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.

Has he looked at doing vocational courses? BTEC or T-leveks this would give him more options as university's do accept these courses (look at engineering degrees and see what they would accept entry wise). As they may suit him better then A-level's. He could either then do an apprenticeship after or further study and it won't limit him as much.

As someone myself who dyslexic I did a BETC then degree and found it easier then doing A-level's as it was much more hands on. More practical work. He may still want to do an apprenticeship afterwards but from your post he doesn't sound mature enough to be inna work environment yet. Which effectively what that means.

I work at a uni that has apprenticeship courses. Plenty of students have come from L3 apprenticeships. Others are older and have only done GCSEs but still got on because of their experience in the work place. Competition is fierce but there's still a mix of backgrounds.

If he's not keen on A Levels, don't do it - they are really hard work even if GSCEs were all 8s/9s and they love the subject

Could go for T Levels at college

However, I would go with the option he is most interested in
A Level 3 apprenticeship is usually only 12-18 months, moving swiftly onto a level 4 and possibly further within the same company

DD applied for loads of Degree Apprenticeships this year and it is brutally competitive - the applications (& lack of responses) the multiple aptitude and personality tests, interviews in writing, phone, video call and in person....

She was told she was one of the few who had taken A Levels/BTECs and the main thing that got her one of the 15 places out of over 1000 applicants was her 2.5 years (unrelated part-time) work experience - most successful applicants had done Level 3 then 4 apprenticeships and were just continuing up the line

It's a different area as she's doing Management rather than Engineering but the number of forum posts we have read where Degree Apprenticeship recruiters are saying experience is the most important thing they look for was huge