Allowing son to do apprenticeship over A-levels?

[Bornonablueday]

Hello,

My son wants to do an apprenticeship at 16 and I want him to do a-levels. There doesn't seem to be any high level apprenticeships for 16 year olds, with entrance requirements being low at 4/5s. He will most likely end up with 8/9s in all STEM like subjects, so I think he should continue to A-level and then do an an advanced apprenticeship at 18. Do I allow him to do the low level apprenticeships at 16? Or some how make him do A-levels.

So have you asked these companies if there are ways onto their degree apprenticeship without A Levels? Would they progress their own Level 3 apprentices? Would they take someone with a Level 3 apprenticeship onto a Level 4 apprenticeship?

Which companies are you looking at? Is it only well known, highly competitive ones?

How long is the apprenticeship? Could he do it and an a level at college is n the evening? I worked a 40 hour a week job and did 3 evening classes a week plus 10 hours home study.

If there are apprenticeships available to him now in the career he's interested in, then there's no reason not to do it now. You are learning and working, it's very beneficial and helps young people grow up as they are spending time as an adult in a workplace, being mentored and also doing classroom if that's required.
Lots of 16 yo have no idea what they want to do as a career and blindly choose A levels purely BC their grades were quite high. But Uni route is not the way forward for many kids.
He'll be earning learning and working and progressing at 16. That's giving him 5 years advantage over Uni kids in many ways.

‘Don’t mean mechanics lol’?
Why are you looking down on Mechanics? I did a mechanics apprenticeship at 16, last year I earnt double the average salary (I know that isn’t much by MN standards 😁).

Which apprenticeships is he looking at? Most of them are Uber competitive and will lead to experience and the first qualification, then they'll probably offer him the next qualification if they like him.

If the apprenticeship is in something he actually is interested in doing as a career then it makes perfect sense to start that path at 16.
All the young people I know that did apprenticeships (or similar training schemes) are now age 22/23 and all employed full time. One is buying a house.

"mechanic lol" is a bit condescending. Coupled with your low opinion of apprenticeships, you come across as a bit of an academic snob who values paper qualifications over experience and learning.

DS1 did BTec Electronics at college and went on to do Electrical and Electronic Engineering at university. The BTec was sufficient A-level equivalent to get him in to university. If your DS is more hands on and enjoys doing, perhaps the apprenticeship route is better for him in the long run.

Agree completely!
Why the snooty attitude towards mechanics?
At the end of the day having a good wage and being happy matter.

Who cares about others academic qualifications?
No one asks and university degrees are so common nowadays.

Practical experience is what employers want!
skilled practical workers with knowledge and experience.

@Notamum12345577 wasn't looking down. My whole family are farmers and mechanics. Just ment in this countries many confuse an engineer and a mechanic. In many countries an engineer is a protected term. But it's true that most trades make a lot more than academic fields.

I think you haven’t worded it very well, there’s not much allowing him to do it - he should be making the choice

having said that, I understand where you’re coming from. We all want the very best for our children, ultimately they have to make their own choices- even if it’s their own mistakes!

I am in a similar position to you- child the same age . She’s not as academically talented by the sounds of it, but she’s choosing between two courses t levels that will hopefully lead to a nursing career- and nail tech apprenticeship

I keep telling myself that the most important thing is her being happy 😊

she’s got a great work ethic, so it will be ok ultimately

The last thing you should be doing with a young adult who wants to leave academia is push him into doing it anyway.

Crappy A-levels are neither use nor ornament, and someone resistant and reluctant isn’t going to get decent results.

Let him go out into the world for a bit.

He can always go back and do the academic route but if he learns a trade it will equip him to earn money for life. Nothing wrong with having a practical skill.

Sorry, posted too soon. Meant to add

DS1 left university after Y1 due to Covid and not wanting to pay £9k to sit at home in front of his computer. He considered changing from electrical to mechanical engineering, but in the end left and trained on the job. I was gutted; had always hoped my DC would go to university as I never had the chance.

