Why do most jobs require GCSE or equivalent?

[nickinickers]

I find this quite soul destroying as someone with no education or ability to learn.
I would be so good at so many jobs but because I’m academically challenged I can’t even apply.
AIBU to think this is so unnecessary and cruel?

Most jobs now need you to demonstrate, through exams, a certain level of learning.

Hi OP

What practical skills do you have that you think you could translate into a workplace

Are you organised? Have you considered working for yourself?

What do you enjoy and what are you interested in?

What do the job centre say?

I think most jobs ask for it as it's often used as a measure of intelligence or how hard people work. Unfortunately if you have a condition like you think you've got, gcses are probably not a very good measure of those things.

If you can't retain instructions then you need to carry a notebook and pen and write everything down. You could write down 2 beers and a lager to the man with the beard and green shirt etc.

Pen and pad are the basics of every job. Every time I went to a different department wherever I have worked I have a pen and notepad to write down the answers to any questions I have asked or write down instructions that I have been given. Every time I've been shown a new app/system on a computer I would write it down.

As other people have said look at night school. I learnt to make stained glass windows and light catchers - there is something out for there because you are willing

Good luck

I think it's ADHD UK that has a list of the waiting times for the different RTC providers. I started with Psychiatry UK but it was going to take about 15 months so I just switched as soon as I saw ADHD 360 had reopened their list with an eight week waiting time (which became 12 weeks in the end).

Agreed.

@nickinickers YANBU to feel the frustration you do but I think YABU to think the current recruitment process for jobs is unreasonable. As a society we want and need people in roles who are the most suitable and of course GCSEs or their equivalents are a critical part of that selection to confirm someone’s capability and ability to retain/apply that information - as otherwise they wouldn’t spend billions making it the core of kids education.

I think maybe you could contact the Adult Education Service in your area and perhaps start working on a job development plan with them. Not sure if you’re on UC but if you are your work coach can refer you (or you can ask yourself). Good luck 🤞

My husband has supported the family, I’ve been a sahm but I’ve been trying to get employment

OP it is one of the worst job markets ever atm. Its not just your lack of gcses why you are not being hired.

@nickinickers let's look at it another way

What do you feel are your strengths? What things are you good at?

Have another go at English. You read and write well enough, you should be able to get a 4.

The government also offers subsidised training courses although not sure whether they'd have anything you fancy. One of the young lads at work did his ADT (articulated dump truck) training that way and is now making £24 p/h moving mud on HS2.

A lot has changed in latter years. In the 00's I had friends who had passed no GCSEs (certainly nothing above a D anyway) who joined likes the Fire Service, Police, Ambulance Technician to train up as a paramedic.

I think it was even 'better' in the 20th century. Now many of these jobs have related degrees, such as a degree in Policing, Paramedic Science etc. Also other friends who became hospital technical staff, I don't know what they need now. Despite having no formal qualifications some of them, now 40's have progressed up the ladder and are very competent at what they do.

Probably because so many people go to University these days, exams are just expected for most occupations.

This is definitely the way to go! Think about what you can do, and offer those services to people in exchange for payment. No exams needed!

Not sure why you thought you could be a police officer with no maths/English qualifications though.

So you don’t have qualifications, ok. I could be accused of lying, I am not, but DH earns a ridiculous amount of money and has no qualifications at all, zero. There are lots of people that don’t either.

What he has done, that you haven’t, is worked every hour since he left school at 16. I know a lot of people that did this, not just my age but DS’s age (so now early 30s). Not much academic skills but a good work ethic and the ability to learn doing manual stuff.

you haven’t worked since you left school but want a job that is not entry level. You need to start at ground zero. Factory work doesn’t need qualifications or a great memory, I did it an 18, it was my first full time job, boring as shit but I met people, earned a wage, vowed that I would use the experience to get a better job. You are not working, so volunteer, get references, make contacts. Charity shop, animal centre etc.

Your written work is fine so you do have ability.

Hi OP,
Assuming that you are fit and healthy I think very practical work like cleaning or gardening/landscaping could be a good fit for you. Also factory work such as assembly/packing could work.

Cleaning is not limited to peoples homes, cleaners are required in workplaces, schools, hospitals, residential care and are an important and valued member of the team.

It is just an unavoidable fact that a lot of jobs require a maths qualification and an element of maths in the job and most jobs there is quite a lot to learn and remember at first. If you find this difficult then you are best off choosing something that is fairly straightforward or repetitive.

