Apprenticeship Withdrawn

[Perplexed20]

Not sure why I'm writing apart from maybe to vent.
Ds applied for a degree apprenticeship with the civil service. Tests and interview in April. He applied with A level results in hand. A*AA (requirement is CCC).They took until the end of June to let people know. He was told successful and then yesterday they withdrew his offer and put him on the reserves list (dept he was allocated now not doing). He does have a uni offer but in a different subject he's now not sure about.
Anyone had experience of this? Any advice. He's pretty upset and want to support him in making the right decision for him.

Ignore the odd post about Warwick. 81% of students there are state educated. I’m sorry Pp’s child struggled but it wasn’t because of lack of private education.

I’m a civil servant. CS recruitment is famously crap- slow, incompetent and confusing unless you are already in. I would be strongly encouraging him to take up the uni place - frankly with his grades he will find the apprenticeship route frustrating and the CS doesn’t have the flexibility to allow people to jump ahead. Better to get a degree and then apply for the fast stream.

I ask for the nhs job

and you think that’s outing

bizarre

Thanks thats really helpful.

Given the other details on here yes.

How is the job, relevant to this thread?

Must be a very niche role

i am guessing cleaning op

which is nothing to be ashamed of. You boy, working throughout his gap year, achieving an already apprenticeship that is then snatched from him and having secured a place at a phenomenal university - so much to be incredibly proud of

Because you said they were impressed but no funds to continue the contract

so I wondered what field of work he had impressed in, given the nhs doesn’t usually hire barely 18 year olds on a year contract.
And I say that as someone with a husband who is in (duck) nhs management

Are there any other courses he might like to apply for via clearing if he's not keen on Warwick? He has good grades.

Also coming on to add CS making cuts by not railways replacing people as they leave as opposed to redundancies. It sounds hard on your DS but the CS have entry level opportunities too if he wants to work. He sounds bright and would likely make rapid promotions.

I still don't get why its relevant. Its not cleaning not that should make any difference. Hes diligent, hard working, a good problem solver, not phased by job titles, IT literate, a whizz at excel.

If he's interested in global sustainable development might it be worth considering a period living abroad doing a language course? Being fluent in another language surely would be a useful skill? I know someone who was made redundant from their job, decided to learn Serbo-Croat (!) and then got a great job using that.

Uni is so expensive I think it's worth being really sure you either love the subject for its own sake or it's going to directly lead to a job.

How about accountancy? You can be paid whilst you train in that and then work for an ethical company. I know someone else who became an accountant and then moved to a Caribbean island as an accountant there!

Thanks. One of things he was potentially thinking was working for a bit longer or even working and doing a part time degree (but not sure thats possible).
He actually really likes the nhs but they don't do non clinical apprenticeships as far we can find out.

Its coming out with a debt thats really bothering him. He wants to make sure its really worth it.

You can do part-time degrees with the OU. I really enjoyed mine because I did an Open degree and did loads of subjects I'd never thought to try before.

There are some interesting roles here that might appeal: https://www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs
It might be worth approaching a few organisations directoy and seeing if they will offer a policy apprenticeship - somewhere like Wilton Park, that already offers apprenticeships, might be open to that idea for the right candidate?

Not the Op but my friend’s dc had an nhs contract 1 year for her gap year recently. She worked ft as part of a melanoma screening service - calling patients, was an office based role (she then got an extremely competitive apprenticeship)

@Perplexed20

OP, the RN role which I suggested, Warfare Officer (spec. meteorology, hydrography, oceanography) would include the opportunity to obtain a degree supported financially by the RN.

He could always make enquiries and see what he thinks.

www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/roles/warfare-officer

Thanks, I'm going to talk to him about this.

Why don’t you think the NHS employs 18 year olds? What an odd assumption.

DS was looking at some of the armed forces apprenticeships. They look good, but do you have to literally join the RN? ( Stupid question!) but can you be civilian staff? He doesn't fancy being packed off to Yemen when he wanted to do some cyber security!

@RainbowBagels

There are some excellent apprenticeships in the RN, especially in areas such as Engineering.

For your son, Cryptologic Technician may appeal as a role if he has interests in that direction. It would mean joining, though.

I would suggest that he makes an initial enquiry to find out more. No obligation at all to go ahead if it's not what he wanted.

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/roles/cryptologic-technician

He would also find GCHQ esp. NCSC interesting.

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/our-careers/early-careers/summer-placements.html

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-ncsc/what-we-do

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/overview

@TheSquareMile Thanks for those! I hadnt thought of GCHQ! I think that would be right up his street!

Exactly! In fact it would be illegal for the NHS not to treat his application in the same way as any other applicant with the same experience. He's an adult!

@Perplexed20 I wanted to say how completely rubbish for your son. The CS are chaotic but there is no excuse for such shambolic behaviour. He is completely justified in being very miffed and upset but that sadly will not change the situation. Yes he can ring up and put some pressure on them and stress how keen he is.

In addition I’d be looking at Clearing and ringing around other Unis. Lots of great courses in Clearing and many use clearing to trade up. Maybe he can use his weekends to go and look at some other Unis and revisit Warwick too?

Good luck to your DS and to you and your DH in supporting him.

I would say, though, that it's not compulsory for 2nd & 3rd years to live in Leamington. Birmingham is easily commutable, and there are nice bits of Coventry. And the countryside of Warwickshire is gorgeous, so he could find somewhere that suits him if he drove.

@Perplexed20

Birkbeck offers a selection of part-time degrees, OP.

https://www.bbk.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/geography