I’m working at secondary schools, in London and the south east of England, as a freelance career guidance coach. I work with year 11s, who are choosing their 6th form study or training options, as well as with year 12s, who are considering their further education options.

I love working with school-age students. There is so much to talk about with them. What I’m always keen to talk to students about is work experience and how they can become employable quickly. Besides gaining some real life work experience, or volunteering opportunities, during year-12, one of the things I want to talk to them about are all of the ways in which they can become “work ready”, through skills training, during and beyond year 13.

A huge emphasis in recent years has been upon the university degree study path. This is great for many students and a lot of the 16 year-olds that I meet do hope to apply through UCAS for undergraduate degree courses. Many though are unaware of the other study and training options available to them.

In the words of Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, in an interview with Radio 1s Katie Thistleton, the aim is now for 2/3 of students to go into a university course, or a “gold standard” apprenticeship. One option available is the degree-apprenticeship. These are available to UK citizens who are eligible to work in the UK.

Another option that has been reintroduced, or rebranded from Certificates and Diplomas, and which was the route I took after my A’ Levels, are Higher Technical Qualifications HTQs. During my Higher National Diploma, in the 1980s, which sort of fell out of popularity, for a range of reasons, over the years, I did 2 work placements. I felt “work ready” and was offered a graduate traineeship straight after graduating.

Next, is the option whereby you do study at university, but complete what is referred to as a Professional Placement. Many students I talk to are unaware of this as a possibility. My eldest daughter completed such a placement as part of her undergraduate degree and, for her, this meant that she had already been offered a position, with the organisation with which she carried out the internship, prior to graduating. Even if that doesn’t happen for you or your child, the connections you can make during placements, or internships, can be pivotal in your career.

I’m not sure all university graduates feel “work ready” if their university course is purely theoretical and they haven’t done some industry linked work activities. Students and their parents are understandably worried about access to employment after several years of academic study. With AI taking over many entry level work activities, there are a lot of university graduates leaving UK universities and having to return to the family home and take up jobs that have no relevance to their degrees. Indeed, a BBC report suggests that there may be as many as 700,000 graduates currently out of work.

I see this a lot in my private work; young adults working in entry-level jobs that they hate and really not sure how to access relevant skilled work. This is why I’m so keen on work experience placements and professional placements, apprenticeships, HTQs, HNDs and degree-apprenticeships besides degee pathways for the students I talk to.

A piece for another time will touch upon how I guide those in the situation I referred to above – the 20-somethings who are seeking skilled jobs and struggling with the recruitment process.

For support for your teenager, you can contact me via the website contact box, or by emailing me at karen@karenyourcareercoach.com