What BTEC leaves options open for future careers?

[Indella]

DD is currently doing her A Levels and wants to leave, she doesn’t cope well with exams, although she is academically able, and has been getting so stressed that she’s losing her hair, vomiting etc. She can’t keep doing them.

She wants to switch to a BTEC but she has no idea what she wants to do as an adult so I really don’t want her to restrict herself, e.g. a health and social care BTEC that restricts her to health and social care jobs that she might not want to do.

What BTECs can lead to many careers and keep her options open? She’s always had interests in law and journalism but with the stress she’s under now I can’t see law being a suitable career.

She is undecided if she wants to do the uni route but again needs to keep her options open.

It’s so hard to advise her as it seems such a waste leaving her A levels when she’s very academic but I can see how unhappy she is so something needs to change.

Have you started by looking at what BTECs are available at your local colleges? And which of those interest her?
Doing well in the right qualification for her will stand her in good stead.

BTEC in Business would not restrict her. DD hated exams but did brilliantly in her BTECs.

PS you can do single diploma BTECS, so she could do 3 different subjects instead of one subject if she would prefer that.

Could she maybe look at an apprenticeship instead? I did a business NVQ through the scheme and that has opened up loads of opportunities for me. I have never struggled with getting a new job, and they were very supportive the whole time. There is a lot of structure to it and loads of help from the college and employers whenever needed

Yes, Business sounds like a good idea, or maybe IT.

What are her interests and what does she enjoy doing? If not now but a few years ago. She could look into what jobs are linked to her interests and then look at what qualifications and/or are needed for that.

Business would be the obvious one.

DD did Travel & Tourism (she was clueless on career too) which, had she done the Extended Diploma, would have covered things like Marketing etc so that might be worth a look. (Most generally useful unit was probably customer service. Also had a unit on creating a business plan etc.)

There's a CILEX (?) course which is law related.

Obviously things like Computer Science but that doesn't sound appropriate for her.

The only thing she’s ever been interested in is law, politics and English literature. Her A levels are law, English language and English literature. She has enjoyed the subjects but it’s the exams she’s not coping with. Even though they are practice ones she’s not coping mentally. She really struggled during her GCSE’s with panic attacks, vomiting and hair loss which I thought had resolved but it’s back now and she completely broke down saying she doesn’t want to do it. It’s put her off doing anything related to her subjects but I will discuss business with her, that might be better.

She’d have a shot at being able to do an English-y degree with media BTEC - maybe Film and English or something like that? Certainly I’ve had students get on film studies courses with media BTEC and plenty of production courses too.

Hi, I'm the Careers Leader at a school in London. A-levels can be terribly stressful. Two years of course work with a whopping big exam at the end. For this reason, I love B-TECs. A number of universities (including Russell Group Universities) will take B-TECs. B-TECs are equivalent to 3 A-Levels. Perhaps you should ask for your daughter to meet the careers lead at her school, to work out what she may want to do after school, and then to look at the schools B-TEC options. I think less stress is the way to go. There is also a great free quiz on Prpospects.ac.uk...

Has your daughter had any councelling or therapy sessions to help with her stress and anxiety?

It's worth going to some even if she does switch to BTEC and she's feeling better because it's a great way to learn techniques on how to handle it in future.

Your poor DD hope she's feeling better soon.

I think maybe she needs to focus more on her mental health that education at the moment. Even if she switched from a levels to btec she will have missed part of the curriculum already and really would have to wait until next September to start. If you are in England the whole 'education or training' requirement isn't that strictly inforced. Lots of 16 year olds will start something in the September and then realise it isn't for them and then drop out. But they can't 'start again' until the next academic year.
Take her away from school to have a break and focus on herself - not exam grades. She needs to be doing something - volunteer work, learning a hobby, reading up on law/journalism if that's her interests. She could start a blog about the literature she likes and experiment with reading different genres and writing reviews - all just for the fun of it not getting a grade at the end. She needs to find herself before she can decide where to go.

Doing a range of single a level equivalent btec courses would leave your DD more options in the future. E.g. law, business and I.t.

Lots of options in the future with those.

Hi, I've been a course leader for BTEC Applied Science for 8 years. I can definitely recommend it for a very wide range of careers if she likes science subjects. Happy to help if you have any questions.

Of she likes law then see if you can find an apprentiship. Many firms will train talented kids up from GCSE / A Level while they work.

Business is a good one but if she decides to go to uni she will, in all likelihood, have to face exams anyway. Is it just exams she struggles with, or it is a symptom of more general anxiety? Either way, it might be worth getting her some sessions with a clinical or counselling psychologist (rather than a counsellor) who may be able to help her to develop coping strategies.

There are a range of BTEC courses available some equivalent to an a level others to two a levels and others to three. The 2016 suite of courses do include external exams. They're easier than A level and you can resit at least once, but it is still an exam. Funding for many of the old courses (2010) that were completely coursework is being pulled. This means it will be difficult to find a centre still offering them.

I would advise counseling to better manage her stress. I hope you find something to help.

Creative Media BTEC would be a good shout if she’s interested in journalism. My son has just completed a BTEC in this subject and is now at his top choice of university.

I might add that if your DD is very academic, it will stand her in good stead in the coursework, which will put her in an excellent position if she does want to go down the uni route.

I done a b-Tech in Performing Arts but I did the level 3 extended diploma which covered the business side of things (we where taught everything from setting up your own business to getting insurance to finances and everything in between) this meant I could apply for jobs outside of the performing arts industry, I got very lucky and haven’t had to, but I know it’s always there as a backup.

JRR0

As head of careers you should know that it is BTEC, BEC/TEC went out in the 1980s.

OP

I agree she needs to get some help with anxiety / exam stress. At some point in the future she will have to take an exam or a test even if it is just her driving test.

It is possible but unlikely she could start a BTEC after Xmas but realistically not until next September. If she is leaving A Levels it would be in her interest to take AS Levels to give her a few UCAS points and also so the year is not completely wasted.

Any uni course that is just looking for points rather than explicit A Levels / particular BTEC will be open to her.

I've had health and social care students go into teaching.