Right place to ask about Apprenticeships? Are there downsides?

[EttiKetti]

DD1 is extremely bright, was G&T or whatever throughout school but is also exceeeeeeedingly lazy as well as hating being told how bright she is and how well she COULD do with little effort etc.

So, after flogging a dead horse for too many years, with little idea of what she wants from life (keen on paramedic career but even she admits she doubts she has the motivation to get there!!!), I have helped her look into other options, apprenticeships being the top of the list right now. She is very money orientated, more keen to work than study, so in a way this sounds like an ideal situation.

I am wavering as she is about to complete her first year of A level study (she should end up with 2xAS and 1xA levels this summer for what they are worth) and I wonder if I ought to encourage her even MORE if possible, to get these A levels completed and THEN look at other options. Its hard tho, she didn't do as well as the 10 A expected at GCSE as she did no work really, didn't even get ONE A, despite loads of support at home and from school. The motivation isn't there, simple as that. Is it better to cut her losses maybe and go for an Apprenticeship?

thanks for any advice!

What does she want to do? Going to uni isn't for everyone. It's more than just getting the grades. If she wants to do an apprenticeship then let her go for it.

What does she want to do an Apprenticeship in?
I have to say as a veterinary nursing clinical coach with both an Apprenticeship student and a degree student the Apprentice has to be a lot more self motivated to get things done, where as the degree student actually has regular targets set and is chased up by her tutors.
So in this instance a less motivated student would actually be better on the degree.

There are alternatives to either a straight apprentice or university degree... Large companies are starting to offer more and more opportunities to school leavers with structured programs. Have a look at Starting-Out.co.uk

Why not have a look at www.bridge21c.com? They offer paid placements and the first course focusses on finding out what the individual really wants to do and what their unique strengths would make them brilliant at.

I agree that it sounds as though university isn't for her - quite apart from the fact that she is unlikely to get in with only one A2 and two AS, university requires students to be very self-motivated to do the work.

However, employers will also expect her to be able to work unsupervised. If she can't do that, then there's little chance of her being able to hold down any job or apprenticeship.

With regards to apprenticeships, I think you do have to be very careful which one you go for, as many seem to be little more than an excuse to pay