Teen college/work

[seeyouyesterday]

DS, 17 wants to drop college course & work full time. He works PT at a high st store & worked there full time over the holidays so he knows there are more hours available there. The course he is doing at college isn’t really something he chose, he just did it as it was something he had to do. However, his gf quit her course (same college) few wks ago & although DS has me expressed he didn’t want to continue his course before gf quit hers, we (his dad & 1) are left wondering if he’s not just influenced by her. He says he’s going to quit it when he’s 18 anyway as he’ll have another year to do. He wants to get into another career which his dad does & we’ll support him with that all the way. His dad is really against him quitting college, thinks he’ll waste his days away, I don’t, I’ve seen how much he worked over the holidays. He’ll still have to go to college to complete his English though. Yes I don’t want DS to make any rash decisions & to really think it through but if he’s planning on quitting when he’s 18 what’s the point in staying on a course he has no intention of pursuing a career in?

What’s the other career? Can’t he move to another college to train in that or find an apprenticeship?

I wouldn’t want him moving into full time retail without a plan as he could end up stuck there.

I don't think he can quit his main course and still attend college for English, as he will no longer be on a full time course so college won't get funding.
And he won't be able to access English for free until the Sept after he turns 19.

So other career (sorry won’t say exactly cos it could be outing) is in emergency services & he can’t apply til he’s 18 anyway - there’s no college course for it just training.

I’m only going by what DS has said about being able to drop course & still attend for English as others have been able to do it, but yes, that is definitely something we will look into. It’s hard because I don’t want him having to do a course he really doesn’t want to but it’s a shame as well to just drop it all. He has a plan which is good & he wants to work, which is admirable. It’s a good place as well that he works for, it certainly wouldn’t be a bad place for a career.

I know someone who dropped out of college at 17 to work full time in his retail job.
He joined the management training scheme.
He is 25 now and a store manager and recently bought a house.
If he can still do his English and if his job is definitely offering full time (get it in writing before he quits college) then he should go for it.

Btec in uniformed services or health and social care? Even those with intake at 18 often have expectations of level 3 qualifications and definitely English and Maths gcse or level 2 equivalent.

Yeah, he understands what he wants to do isn’t an easy road to get into, he seen his dad try a few times, but it’s what he wants to do.

He wouldn't meet Condition of Funding for English without a main programme of study

How is ‘emergency services’ outing? There are thousands of emergency workers.

Paramedic? He’d need a degree or to do an apprenticeship which requires 5 GCSE at grade 4 or above including Maths and English.

Firefighter? Check your local brigade as many require Maths and English.

Is he retaking English in November?
If so, could you convince him to stay until he has done that?
Then, it's not such a rash decision and he might change his mind.
If he is retaking English next summer, you need to check he is going to be able to do that at his college - seems unlikely.

If you are in England, you are meant to be in education until 18, so I am not sure if he is allowed to work full time. I know no one would come after him, but it's possible he might not be given a full time work contract until 18.

Many colleges run a pre-uniformed services course which may be useful if he cannot actually access what he wants to do until 18.

he’s unlikely to be able to just do resit English at college

Thanks everyone for the replies. Definitely will need to look into whether the college would support him doing his English still so it’s not a done deal as he seems to think so. And he knows he needs to pass his English . His work as far as I know would certainly increase his hours but not to full time, like 40 hrs, would be 20-30 hrs.