Options for young people leaving school

When they turn 16, instead of staying at school, your teen may choose to go to college. A college course can help them prepare for a job and may include work experience as part of the course. Or it can help them get ready for university. You can find out more about applying for college on the My World of Work website.

If your teen has struggled with school, they may not see the point of continuing their education. But college is very different from school. It allows students to focus on the things they’re interested in (so no more subjects they hate) and to be much more independent (so no more uniforms or having to be in the building between certain times). However, this freedom also means they’ll need to be self-motivated to turn up to lectures and do the work required. This article on the UCAS website explains more about the differences between school and college.

College courses can be flexible, so your teen may be able to work part-time at the same time as studying if they want or need to. They may also be able to get an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

After leaving school or college, your teen may decide to apply for university. This gives them the opportunity to study a subject they love in depth, and to prepare themselves for a job when they leave. 

You can find out more about applying to university and getting financial support on the MyGov.scot website. The UCAS website has lots of useful information to help your teen decide what to study and where, and about how and when to apply, how to fund their studies and what uni life is like.

If your teen wants to go to university but doesn’t feel ready yet, they could consider taking a gap year. This could give them the chance to get some work experience, volunteer or even travel. They can find more information and ideas on the UCAS website.

Apprenticeships are designed to help people learn by doing and getting hands-on experience with an employer. This is also known as work-based learning. 

There are three types of apprenticeships:

• Foundation apprenticeships allow young people to learn a skill and get work experience while they’re still at school.
• Modern apprenticeships allow people to study for a recognised qualification while being employed by a company.
• Graduate apprenticeships allow people to study for a degree at university while being employed by a company.

You can find out more at the Apprenticeships.scot website.

Volunteering is a brilliant way for young people to learn new skills, meet new people and gain experience that’ll help them in the future, whether they decide to carry on their education or look for a job. 

They can find lots of opportunities on the Volunteer Scotland website. My World of Work also has more information on the value of volunteering and how to find volunteering opportunities.

Looking for a job for the first time can seem daunting – where to start? Well, your teen could start by thinking about the things they enjoy doing and the things they’re good at – you could help them with this. There are also some tools and quizzes on the My World of Work website to help them work this out.

There’s lots of advice on job hunting on the My World of Work website, including a CV builder and a helpline they can call. They can also get help at their local Jobcentre Plus and from their local council's employability team – use the dropdown list on our page on help looking for a job to get in touch. 

If they’re aged 16-24 (or 16-25 and a care leaver) they may be able to apply for Job Start Payment to help them with the costs of starting a new job. You can find out who is eligible and how to apply on the MyGov.scot website.

Internships are paid or non-paid work experience opportunities that can help people develop new skills. You can find out more about internships on the My World of Work website.

Maybe your teen has a side hustle already. Or maybe they have an idea for a business, or like the idea of being their own boss (although this usually involves being their own marketing, finance and IT departments too!). They can find out more about starting a business on the My World of Work website.

If they’re interested in starting their own business or social enterprise, they can get support from:

• Business Gateway
• The King's Trust

Young people can join the armed forces from age 16. This includes the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The armed forces offer lots of different apprenticeships, so young people can gain new skills and qualifications while they’re serving. 

Check out our page on supporting young people when they leave school for organisations offering further advice and support.