Uptake in vocational studies suggests pupils are laser-focused on careers

DfE today (16 Oct) published provisional information on A levelrovisional information on A level and other results for 16- to 18-year-olds at the end of their final year:

This statistical publication provides provisional information on the overall achievements of 16- to 18-year-olds who were at the end of 16 to 18 study by the end of the 2017 to 2018 academic year, including:

• A levels and other academic level 3 qualifications
• technical and applied level 3 qualifications
• level 2 vocational qualifications and technical certificate qualifications
• progress in English and maths qualifications (for students without an A* -C/9-4 grade at key stage 4)
• level 3 maths qualifications (for students with an A*-C/9-4 grade in maths at key stage 4)

It’s really encouraging to see more students studying vocational qualifications as it suggests that pupils are increasingly laser focused on the career they want after university from an earlier age.

The number of level 2 vocational students leapt by 16% on the previous year, which means that even before A-level or the equivalent qualification, pupils have a good idea of the career path they want to end up in.   

This is hardly surprising. High tuition fees are encouraging students to look to more career-centric subjects which support a better outcome on graduation.

These courses can promise a greater chance of getting into the job they ultimately want – with such uncertainty in the economy and surrounding Brexit, school students are already on the hunt for courses that will offer them a greater degree of security.

Lee Lucas, principal at the Fashion Retail Academy