Got your results, what next?
Jump to: Education Maintenance Allowance | Financial support | Apprenticeships
Useful websites:
A one-stop shop for all skills training information and support - www.lsc.gov.uk/inourhands
The best way to access all government services - www.direct.gov.uk
Everything young people need to know about money, work, study, relationships, health and the law - www.need2know.co.uk
Information on more than 900,000 courses around the country, including ones you can take online - www.learndirect.co.uk
The place to go if you decide you’d like to enter university - www.ucas.ac.uk
National charity that works for, and with, parents providing advice and guidance - www.parentlineplus.org.uk
Find out more about getting back into study with the Adult Learning Grant, eligibility and how to apply - www.direct.gov.uk/alg
Advice: Leaving Education - jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Find a job locally or anywhere in the UK - www.jobstoday.co.uk
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
EMA is a weekly allowance for learners who continue in learning after their GCSEs. Young people who need to re-take their GCSE results can also qualify for the allowance.
16, 17 or 18 year-olds on September 1 2007 from a household with an annual income of £30,810 or less who stay on at college or school or join E2E or Programme Led Apprenticeship may be eligible for EMA.
The scheme allows payments of £10, £20 or £30 a week in return for a commitment to learn. Additional bonus payments are also available on top of weekly EMA payments if you show dedication to your learning programme, and meet certain targets.
No other household benefits are affected, and young people can still have a part-time job.
For advice and information on how to apply for EMA call 080 810 16219 or visit the web-site www.direct.gov.uk/ema for application packs. For people with speech and hearing difficulties who use textphone, please call 0800 056 5344.
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Other financial support
The LSC has introduced a range of programmes to reduce financial barriers to learning - directing support at those that need it most. More information on these schemes is available on www.lsc.gov.uk/inourhands.
In special circumstances there are Learner Support Funds available, to find out more young people should contact their school or college.
If a young person is under 19 and a teenage parent and they want to return or continue their education or training at school or college - Care2Learn may be able to pay for their childcare and extra costs.
If a young person is between 16-19 and is attending a Further Education course at a sixth form school, sixth-form college or a Further Education institution, they may be able to get help to cover their transport costs.
If a young person needs to study at a college, which is not within reasonable distance from their home, there is funding available that they can apply for - this can pay for residential accommodation and can help with some travel costs once they have applied and been accepted onto the scheme.
Studying at a dance or drama school can be very expensive - but if a young person is 16 or over and has the talent and the right attitude, they may be able to get a Dance and Drama Award to cover their costs.
Adult Learning Grant (ALG) is a weekly grant designed to help adults studying full-time with the costs of learning. The grant pays up to £30 per week (subject to financial assessment) for full time learners aged 19 and over who are studying for their first full level two or level three, which is the equivalent to 5 GCSEs or 2 A levels.
ALG is intended to be a helping hand for adults who want to learn more skills, but have certain financial worries. The grant was rolled out nationally this summer following a successful pilot programme that began in 2003 and has spread to 24 areas of England
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Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are a mixture of on and off the job training that provide individuals with the skills they need for their chosen career, while earning a wage.
Research shows that apprentices earn, on average, over £100,000 more throughout their lifetime than other employees .
More than 250,000 individuals are currently pursuing this route with over 130,000 employers across the country. Apprentices are increasingly going on to Higher Education while they earn a real wage, often with fees paid for by their employer.
What are the key features of apprenticeships?
Apprenticeships provide a mixture of on and off-the-job training whilst being paid.
Apprenticeships typically take between one and four years to complete, depending on the type of framework.
Most apprentices receive a wage from day one and research shows that on average apprentices receive around £137 per week after deductions.
Apprenticeships provided a route to Higher Education. Some sectors offering degree level (Level 4) Apprenticeships.
Who is eligible?
Anyone aged 16 and above is eligible to partake in an apprenticeship.
There are two levels of apprenticeships available:
- ‘Apprenticeships’, equivalent to GCSE level, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification to Level 2; key skills and in some cases a technical certificate.
- ‘Advanced Apprenticeships’, equivalent to A-levels, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification to Level 3, key skills and a technical certificate.
There are more than 200 apprenticeships available in approximately 80 sectors of industry and commerce, ranging from accountancy to football, engineering to veterinary nursing and business administration to construction.
How do apprenticeships work?
As employees, apprentices work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off-the-job, usually on a day release basis, apprentices receive training with a local training provider such as a college.
To find out more about Apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.
Connexions Peterborough has a team of advisers on-hand to talk you through everything you can do after getting your GCSE results, whether you’ve done better than expected, or much worse than you hoped. - www.connexions-direct.com
See www.purplepigeon.net, or visit the team at Central Library, Broadway. Phone 01733 703400 or email connexions@peterborough.gov.uk
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Note: The Evening Telegraph and Peterborough Today are not responsible for the content of external websites.
Page last updated: Wednesday, August 22, 2007
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