Where to get advice on non-traditional entry routes?

[Pleasedontdothat]

Ds dropped out of school halfway through sixth form - he had severe depression as well as dealing with ASD/dyspraxia. He’d had a statement since he was 4 which latterly got converted into an EHCP but he didn’t get the support he needed to be able to stay in education. He managed to get 7 GCSEs - mostly Bs and Cs with - but for a variety of reasons could not cope with a-levels.

The following year he tried doing a B-Tec but still couldn’t cope and he dropped out of the course after a few weeks. Since then he’s been on a couple of courses for SEN pupils, had a temporary job on the census and then got a placement at a not-for-profit as part of a scheme helping young people with ASD into employment. He lasted around 9 months - it all seemed to be going well but then he just stopped going to work or communicating.

For the last 7 years he’s been struggling with bouts of severe depression during which he does nothing and sees no one. Last October he moved back home - he’d moved into a shared house when his dad and I moved out of London but when he stopped working he had no way of paying the rent so we were having to bail him out. Two days after he moved home DH died completely unexpectedly which again sent his mood plummeting.

He’s gradually been coming out of this latest slump and for the first time in a long time he’s started talking about the future. He would like to do computer science at university and then work in games programming but he has no idea how to get started. I don’t think going back to college and trying A-levels again would be right for him but I’m not sure if he’s eligible for access to HE courses etc To complicate matters we live very rurally and he doesn’t drive yet. Are there careers advisors who’d be able to take him through the various options and help him work out what’s feasible? He’s 24 and currently on disability benefits.

I’d suggest contacting the admissions teams of universities that he’s interested in and getting their advice on alternative entry qualifications, then finding where they are available near you and if your son is eligible/if they would suit him.

Has he considered the open university?

@Pleasedontdothat I think it would help your son enormously if he started the search to find the answers to this question. He is going to have to prove his sticking power / commitment to taking on 3 yrs of study anyway, he might as well start showing this commitment and determination now by finding out which routes might facilitate this plan to study. He can start by contacting admissions depts at colleges and he can write to the heads of dept as well.

How about the Open University? No eligibility criteria to meet. He could start with an access course to see how he gets on. Get him to phone them, their advice team are brilliant, especially with discussing non traditional routes in. One of my friends has recently completed his masters in computing, having studied all the way from the beginning with them.

@HobbitDreader I’m fully aware that he should be doing all the research however he needs a push in the right direction as he tends to freeze when faced with lots of information… to be honest I’m not convinced he would currently cope with the demands of a uni course however I’m trying to help him find out what he needs to do as this is the first time since his dad died that he’s been showing any interest in anything.

Open University is a good shout - thanks

Yeah, I understand that. I am sorry about your DH, which I failed to say earlier. And I agree the OU is a really excellent suggestion.

I know someone in a very similar situation who did a foundation year then went on to degree and masters. Those are direct at the universities. I think the access courses are more general study skills. The foundation year is more subject specific, sadly it is another year of fees though.

At his age an access course is his best bet. Do you have a local FE college you could make an appointment with? They will have a careers team to advise.
If you’re very rural, he might be better off spending next year learning to drive then starting access in Sept 25.

I am sorry about your DH, OP.

I am a former STEM admissions tutor. Generally you cannot do a Foundation year with just GCSEs (Level 2 qualifications) as but you can certainly do an Access course. So I agree with @Bunnyannesummers that an Access course is the best bet for your DS.

Admissions tutors like to help, on the whole, so please do encourage DS to contact admissions teams with any questions he has. Email is best. It’s usually read by an admin in the first instance, who will route it to the proper admissions tutor.

Also, I am a huge admirer of the OU. A big advantage for someone with health issues is that you can proceed at your own pace. OU degrees are well respected so no problem there. However there is inevitably somewhat less structure. Students need to be especially self disciplined and motivated. For someone liable to depression, this can be a problem. DS needs to assess whether the balance works for his needs.

Best wishes to him

@NotMeNoNo did the person you refer to have any Level 3 qualifications before beginning their FY? Most FYs require some kind of L3 qualification.

For general advice, he can use The National Careers Service (if you are in England). They have advisors who can work with him about routes into HE. They may not know much specifically about computing and games programming (although they might have some specialist advice as computing is a popular area for returners and reskillers), but should at least know about different options for accessing HE.

He could also look at Into Games and Screen Skills. I don't think they have advisors, but you can contact them. They have a lot of information on different jobs in computer games and routes into those jobs.

@poetryandwine it was quite a few years ago (maybe 10) so maybe in a different context. I remember his mum and I were looking at options to somehow take A levels but that is hard to do when over 21, and also at access courses, but I'm pretty sure he got a place straight on a foundation course. Maybe he did an access course and I forgot.

ETA: its great there are a lot of choices for YP who don't manage the more direct route.

A lot of people want to work in games programming but is it realistic for your DS or is he setting himself up to fail? We all have our dream jobs we'd like to do but most don't get to go there. Why not encourage him to look at a more broad plan for now.

For what it's worth. I only know one person who actually went into game programming and he got there through other jobs before finding that one in Singapore. It's a highly competitive industry that pays badly for the skills required. They rely on the fact that it's a "fun" job compared to working in programming for boring businessy stuff. The culture is also awful at many of the bigger companies. Google what current and former employees of Blizzard have to say about them.