Year 12 #2: Carols, commutes & a few stocking fillers

[Stickerrocks]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/3410431-year-12-1-gcses-are-sooo-last-year

And hello and welcome to lumpy

👋

I think it’s only just been announced bpisok

Like I said, I 100% would trust your knowledge over the SENCo - she is pretty useless.

Oh my goodness lumpy I'm in awe!

Oratory time for DS to stalk the GCHQ website for competitions then.

I’d second, third and fourth trusting own instincts over the VAST majority of SENCOs!!

Thanks for the hellos!

Another hello

Hello Lumpy. EIGHT?!

I thought four teenagers was hard...

Hello lumpy and welcome.

Oratory dd is planning CS at uni although plenty of time to change her mind. She is off to an open day type event tomorrow at Manchester so I'll report back. I don't think she's seriously considered an apprenticeship because I think she's got her heart set on three years of partying and she doesn't think an apprenticeship will be as much fun. I'd like to tell her I don't approve but I did an MA after my degree purely because I wasn't ready for the fun to stop so I say good luck to her

In other news she failed her theory test today . She got almost full marks on the highway code bit but failed the hazard perception test. She's taken it fairly well and wants to try again next week. Anyone got any tips? She thinks she clicked on things too early before they were hazards.

Tech apprenticeships (does this cover CS?? I don't know - over my head but hopefully it may)

ukcareers.ey.com/students/programmes/apprenticeships/degree-apprenticeship-in-digital-and-technology

www.pwc.co.uk/careers/school-jobs/jobs/flying-start-degrees/technology.html

DS got the call today to say after his 4 rounds of online testing and his face to face interview down at Baker Street that he has been accepted on the BDO Summer School Placement Scheme next Summer holidays. Also he has got through all the PwC online testing - just an interview stage to get through in February. Can't believe they go through all these hoops just for school age work experience/programmes!

For those interested the PwC online testing was significantly more difficult he thought.

@Lumpy76 - 8 😮 - hats off to you and welcome!

DS1 is planning on chemistry but DD1 is considering CS (is a bit of a Maths whizz) but is only year 10. She did a great coding course with Vodafone last summer which I would really recommend. I think it was called 'Tech Girls'. It covered the whole age range (she was one of the youngest) so would be suitable for older DC.

@kickbishop the hazard perception is the tricky bit! When dd1 was practising (she’s June birthday) she was doing the same...clicking before the hazard was a hazard!! She did manage to pass 1st time but has now failed her practical twice! 3rd time lucky at the very beginning of Jan we hope!! She can get A*s in school but can’t pass her driving test! 🙈

Thanks for the links. DS has already looked at the Vodafone work experience which looks great and they have some great tech apprenticeship schemes as well (though he was laughing last week and pretending to moan about discrimination as one of their events was just for girls - must have been what your dd was on)

@Oratory1 - ah yes. As a mother of DD and DS I'm torn about the 'discrimination'. Great for DD but annoying for DS as he'd love some of the 'girls only' opps.

Yes there are lots of girls only events and BAME events and even those on fsm events (and honestly I do understand why) but what is a white middle classed boy to do

Shalom they are tough because the firms are putting so many applicants into school leavers programmes now rather than the traditional grad route, so they can take full advantage of the apprenticeship levy. They also lead into the summer intern programmes. Your DS has done exceptionally well.

For those of you interested in CS apprenticeships, take a look at what your local NHS Trust offers. They are often overlooked, but they have a vast number of people working in systems and it is one of the areas where they can also offer apprenticeships.

Thanks sticker. A lot of civil service opportunities too. I guess the downside is there isn’t (yet) a central ucas type application process so it’s individual opportunities and most only have a few places so I guess it’s a case of go for it and see what happens

I would start looking at what's available this year so that he can target some strongly tailored applications next year.

That’s a good plan sticker. Worth looking at how many places they offer as well and the timings

ShalomJackie Just popped in to say congratulations to you DS! Very impressed by his motivation and initiative.

Stickerrocks yes I know. DS is currently saying if he gets the PwC one he may not do the BDO one but I said to do both as it keeps options open going forward. They also asked him to do his placement in London as he has expressed a preference for strategy consulting and the local office is much more of a standard accountancy practice and the local programme is more geared to school leavers after A level so although it is a bit of a pain to traipse into London it will be more tailored to his field of interest and also geared to those wanting to go to uni.

Also as he already has GT and Deloittes on his CV he is certainly doing the rounds! He obviously knows how to answer the online testing!

Congratulations Jackie DS. Will stand him in good stead when he does similar assessments post Uni !!

He's unlikely to get anywhere near consulting in a local office. If their corporate finance team is in the middle of a transaction, they will be too busy to have a teenager under their feet and if they aren't, he will probably be filing!

If he decides to go down the same route later on, I would base my decision of who to join on which bunch of people he can relate most to. In a room of 50 students I would be able to tell you who works for each of the firms you've mentioned so far, as well as who is working for regional firms. They undoubtedly each have their own character & personality.

Yes he was really lucky to get into GT Consulting last Summer and they were researching companies for a client to takeover. He has an interest in a certain area and suggested a newish company and apparently acquisitions talks are now underway! The Head of Department there has already said he can go back whenever he wants!