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What next after GCE Advanced?
At present
most GCE Advanced leavers go on to university, but a minority, about
10% to 15%, start work.
There’s
no longer a distinct job market for GCE Advanced leavers. Over
the last 30 years most professions have, in practice,
become the preserve of graduates. At the same time, the growth
in the number of graduates means that GCE Advanced leavers can
find themselves competing for ‘non-graduate’ jobs with graduates.
You may also face competition from 16- and 17-year-old school leavers
entering jobs through Modern Apprenticeships and National Traineeships.
However, the last few years have
seen some sectors specifically target the old A level and now the GCE
Advanced leaver - for instance, retail management, customer care, the
Civil Service and parts of the travel industry.
The positive side for GCE Advanced leavers
is that:
- Employers
will see that you have the ability and determination to
achieve a high level qualification like GCE Advanced
- You
will be older and more mature than Year 11 leavers
- You
possess known GCSE results; the only results you're waiting for are
your GCE Advanced
- Some
jobs, like social work and the police, are not open to under-18s
- You
will probably have a clearer idea of what you want to do
than younger job applicants
- You
may be less likely to leave than a graduate
- You
will be cheaper than a graduate!
The most
common first jobs entered by GCE Advanced leavers are:
- Clerical
and administration
- Retail
sales and distribution
- Hospitality
and catering
- Production
workers/assemblers, machine operatives in manufacturing
- Trainee
technicians in manufacturing engineering, construction crafts
and technicians, accountancy, pharmacy
- Health
related – e.g. nurse training, technicians and care work
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