Alternatives to going to
university straight away
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Rebecca Ruddick – Curriculum advisor
Michelle van den Berg – Curriculum
advisor
Reasons for not applying
to university
This year approximately 80 students decided not to
apply for university for the following reasons:
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Undecided & need some time to think
Finance
Applying with actual A2 results
Continuing in further education or obtaining a specific skill
Taking an organised gap year, travel, volunteering,
employment placement
Historically only a small number in any year group have
decided to start their careers immediately, however this is
growing
Eventually 85% go to university
Advice to students
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Keep as many options open as
possible
Be proactive about finding alternatives
to full-time HE
Keep an application on file & generate
a reference
How support is targeted
in year 13
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‘Next Step Day’ – 10th June
‘Progression Days’
Autumn term predominantly taken up
with UCAS
‘Opportunity Ready Conference’
March
Sixth form bulletin
Curriculum & Careers advisers
Challenges with an
‘alternative route’
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Need for bravery but potential for
great rewards
Different timescales
Different sources of information
Different application processes
No crystal ball
Benefits to an alternative
route
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Drop out rate from university
If go later more likely to be successful
Fantastic range of options, can result in
more financial independence & not
committed to tuition fees at 18
Able to explore interests, use work
experience or paid work to rule types of
careers in or out
Examples of options
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Apprenticeships (Advanced)
Management training schemes
Work based learning with funded part-time
degrees/ sponsored degrees
Foundation degrees
Gap Year projects / volunteering
Year in Industry (YINI)
Working to save for university later
Apprenticeships
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Paid employees who earn a wage and work
alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific
skills, while training to work towards qualifications
62% of apprentices end up working for the
employer who provides their apprenticeship
Weekly wage for apprentices ranges from £95 £300
The service sector now the largest provider of
apprenticeships
In this region apprenticeships have increased by
50% since 209/10
Levels of apprenticeship
What to look out for
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Monumental Training are the employer
& training provider
£81 per week
Fashion apprenticeship designing your
own fashion range
What to look out for
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Baskeys NE Ltd
Newcastle
Sales negotiator (property)
£150 per week (40 hours) for 24
months
Driving licence required
L2 customer service
Starting a career
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Newcastle University
Marine Science Technician
£233 per week for 30 months
Setting up experiments, aquarium
maintenance, keeping equipment up
to date, animal husbandry
L3 NVQ lab technician – day release
for theory
Starting a career
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RIBA Enterprises Ltd
Software test analyst
Newcastle
£115 per week (35 hrs)
L2 IT professional
Starting a career
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SGP Consulting Ltd
Marketing apprenticeship
Newcastle
£110 per week (40 hrs) for 12 months
L3 Extended Diploma in Creative &
Digital Media
Starting a career
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Atos
IT software & web development
Based in Durham
£14,000 per year
Not clear on the training provided but
higher level so should be L3 or L4
Starting a career
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Benfield Nissan
Trainee Service Technician
NVQ L3 technical certificate
£120 per week (40 hrs) for 3 years
Block release training at Nissan
Training Centre in Doncaster
Starting a career
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Geneius Labaratories Ltd
Leading team of microbiologists from
Newcastle University who are
developing leading advanced DNA
technology
Lab technician, Cramlington
£140 per week for 30 months
NVQ level 3
Starting a career
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Baker Tilly
Audit Apprenticeship
Newcastle
£192 per week (37.5 hrs) for 24
months
Need 280 UCAS pts
Certificate in Accountancy Finance &
Business at level 4 (online or in
Manchester)
Starting a career
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Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution in
Hebburn
Advanced apprenticeship - working towards BTEC
National Diploma in Engineering. Either workshop
based (Craft) or office based (Technical)
£174.46 per week
Learn and develop a broad mix of mechanical and
electrical skills with technical and power engineering
related competencies to work in a variety of
locations and environments
Need GCSEs in Maths, English Language and
Science
Starting a career
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British Gas (2013)
Service technician
Level 3 diploma plus Gold Dof E award
Starting salary £10,000
Training in a British Gas academy as well as
on the job
Min 4 GSCEs including English, maths,
science plus a technology & a full driving
licence
Starting a career
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NHS Pre-registration trainee pharmacy technician
Working at one of several hospitals in the North
East.
Working towards NVQ Lv3 in Pharmacy Service
Skills and BTEC Lv3 Diploma in Pharmaceutical
Science.
£275 per week for 2 years
Accurately dispense prescriptions and ward
orders, advise patients, receive payments,
preparation of IVs and medicines.
Need min. 4 GCSEs including Science, Maths and
English.
