To ask what you (or grown up children) do for a job if you have no formal qualifications

[Susiebluesy]

My son will probably leave school next year with no qualifications. Despite a lot of support from his dad and I, plus the school, he has behavioural problems as well as being a school refuser.

I was talking to his dad earlier about what his options are (I know they are limited obviously), he can work for his Dad, but ideally we’d like him to make his own way in life (possibly working for himself / have a trade).

I’m interested if anyone here has managed to carve a career from not doing well at school, did you maybe go to night school and resit? - or if anyone has grown up children where school wasn’t for them and they’ve managed to get a job?

Anyone got any positive stories?

My son struggled at school, failed his maths gcse twice but got accepted at college doing a carpentry course.
After two years and gaining his level 2,he now has full time work at a joinery company.
Been there four months and I've drummed into him to never be late,as the manager said he was fed up of taking on college leavers who weren't conciencious.

Two of my sons are chefs.
Long story, but neither of them did well at school, one of them left at 13 to be home schooled so never sat any exams, and the other failed pretty much all of them, including maths at GCSE.
They're both doing well now though, own homes, steady jobs etc.

I think,if I remember correctly,the plumbing and carpentry courses at college just asked for 5 GCSE's above g?? Whatever it was,it was quite easy to get into.

Is there a skill or interest he has? Exh far out earns me and he turned his hobby into a career (teaching/coaching etc) .I have 2 degrees and am a solicitor .

DP- went to private boarding school, left with nothing, told he would amount to nothing. Found an interest in electronics, did various courses at college, went to uni in his mid twenties and now is an electronic design engineer and works as a self employed contractor and earns well.
Ex-DP- left school at 15, was told he was 'backwards' (it was the 80's). Got an apprenticeship as a HGV mechanic, then his licence, trucked all over Europe then joined the army (reme). Left that, joined a company delivering flour. Due to his reme experience and mechanic qualifications he was made vehicle inspector, then transport manager, then production manager, then site manager and is now head of something or other for Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Earns a packet, big house fancy car etc.
Some people just aren't school shaped. Sometimes they are just immature, sometimes they just cant summon the motivation do stuff that has no relevance to their world. Whatever the reason school doesn't work for them, it doesn't mean that they are not full of potential, and they can, and do, go on to build great lives for themselves. Schools just not their time.

I'm a firefighter and needed no qualifications. Just a bit of common sense and a wee bit of life experience. Good luck to your son x

Dd left school last June with no gcse, I took her out for school just before they started as she had gone the whole way through with undiagnosed learning disabilities and woyldntbof passed, that and the fact of all her issues in last few years cause anxiety and school refusal

In september started a apprentice in a sporting field she is passionate about, she like a different child taking her out of school and taking away the pressure of gcse was the keastvthing I ever did for her

Hannah4banana, That’s interesting I would have thought you’d need some qualifications to be accepted as a firefighter

User- that’s great, really glad things worked out for your DD

What does he want to do?

Parker - unfortunately he’s quite lazy and unmotivated, he loves money but doesn’t seem to want to work for it.

I’m hoping the harsh reality of when he’s a little older (16 or 17) he’ll realise that he’ll have to work to have money.

He says he’ll do something manual like a bricky or plumber. I can’t see him working for anyone, he won’t be told what to do, so I’m hoping he can learn some appropriate skills and work for himself

My worry is without any qualifications I can5 see how he can learn these skills as presumably the only route is via apprenticeships which I would imagine are very competitive to get a place

Sounds like he needs an EHCP if he has behavioural problems that affect his education.

Some myths to bust.
You don't need a diagnosis for an EHCP.
Schools don't know who will get an EHCP but they do lien to tell you your child won't get one.
The EHCP continues up until 25 so is worth looking at even at his age, he can then redo his GCSEs if needs be or go to college or other setting.

My husband left school early with no qualifications at all. He has a very good job now in the IT industry. He had an interest in computers and is self taught. His job now is part of a sales team which suits his personality well.
He has always worked hard and but has also had some luck over the years particularly once when a friend offered him a job which was a big step up.
He's been in the same company for 13 years now and is very well valued.
He did a degree a few years ago in an unrelated field but.

If he isn’t going to get the grades for an apprenticeship, he may have to resit his exams as everyone must take part in some form of training or education until they are 18. Is he aware of this?