He's now "just" a mechanic, earning £35k with a small student debt to pay off, but good earning potential and plenty of opportunities to travel and specailise. And, most importantly, he's bloody happy.

I’ve let my 16yr old chose a Btec over a level. They are the ones having to put the work in and if they don’t want to do a levels I can see it being a real struggle. Am I slightly concerned that they could be limiting their future yes, but it is their future..and nothing to say they can’t change course/do a levels later

'Allow' him? Christ on a bike.

It's his life. All you can do is guide him. And even that can be done in a supportive
manner where he will keep talking to you through out or the authoritative way which will ensure that he doesn't come to discuss with you.

As PP have stated, he can always return to formal education at a later date should he find the apprenticeship has not worked out for him. OU is very well regarded in many employers, internationally as it shows drive, intent and commitment.

@stopscrollingandgettowork work ethic is the most important. My son is very immature (he's also autistic and has ADHD) he basically doesn't do things he doesn't want to do....... No idea what is best for him. He did work experience at an engineering company, fixed their 3D printer but they also said he refused to do anything else, so would probably be fired in a real job......

I wouldn't argue with him. If he knows what he wants to do, has an aptitude for it, then he can do well in employment and won't have a student loan to pay off. I think people really get worked up about thinking that degrees are the only way to do well. They aren't. Plenty of people have different talents. I don't look down my nose at the plumber or electrician as they can do things I can't do. And they both have their own businesses, so strictly speaking they are businessmen.
If he's happy, let him get on with it.

Cross post with your last update. Even more reason why you can't force him. DC1 is in the same boat and has started a program where they have formal educational lessons whilst they guide them to find an apprenticeship, how to apply and then offer guidance. We are not in the UK so I don't know what the options are in your area, if something like that exists? Did his school offer options to him, for the future? My DC has zero idea what he wants to do and so this program will allow him to try a few things out over the next two years, and as parents we support him. We have just asked him to open his mind

What about Btec in a college environment as a compromise? Could it be the school environment he is pushing against? In all the decisions our children have taken that we don't necessarily agree with, they have been right (for them) each time.

@usernamealreadytaken I might be putting my own insecurities on him, I was told I was only capable of practical work, so I fought against this, eventually becoming a physics and maths teacher in a very academic school.

Thanks for your thoughts

I have realised I put earnt instead of earned, I don’t want people to think mechanics are thick 😉🤣

I know a couple of people who got their engineering degrees sponsored by the army / navy. Job is pretty much guaranteed at the end, I think there was a minimum amount of time they had to stay in the forces. So PP’s suggestion of what looks like the Alevel equivalent sounds like a great option to me. That said, the armed forces are definitely not for everyone and unlikely to have much time for someone who will only do what they feel like!

If he wants to do engineering does that mean he intends to get a degree? If so, it could be useful to identify undergrad engineering courses he’d be interested in and find out if they accept alternatives to Alevel for entry.

But overall, if he’s found an apprenticeship he wants to do that’s no bad thing and there are plenty of jobs that want proven practical skills rather than academics. As long as he’s doing something that moves him forward and has some kind of ambition I wouldn’t worry too much what it is. If he changes his mind in a few years it’s possible to catch up. If he’s proven himself hard working and capable in one thing he’ll be able to find opportunities to transition if and when he wants to.

Let him follow this path. Plenty of time later to go to uni even as mature student

Mine did electrical installation at collage then went on to an electric engineering apprenticeship at 18 but that was years ago now

That’s not how most apprenticeships work. He’d start a level 2/3 straight from school and then progress to a Level 4 and then be accepted onto a 5/6. By the time someone qualifies in their chosen field they’ve often done 3 or 4 distinct separate Apprenticeships. Doing a level 3 will make it much easier to access a level 4, as they’ll have far more experience than someone who is attempting to get onto a level 4 straight after A Levels.

I’ve never heard of a 16 year old going straight onto a level 6.