To gain experience
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Twisting Ducks Theatre Company
Project Support Worker
Newcastle
Working with people with learning
disabilities to participate in film, music
& performing arts
£88 per week (32.5 hrs) for 1 year
Training at Sage Gateshead – NVQ in
supporting live events
To gain experience – HR
& law
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Parkdean Holidays – HR apprenticeship
(£179 per week for 1 year)
Piramal Healthcare – HR apprenticeship
(£200 per week for 1 year)
Iris Law – Gateshead – business admin
apprenticeship (£95 per week for 1 year)
David Gray Solicitors – Newcastle – business
admin apprenticeship (£101 per week for 1
year)
To gain experience –
H&SC
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St Anthony of Padua day care centre – care
assistant
Impact Family Services (Cascass) – business
admin apprenticeship
The Fostering Company NE – business
admin apprenticeship
YMCA – Youth & community arts worker
Northumbria University – childcare
apprenticeship
School Leaver Schemes
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Ernst & Young – 4 different accountancy schemes from
school leavers to sponsored degrees
Tesco – Commercial Development Programme
(merchandising and buying) 2 year programme
Aldi – Apprenticeship retail management scheme – initially
1 year leading to a further 2 year management scheme.
Based in Hexham. £159 per week (30 hrs).
Shroders – paid year long placements in the financial
services industry
Trafigura – a year’s paid placement in Geneva or Houston,
including accommodation learning to be a commodity
trainer
Sponsored degrees
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Willis – 5 year programme studying for professional
qualification(CII) – paid work experience and
professional training. Based in Glasgow or
Birmingham.
Barratt Homes – Residential & Construction
Foundation Degree Programme – up to £24,000
salary and sponsorship of a foundation degree.
Nationwide opportunities.
CGI – sponsored degree in Business Management for
IT at University of Winchester & starting salary of
£13,000. Based in Reading or Leatherhead
PwC – Flying Start Degree Programme – 4 year
programme with paid placements at PWC and a
sponsored accountancy degree at Newcastle
University
Sponsored Degrees
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National Grid – Power System Planning –
Engineering Training Programme – 2 year
programme with work experience and sponsored
foundation degree. Starting salary £23,500.
Nationwide.
Morrisons’ fully sponsored degree programme –
earn & study for a BA business management course
Engineering Officer Cadetships – sponsored HNC
HND programme – 30 companies recruit trainee
deck, engineer & ETO officers through this scheme
Capgemini – Initial 2 year Level 4 Diploma in IT
(software engineering) & then the opportunity for a
sponsored degree taking you up to 5 years.
£16,000. Newcastle.
Year In Industry
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High-quality, paid placements for students in their gap
year before or during their degree course
In engineering, science, IT, e-commerce, business,
marketing, finance and logistics.
Current vacancies include: Statistical Modelling in
Manchester, Student Design Engineer in Blyth,
Manufacturing based role in Newcastle &
Design/Draughting in an engineering company in
Stockton.
All the above placements have a salary of at least
£12,000.
http://www.yini.org.uk/
Year Out Group
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Year Out Group provides a total reference for all
you need to plan your gap year.
Includes 40 gap year organisations that provide a
wide range of gap year programs in over 90
countries.
Organisations include: Projects Abroad, Art History
Abroad, Sportventurer, Worldwide Experience,
Lattitude Global Volunteering, Raleigh, BUNAC,
Camp America, Peak Leaders, African Conservation
Experience, Gap Year Diver, Outreach International,
Real Gap Experience, Project Trust, Year Out
Drama, Aventure
http://www.yearoutgroup.org/
Project Trust
Placements in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America
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Teaching
Care
Conservation &
Environment
Culture & Community
Sports
Medicine & Healthcare
Journalism
 Business
Law & Human Rights
 Archaeology
 Veterinary Care
 Language Courses
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Year Out Drama
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A year-long intensive
practical Drama course, held
in Stratford-on-Avon.
Close contact with the RSC.
Includes acting, directing,
design, costume,
performance, voice,
movement and text study.
www.yearoutdrama.co.uk
National Trust
Short breaks start from £85
 Archaeology
 Preserving coast or
countryside
 Construction of walls and
footpaths
 Helping out behind an
event
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Farming
Rural skills
Carrying out surveys
Your own special
interests such as
photography or stone
carving
Summary
Our aim is to encourage students to investigate their
options to make sure they make an informed decision
which will suit them at this stage in their life:
 Sixth form bulletin
 Open days
 University websites & Unistats website
 YINI application
 Apprenticeship website
 Notgoingtouni website
 Targeting organisations they would like to work for –
checking their websites regularly for management
training
How you can help
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Make the most of the Next Step conference
& Progression week
Make an appointment with one of us to
explore career options further if after
progression week they do not feel any
clearer
Use the Sixth form bulletin to prompt your
son/daughter into being proactive
Reassure them that students are often
undecided – they are not the only one