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Original poster

My son is thinking of ditching A-Levels for an apprenticeship

133 replies

Justwingingitsince2007 · 26/07/2024 21:30

Long time lurker, first time poster.

My DS is in Y12. After doing ok in his GCSEs (not as well as predicted, but still good enough, predicted 7s, got mostly 6s and an 8 in Maths) he embarked on A-Levels (Maths, Physics, Chemistry). He has coasted all year, and has pretty much bombed his mocks, getting E’s across the board. His plan was always A-Levels, then Mechanical Engineering at uni.

He has resits in August to get into Y13, and to be fair has been revising throughout the hols so far.

However, he did his work experience at a large well known car manufacturer and off the back of that they have offered him an apprenticeship. They only offer 2 every 3 years. It’s a level 3 light vehicle maintenance qualification. It’s 3 years long. They have block release to their own specialist college. He will earn a wage.

He is volunteering there through the holidays and they have talked to him again about this apprenticeship. They have said he can have it now, or they will wait for him to finish his A-Levels and keep it open for him.

He wants to ditch his A-Levels and do the apprenticeship now instead. He couldn’t get into uni on this apprenticeship because it’s only worth 48 UCAS points. He says he doesn’t want to go to uni anyway now.

I think he should finish his A-Levels and then do the apprenticeship, so he has that back up, and he thinks he should just go for it now.

Will not having A-Levels hinder him in the future? I really don’t know what’s best. I know it’s ultimately his decision, but he wants my opinion and I want to give him the best advice.

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 28/07/2024 21:44

@TheSquareMile Thats elaborated on my thoughts. I don’t want to pour water on the offer but everything I’ve seen about apprenticeships says they should be advertised. What would we think if DCs dad had said “here’s the job, son”. We would think it was unfair wouldn’t we? I would check out all the details.

Original poster
Justwingingitsince2007 · 29/07/2024 07:13

TizerorFizz · 28/07/2024 21:44

@TheSquareMile Thats elaborated on my thoughts. I don’t want to pour water on the offer but everything I’ve seen about apprenticeships says they should be advertised. What would we think if DCs dad had said “here’s the job, son”. We would think it was unfair wouldn’t we? I would check out all the details.

We are actually in touch with the recruitment specialist there as they have to sign off the work experience. And you are right, there are certain policies that they have to follow. It does need to go online to be advertised but there doesn’t need to be a set time from from what I gather (for example it can be a day). There are loopholes so it’s all above board and follows process.

Maybe it does seem a little unfair, I don’t know. But I would assume it’s like being ‘headhunted’ for any job.

OP posts:
Original poster
Justwingingitsince2007 · 29/07/2024 08:35

TheSquareMile · 28/07/2024 16:09

@TizerorFizz

There's something in what you say, Tizer.

My worry about what sounds like an ad hoc arrangement for OP's son is that he might find himself accidentally disadvantaged later through no fault of his own.

I assume that there is a cohort in the middle of apprenticeships within the company already, to whom preference would be given if any cuts needed to be made.

My other concern would be whether the nature of his recruitment to the company would at some point be reviewed elsewhere, by HR, for instance.

I would be horrified if OP said that his/her son had accepted the offer and begun the job and then posted again later in the year to say that the apprenticeship had been rescinded because of some irregularity in the way he had joined. It would be so hard for him to get back on track at school at that point.

OP does say that the job offer has been made by a major car manufacturer on a par with Vauxhall. On the one hand, that means that it is a fabulous opportunity; on the other hand, it means that there are tiers of management above the level of the person OP's son knows; if they felt that something was not exactly right about the job offer, they might intervene.

There might be an advantage to OP's son applying for the scheme formally when applications re-open again, but that would mean staying to complete his A Levels, as I think that recruiting for apprenticeships would open again in the New Year.

Edited
Show quote history

Just replying to the bit about a cohort being in the middle of apprenticeships. They don’t seem to have a set window for apprenticeships. For example, the current apprentice started in Jan last year, rather than Sept when you would think they would start.

I did wonder about how he could start if it was like that. And we do need to get more info. But they have a large training center where everyone goes from all over the country so my partner said he is assuming that they have a rolling training where you go and do your relevant ‘bit’ . But we do need to find out more about this.

we have said if DS goes this route we want to speak directly with them to make sure all is above board. We would never just let him go into it without knowing the full facts so if he did decide this was the route for him we would obviously make sure we know exactly how it all works.

OP posts:
EssentialGarage · 29/07/2024 09:00

TizerorFizz · 28/07/2024 21:44

@TheSquareMile Thats elaborated on my thoughts. I don’t want to pour water on the offer but everything I’ve seen about apprenticeships says they should be advertised. What would we think if DCs dad had said “here’s the job, son”. We would think it was unfair wouldn’t we? I would check out all the details.

Of course it is how it works. Our last apprentice joined after being that Saturday kid.

What is wrong is inviting people to interview when the position already has someone lined up.

We would never just let him go into it without knowing the full facts so if he did decide this was the route for him we would obviously make sure we know exactly how it all works.

With respect this isn't school. He needs to find all this out, he needs to talk and explain it to you. Don't mollycoddle.

Original poster
Justwingingitsince2007 · 29/07/2024 09:37

@EssentialGarage To be fair he is still only 16, I think making sure we know how it all works is perfectly reasonable. But people parent differently, and that’s fine too.

OP posts:
Genevieva · 29/07/2024 11:38

This is an excellent opportunity. He can do A levels at evening classes if he really wants to, but it sounds like a choice of excelling on a prestigious apprenticeship or bombing his A levels.

EssentialGarage · 29/07/2024 11:39

I'm looking at it as an employer not a parent.

He is going into Y13, or in this case the working world.

Genevieva · 29/07/2024 11:40

PS
it’s worth looking at alternative university pathways, as they are increasingly open to different ways of meeting their eligibility requirements.

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