Year 11 is a time to start thinking about your future. What do you want to do after school? What career do you want? Do you want to go to University? These are probably questions you keep getting asked on a regular basis. Don't panic! There are different options you can take!
Raising the Participation Age (RPA) is the Government’s policy which sets out a new requirement for young people to continue in learning or training. In England from 2015 all young people must stay in some form of education or training until they are 18, as the majority of young people already do.
This doesn't mean you have to stay at school however, there are different options you can take:
- Full-time education, such as school or college
- An Apprenticeship;
- Part-time education or training if you are employed, self employed or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week.
Thinking about what type of career you might like once you stopped learning can be a big influence on what your next steps are. Does the career you have in mind require certain qualifications like A-Levels or a degree? Or do you not know what you want to do and want to keep you options open.
You can get all the help you need by speaking to a Youth Support Worker or careers advisor in your school. They will have access to information such as qualifications needed for courses, and what the courses lead to in the future.