Thank you Katmandoo, to be honest school just want to get rid of him now, they have been supportive in the past but he hasn’t cooperated with anything or anyone so it’s unsurprising the teachers he was working with have washed their hands of him. He’s currently in the IRU but mostly he refuses to go. EWO have worked with us and have concluded that we (his parents) are doing everything we can to support him and try and get him to school so fortunately we won’t be facing a fine. His Dad and I feel we need to try and get him sorted out education/ career wise but we don’t know what to do either.

The problem is he doesn’t want to learn, he can’t do the work and he can’t ever catch up now - it’s too late - I’ve even paid tutors to come to the house but he refused to do any work or engage.

Parker - yes we’ve had many conversations about how he needs ‘something’ to get his foot in the door but it doesn’t seem to register.

He doesn’t care about education unfortunately, he can’t comprehend the importance and just seems to think it’ll all work out. I do admire his positivity if nothing else!

Went to VIth from, pissed about for 2 years as was more bothered about the BF I met there.

Wanted to do nursing which I did after temping between leaving VIth form and getting on the course but dropped out after a year.

Have been with a freight shipping company since then, work in the CS department pretty much as an assistant manager (although not my official job title). Generally enjoy my job as it is pretty varied day to day and have travelled to various offices in Europe.

Used to do shift work - different patterns over the year, but now just 9-5.

Money is pretty decent for our area, especially if you are on the shifts.

Also opportunities to move to other departments if you want to.

No qualifications - I’m an estimator

@SassenachWitch - that's really impressive.

I hated school as wasn't very good at it/bored. Blagged my way into the music industry where I worked as a pa/coordinator for many years within studios/producers/successful artists/record company. Now I am self employed (many years later..) specialist market trader /private supplier to costume buyers for tv theatre film. Part of the time requires me travelling the country sourcing specific to what I sell (can't say as too outing to those that know me)

Our foster son left a special school without being literate even.
We worked hard with him, setting clear expectations and helping him gain enough basic skills to start a City and Guilds course. Behavioural problems pale into insignificance compared to his record.
He’s in his forties now. A kind and gentle man with his own business renovating VW camper vans and barges and reselling them.

For a lad, I’d be helping him understand what he wanted from life, what interested him and then plan how he might get there. A careers advisor might be helpful and guide him in his choices.

Op should have added dh also left school without much (a few bad a level results as also found school boring). He had success for a fair few years as a musician which he still is only part time now for just one band. His main source of income is as a web designer self taught and does pretty well from it (dd privately educated - not a stealth boast just making a point that you can earn decent money from it).

My relative. Was reasonably bright, went to grammar school but ended up school refusing and left school with only 1 GCSE at a D grade.

From 16 they did factory night shifts, then delivery driving, managed to lose their driving license at 18 for drink driving. Took up a sport, got a teaching qualification in that sport, moved abroad to pursue it. Taught for a few years, proved himself as capable and reliable, then in their late 20s did a mechanical apprenticeship sponsored by his work.

Still lives abroad now, has a great job ( in the field of the apprenticeship and still with the same company), works hard, lovely family, and is a million miles away from that teen that put my parents through hell.

@Susiebluesy

Just popped back to say that apprenticeships are highly sought after. And agricultural college requires high grades (all grade 5 and above round here) so he’ll have to get an entry level job.

DH admits he was a little scrote at school and a bit (a lot) of a know it all. It took him about seven years of pissing about a bit before he took his qualifications really seriously. I think he spent all his money on going out and boozing until he was 25.

But he turned it all around.

Just find what he’s interested in, help him into his first position and then take a step back. It sounds like he needs some rough real life experience to know his expectations into shape.

I have taught many like him and they generally come good (only two in prison from a 13 year teaching career) but it takes a bit of time before the influence of their mates, the Xbox and social media start to release them from their grasp.

Until then, stay strong. Good luck!

My DH left school with no qualifications and now runs a successful online business.

Similarly plenty of people educated to degree standard have shit jobs.

It’s a lottery! Education tends to be overly emphasised imo

I got ok GCSEs but dropped out of A-levels. Joined the railway at 21, had first baby at 23 and became a train driver at 24 (one of a few women at the depot and the youngest driver at that time). I’m now in my late 30s and on £55k.

No qualifications are required but aptitude tests must be passed, the trickiest being Concentration and fault finding tests. Then training of several months.