the centre where she will be volunteering what qualifications they would like to see and then work towards those.

Besides reading on here, I'm not overly informed on the school leaver changes. So ignore me if I'm wrong, but isn't 16-18 year olds "just doing voluntary work" exactly one of the scenarios that the new rules are trying to avoid?

She should be in some kind of education, I would tell her to get on with some qualifications. There's plenty of time for pursuing voluntary work/outdoors career once she has her A levels or equivalent. And if (more likely when) she discovers she needs the qualifications, they will be harder to go back and get. So why not do them while she has the chance?

I don't think the learning has to be in an institution as such,
would something like this be suitable?
adlhomestudy.co.uk/

Also just to say that the laws relating to employing school-age children are tight (i.e. including your DD, since the school leaving age is rising). Sch-age children can't be employed for more than 2 hours on a school day, and work can't be during school hours. This includes unpaid/voluntary work for any profit-making business or trade, and even (say) in a charity shop. So although your DD has sorted out some voluntary work, this can't be within normal school hours, because any company breaking the rules risks court and a fine of £1000 (or up to £20,000 if they breach H&S requirements for young people).

Full DfE info here.

This is a bit confusing.

The school leaving age hasn't been amended but the following has been added:

"From the summer of 2013, a young person must do some part-time education or training until they?re 17."

Does that mean that from the old school leaving age a person can still work up to 40 hours as long as they are they are doing some part-time ed or training?