Education
Education plays a big part in all of our lives, learning, gaining skills, values, morals and beliefs. This can be through teaching, training, storytelling, discussion and so much more. Here you'll find useful stories based around education.
Your options at the end of year 11
Here is our round up of everything you could possibly choose at the end of school
It’s not very often that a new GCSE subject appears. When the GCSE Natural History was announced in England earlier this year, we had to find out more. The new qualification has some high-profile supporters from the BBC to The Eden Project and The Natural History Museum, so it looks like it’s already off to a good start. Here’s what we know so far.
If you’ve been doing perhaps ten or more subjects at GCSE, having to narrow that down to just three or four to study at A Level can seem like a tough call. There are no rules on how to make that decision, but there are certainly some factors that you should probably consider. These are our suggestions.
The Open University has been offering flexible study options for more than 50 years and has helped over 2 million people achieve qualifications. At a time when more and more of life has flipped online or at a distance, we look at how The OU stacks up against a traditional university course.
The new A-Level - Built Environment
In Issue 1 we featured the new GCSE in Construction and the Built Environment, that was introduced in Welsh schools and colleges this academic year from September 2021. Now the A Level and standalone AS Level qualifications have been reviewed and will be available to deliver in colleges from autumn 2023. We take a look at what this new A Level in Built Environment has to offer students.
Space Placements in Industry (SPIN)
The Space Placements in Industry (SPIN) scheme is now open for applications and provides placement opportunities for those considering employment in the space sector!
Graduate engineer Jonny Jamison tells us how what started as passion for cars shared with his Dad is promising to become a next-generation career in engineering.
Interactive learning opportunities
Anyone who has been in education in the last couple of years won’t have failed to notice the dramatic increase in technology use in and out of the classroom. But it’s not just education that has been revolutionised by new technologies as we featured in a previous article, the world of TV and film is increasingly using gaming software to provide ‘scenery’. It’s perhaps not a surprise, then, that technology is also being used to offer realistic careers related experiences, too. We look at one innovative scheme operating in Wales to give potential construction industry recruits a taste of the job.
Are you thinking about applying for university?
Have you stopped to really think about why? ‘Because my friends are’, ‘Because my parents expect it’ or even ‘Because I don’t know what else to do’ are often quoted but are they enough? Each year, around 6% of undergraduate students will drop out of their university course. This could be for a whole range of reasons, but a significant number are because their course or university life wasn’t what they were expecting. Whilst a good many will successfully complete further study or training elsewhere, perhaps a little more thought in advance could have saved them this ‘false start’.
If you decide to go straight into work after college or an apprenticeship, it doesn’t mean you can’t study for qualifications later on. What if you are looking to change direction in your career, but can’t afford to stop working to study full time, for example? Lots of people decide to go to university later in life - either using their existing experience to do a ‘top-up’ degree, or taking the time out to do a three-year undergraduate degree. Or you can study part-time for professional qualifications in areas like marketing, accounting, HR, and computing.
If you haven’t heard about them yet, T Levels are a qualification that was introduced in England in September 2020 for students aged 16+. They are two-year courses which reflect the reality of the industry you study and will become one of the main choices for students after GCSEs.
What are access to HE courses?
What if, a bit later in life, you decide you want to go to university but didn’t have the opportunity to get the right entry qualifications before? Don’t let that stop you - that’s just the situation that Access to Higher Education (HE) courses were designed for. We look at what they are all about.
National Apprenticeship Week 2022 - what to look forward to!
The fifteenth annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place from 7th to 13th February 2022. It’s a week to celebrate apprentices and apprenticeships, and to shine a light on the positive differences they can make for individuals, for employers and for our economy. We look ahead to what we can expect to see taking place.
Exam results not what you expected?
You’ve got the envelope; your results are in and they are not what you were expecting! Whether they are better or worse than predicted, you are probably in a turmoil of emotions and don’t know what to do for the best. We look at the sensible steps you should take, whether you are facing disappointment or delight.
There’s more than one way into the legal profession
Lucy Beck is a qualified Chartered Legal Executive and Licensed Conveyancer who specialises in property law. We talked to her about how she trained and how she is now supporting a legal trainee and a colleague who recently qualified within her own practice.
It’s probably not quite enough to say that a Quantity Surveyor ‘surveys quantities’. Quantities of what? And how would they even do that? There were about 60,000 Quantity Surveyors working in the UK in 2020, a number which is growing steadily as the construction industry grows. We take a look at what it actually means to be a Quantity Surveyor (QS) and how you might become one.
From ‘playing host’ to family and friends as a child, Jeremy is now doing the job for real as the General Manager of a prestigious hotel. He shares the amazing opportunities his career choice has given him.
Sowing the seeds of a blossoming career
The UK landscape industry employs over 278,000 people and contributes £11.6 billion to our economy. Yet, for many school leavers, ‘gardening’ is what their grandparents do and they wouldn’t dream of considering it as a career. We chat with one apprentice who tells us why she has decided to branch out.
Often known as a ‘sandwich’ course, undergraduate degrees in applied or vocational subjects can include the option to have a year in industry, usually taken between years two and three of academic study. But do they just delay your graduation or offer vital experience? We spoke to one student to get his views.
Anxious about going to University?
It’s only human to feel anxious about a new situation and going to University can feel like a big step. We have spoken to professional coach, Caroline D’ay, who has some great tips for keeping those nerves under control.
Accountancy - A career that adds up
Within a decade of leaving college, Jack had set up his own practice as an Accountant. From an early age, he’d known he wanted to work in an office, but it was a careers talk that really inspired him. Here he tells us about his journey – so far!
Architecture could generally be explained as both the art and the science of designing buildings. Surely every architect’s dream is to build not just a beautiful building, but one which also satisfies its purpose most efficiently? And managing these two, often conflicting goals, is just the start of an architect’s task; no wonder they traditionally take years to qualify.
Dentistry - A career to smile about
Whatever we feel, personally, about dentists, the fact is they are an essential part of our healthcare. Like other branches of medicine, there are also many specialisms within dentistry. We say ‘open wide’ to some toothsome career options.
These tips will help you to manage your money and feel confident about your finances. They will help you plan for the future and feel confident month-to-month.
Esports BTEC - a new qualification built for employment
Esports, competitive video gaming, is a fast-growing international industry worth millions of pounds. A new BTEC qualification, developed by education company Pearson and The British Esports Association, has been designed to give you the skills you’ll need.
What does it mean to be a disruptor?
There is much talk especially on professional networks like LinkedIn about ‘disruptors’ in business. Depending on your viewpoint, disruptors are either fresh-thinking innovators who aren’t afraid to shake-up how things are done, or they are people who simply think ‘the rules’ don’t apply to them. We meet one young man who has been labelled a disruptor to make up our own mind.