The key facts
- It’s mandatory to take Maths, English and Science.
- Some schools may require pupils to take other specific subjects – possibly a l
anguage, second science, religious education or ICT - The rest of the choice is theirs however this may only be a couple of additional GCSE’s depending on the total number allowed including the required and mandatory ones.
Long term planning
If your child has a burning desire for a specific job role already then you need to work backwards and find out what qualification that job role requires. If it’s a University degree then look at the A Level entry requirements for the course. Then a step further back to where you are now, will they need to do a certain GCSE to be able to study it at A Levels?
It’s seriously long term planning but a step in the wrong direction now could add on a year or so in the future to getting their dream job.
It’s exactly the same with Apprentices, if you child doesn
’t want to go to University and get a hefty student loan have a look now at the potential Apprenticeship routes available and what their entry requirements are. More information on Apprentices can be found here if you need it under the FAQ section http://www.autocity.org.uk/index.php/find-a-job-apprenticeship/
Alternatively if they have no idea then think about what they enjoy and are naturally good at as well as subjects with a good carry over to other disciplines. Keep it broad and keeping your options open for the future.
GCSE’s and Automotive
Generally careers require a good standard of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT skills however don’t underestimate a drive and passion for a specific career path that can be shown at an interview. Work Experience and showing you can communicate with people is also key. We have an Apprenticeship Guide that shows you what sort of things employers and training providers look for in an Apprentice with some example questions and tests.
If you’re unsure of all the possibilities within the retail automotive industry (and there are 150+ to choose from) then take a look at www.autocity.org.uk for all the info you need on each job role and hear from under 25’s talking about their experiences of the profession.
In summary
- Think about long term planning and their next st
eps - Consider what they enjoy and are good at
- Don’t overload with too many subjects
- Ask advice for teachers, career advisors
- Get some valuable work experience in the bag
- Remember it’s not the end of the world if they choose the wrong subject for them, they have time to retrain
To read the handy Parents Guide to Automotive follow this link and select ‘Parents Guide’ from the drop down menu: http://www.autocity.org.uk/index.php/parents/