Have you tried jobs like these?

I work in care (nights) and a large part of my job is cleaning. I find it fine. I just daydream or listen to a podcast while I clean.

Okay, so you have some specific challenges. if you're working in a customer facing job - wqhy can't you write down what people order? I have a terrible short term memory but I never had a problem as a waitress as I'd just write it down and then take it to the kitchen.

Having said that, if your short term memory is this poor and you have consistently struggled to learn, I would be seeking help. I'd go to yoru GP first. A key benefit of assessment and diagnosis is that you can also then access tools to help you manage these challenges better.

You also need ot be realistic. You can't be a police officer without a fairly good short and long term memory. You need to know the law, you need to understand lots of procedures, you need to be adaptable.

it sounds to me like jobs tha tmight work better for you are ones that are more practical/hands on, and repetitive. And/or jobs that are quite process driven but in a way that's clearly articulated and documented. eg shelf stacking where it's all labelled and marked up so that you take boxes to the relevant shelf and unpack. Or garddening where you need to do a specific thing. Or delivery driver where you're provided with a route, a map, and clearly labelled packages.

You have been a SAHM and I assume you've done that successfully so those informal/ selfemployed jobs doing the work that families need but don't always have time for, might work for you - cleaning, housekeeping, cooking, dog walking etc.

Perhaps try doign some volunterring as a helper only at placse like brownies or guides - see how you cope in those environments when you can be supervised.

@nickinickers this must be really frustrating and disheartening for you.

I really admire your willingness to work in all manner of different settings and your ambition for a job.

it does sound like there may be some learning difficulties going on… you certainly sound articulate and intelligent so not passing exams is not down to intellect.

It might help if you have an assessment to see. Then you’ll have a better idea of what will help you to overcome those barriers when it comes to learning and passing exams and any diagnosis will contribute towards reasonable adjustments when you take them. This would all to remove the disadvantages a diagnosis would have.

I’d focus on this first. Good luck.

You could absolutely apply to be a police officer

Yes you have to do a degree but it's ongoing training and assessment throughout the 3 yrs.

Maths and English required, minimum of level 2.

If that was true you wouldn’t be able to read or write, to read and write you have retain and process a huge amount of knowledge very quickly/

You can write! You have managed to punctuate and put together a cohesive paragraph. You can read, or you would be answering people. This tells me you can learn. I think you need something that plays to your strengths

How old are you? It really is NOT one of the worst job markets ever. Not great right now, but just no. Not even yes, in the last decade.

A police officer will have to have a decent level of education. Needs to have critical thinking skills , fill all the paperwork in meticulously etc

I agree with this. It's a massively tough market at the moment for employees.

I posted an admin job and had over 200 applications in 48 hours. I'm always going to choose the person that's most qualified for the job, so I'm afraid to say, you wouldn't make the first cut.

Have you tried temp agencies, even to do factory work? It's been such a long time that I think you might just have to accept anything to start building experience and confidence.

I would definitely push for some sort of diagnosis though because the struggle with maths and English GCSEs would definitely suggest some form of learning difficulty like dyscalculia or dyslexia (or both).

At least then you might understand why you struggle compared to others, and it might open up pathways for support or guidance to help you find a path.

You write well enough on here to show that you're capable of corresponding and communicating with people.

As a PP said, if you were to look at yourself, what would you say you're good at? If you were to ask your closest family and friends the same question, what do you think they would say?

Can you make an appointment at the job centre to discuss things? Or the Citizens Advice Bureau? They might be able to give you some other ideas.

OP cannot apply as she doesn't have Level 1 or Level 2.

She also states she has such a poor working memory that she can't learn, doesn't recognise faces, has no short term memory to speak of. How is someone with such poor processing going to work full time in a stressful frontline job and manage to study for a part time degree?

If you are good with your hands can you start a small business teaching a skill? For example knitting or card making? A craft that is.

I think you could guess what I teach from my user name! Small classes at my home.

There is a huge amount to learn; it is paperwork-heavy. Case files to build, that's after learning the law in training school and passing an exam on it. There are many portfolios to write to demonstrate your competency and the ability to think critically under immense pressure.
Whilst you certainly dont need a degree, a decent level of education is most definitely required.
Currently, you need A levels to enter - previously, whilst you didn't need any at all, you needed to pass entrance exams in numeracy, literacy, critical thinking and observational skills - it was certainly possible to fail them.