What are the prospects with BTECs rather than A levels

[ActuallyComfortable]

Looking at options for my youngest, who is very bright and switched on about some things (really in touch with and articulate about current affairs and world politics which is not especially common at 15) yet academically a very mixed bag, and has some dyslexic traits (perfect grammar but terrible spelling, used to struggle with the physical fine motor skills of writing and find it painful because of gripping the pencil so hard leading to arm pain and had OT for that as a young child). His grades tend to be absolutely all over the place - moments of brilliance mixed with unexpected crashing and burning when he thought things went well...

BTECs are appealing because there are no exams, all course work, so the possibility of more course correction when going wildly off piste, and the risk factor of exams removed

I know what schools claim you can do with BTECs but that's largely meaningless.

Does anyone have relatively recent experience of what their own or a child well known to them did after completing BTECs?

I don't want to send him on a two year route to being no better off than he was before in terms of prospects for further study and employment he can make a living from!

95% of universities accept BTECs so no issue there, the only thing would be that as they are highly vocational that you potentially narrow down your career choices early on. That said I know plenty of people doing jobs now that are nothing to do with their degree! Advocating for parity of esteem between vocational and academic education is currently a big talking point for us in Wales and something our government is advocating for. I wish him well!

I had a uni student on placement at work recently (she was doing a Social Work Degree) who had done a btec in health and social care rather than A levels so for that sort of thing it seems to work.

Thank you both, this is useful.
He doesn't really know exactly what he wants to do career wise (he mentions quite different ideas from time to time, from politics to psychology to the police - though criminology rather than hands on, so not necessarily realistic - but nothing remotely settled and generally often a bit ethereal) which makes things a bit trickier.

There's a btec in public services if thats of interest. I know two young adults who have recently done it. One went on to work in the prison service and in just a few years is progressing well. The other went on to do a totally unrelated degree in education.
My dc1 did health and social care btec, got a job in the nhs had a foundation degree paid for and now is waiting on the nhs to commence funding again to complete the degree.
Dc1 freind did a btec in engineering has gone onto a degree apprenticeship.
I think the biggest issue is the narrowing down an area more than alevels do.

BTEC Business and Finance - Chartered Accountant
BTEC IT - Software Developer
BTEC Commercial Photography - Estate Agent

All achieved the very highest BTEC grade - it was hard work!

Both of ours did BTECs. Both at Uni, one doing computer science, The other a BEd in secondary education

I thought BTECs were being phased out?
Or have they done a u turn on that?

My son went to uni after his BTEC. They are widely accepted although somewhat limiting. He did an BTEC in IT which meant really his only options at uni were IT degrees but he already knew that's what he wanted to do so it was the best option for him. If you have no idea what you want to do, I'd say A levels would be a better choice.

They are but not for a couple of years. There’s time to squeak in under the line.

We've taken on quite a few degree apprentices with BTechs. Mostly in engineering.

Btecs are great but they definitely have an proportion of the course assessed by exam , controlled assessments (exams by another name) as well as assignments.

My DD did a BTEC Health & Social, with a view to nursing. She changed from A level Biology to BTEC. Despite my qualms, DD was right to do this - by February in her Upper Sixth she had a Distinction Star (equivalent to an A* ). She was then able to focus on her two remaining A levels (ending up with an A and B).

She is now a qualified nurse (with a First, fwiw).

Most universities accept BTEC. Really, it’s just the Oxbridge, Imperial, Warwicks of the sector who don’t. If you have any queries, contact individual departments - but as anecdata, I know many children who have gone to good (i.e., RG) universities off the back of one BTEC and have done well. I will say, in my experience, the better universities like a couple of A levels thrown into the mix.

My son did a BTEC in IT, went on to do a degree in games design followed by a masters and is currently completing a PhD in ai/machine learning.
He knew what he wanted to do and was adamant about avoiding exams as much as possible. Seems to have worked out ok for him!

Two of my DCs did Btecs and did very well with them. They both went on to university. Ds2 did find some universities wouldn’t accept him, despite him having the UCAS points.

Thank you everyone. @wantmorenow that's something I/we need to look into then- definitely the (one specific BTEC) course description I read in full said 100% coursework, I assume then that it varies by course/ subject?

I didn't realise they were being phased out - the school he will probably go to for post 16 still offers them and doesn't have any information on the website about them being phased out, so that's also useful information to ponder.

The success stories are obviously fantastic to read, thank you all!

They are but is a gradual phase out

Ues this is something I've got the impression would be the case.

Additionally I wonder if it limits him to England only. Although A levels aren't exactly international either. He has an EU passport and is bilingual, so we have thought of EU university (no fees...) but both A levels and BTEC aren't really the best springboard. He really isn't suited to the international baccalaureate though I don't think (wants to specialise not do the broad range of subjects, and I think he's right as he does vastly better in some subjects than others).

I think that doing say a double Btec and an A level opens more options. You say he may want to do politics in which case he may struggle to get into a higher ranked uni without any a levels. Overall they can be very good but limiting depending on wht they want to go on and do

BTECs are not being supported in the next few years. Look at T levels, visit colleges and sixth forms.

Do not make plans about doing 1 A level and a Btec, this type of bespoke offering is not available everywhere. Look at what is offered near you, it may not be what you want you have to see what is available.

England was supposed to be moving to T-levels but there have been issues.

In Wales they are keeping them.

DD took a BTEC in Fashion.

Now has BSc, MSc and in the middle of her PhD.

Seemed to work out alright for her.

By the way, they're called AAQs now (at the moment) - Alternative Academic Qualifications.

My DS sounds like yours. He did a BTEC in criminology and 2 A levels. He enjoyed the BTEC the most though he’s choosing to do a subject at uni in one of his A levels. He’s holding an offer from a top RG and got offers from two more plus his insurance offer. The only one who turned him down was Edinburgh, though I don’t know if that’s because of the BTEC or his predicted grades (AAB).

You can look at uni requirments for individual uni and course but most will accept BTec as A-level equilent qulifications.

They have tabels for different qualifications as Wales/NI are increasingly different exams as in Scotland - which always has been- and then there the rest of the world's qualifications - but each uni/department/course can take a different stance.

DN is going to uni having done Btec rather than A-levels - know other have as well.

It will depends on what's avalible locally to you as well course wise- as it would with A-level subjects (literally one sixth form that offers french A-level in our area no-one else does it all which I found surprising).

Yes this is probably what's required in practice - difficult when he's no real concrete idea what exactly he wants to do career wise though! I wanted a general feel for the real world usefulness of BTEC, which this thread is giving me.

The different schools and colleges offering such utterly different subjects and combinations is a real eye opener - it's quite extreme! DS speaks fluent German because we lived there for a lot of his childhood and he went to German state school until he was 12 - we also have family there. So qe did think that as school isn't always easy for him a German A level might be good to balance out potentially finding other subjects harder going, but nowhere seems to offer German A level! When I was at school it was a completely standard A level offered everywhere, alongside French.

Actually some school six forms seem not to even offer subjects like history.

Things look quite disparate now. So yes lots to take into account - it used to be as simple as whether to stay at school for sixth form or go to the one local sixth form college or the one local tech!