No Qualifications? No Career?

UKBrad

After leaving school i just wanted to start earning money but now im 19 years old ive realised that the only way to earn good money is to have some good qualifications behind you, i cant afford to go collage now or have an apprenticeship. Is there any kind of qualifications/degrees you can obtain while in full time work. I am also looking into starting my own business but once again without experiance or qualifications its not going to be easy. Thanks

slummymummyof3

What line of work are you currently in? What area do your interests lie in? There are plenty of part time college courses that run in the evenings or on a day release basis (if your employer is agreeable) A lot depends on what you have in the way of GCSE's????

UKBrad

Currently just working as a waiter/cook for 6.20 an hour at little chef, but my times are all over the place, im sure i would probably be able to get one night of a week for collage. I did do a course before, in web design but no qualification was obtained from it as its called leisure learning. I have the energy and commitment to learn new things, the only issue is funding. I still dont have much idea of what i want to do in life which is bad considering my age, i need to start something and work hard at it to achieve in it.

UKBrad

All Gcse's were B's nd C's

cmw1212

UKBrad wrote: »

Currently just working as a waiter/cook for 6.20 an hour at little chef, but my times are all over the place, im sure i would probably be able to get one night of a week for collage. I did do a course before, in web design but no qualification was obtained from it as its called leisure learning. I have the energy and commitment to learn new things, the only issue is funding. I still dont have much idea of what i want to do in life which is bad considering my age, i need to start something and work hard at it to achieve in it.

Goodness you are only 19...stop being so hard on yourself, if you had taken the higher ed route from school you'd still only be in your first poss second year at uni. I suspect only a very few lucky people know exactly what they want to do at your age and end up doing it.
Practical suggestions now have a look through your local colleges websites see if anything catches your eye, also you are still eligible for help from connexions so maybe speak to an adviser there.

inmypocketnottheirs

I'd echco cmw1212's post, in as much as don't be so hard on yourself. But in today's job market you really need to be qualified to get anywhere. The fact at 19 you have a job that pays over the NMW (if only by a few pence) then you are doing well!

However, if you don't want to get stuck in low paid work for the rest of your life then you really need to find some direction.

As cmw1212 says get in touch ASAP with your nearest connexions. You need really to give us some idea of your interests, hobbies and what subjects you got what grades in for anyone to make any suggestions of things you could consider.

I would like to say, that you will need to make some sacrifices in order to get qualified. Whatever route you go down will mean that you either have to invest time, money or possibly both to get something worthwhile.

If I think back to 19 (I'm 47 now), then I was just like you, eager to earn money. But the world has changed, I don't think overall NMW has improved the situation greatly. Try and find anywork, unskilled, that pays more and you will see what I mean.

As I say, whatever route you go down, it won't be an easy fix. But what you have to think of is the implications of not getting better qualified.

Am I making sense?!?!

prosaver

UKBrad wrote: »

Currently just working as a waiter/cook for 6.20 an hour at little chef, but my times are all over the place, im sure i would probably be able to get one night of a week for collage. I did do a course before, in web design but no qualification was obtained from it as its called leisure learning. I have the energy and commitment to learn new things, the only issue is funding. I still dont have much idea of what i want to do in life which is bad considering my age, i need to start something and work hard at it to achieve in it.

take it easy and enjoy your life....after a while working there you ll probably get promoted etc.:beer:..and theres not many jobs out there.
plus do you get free food:j I use to like the Little chef (not the bloke)
:rotfl:

MrsManda

Have you had a look at the Open University?
They do a wide range of subjects and you don't need any prior qualifications. Because it's all modular you can take a range of courses and build up to a certificate of education, a diploma, or a degree.
It is possible to get some financial support towards fees etc... but I thought the best thing about the OU is that you can do it around other things as there are no lectures (generally) where you have to be somewhere at a specific time and there is usually two submission dates so you can study around your usual work.

Oldernotwiser

You can make an appointment with Nextstep Careers Adviser where you'll be able to discuss your options and find out about training.

https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

The service is free.

UKBrad

Thanks for all the advice, been looking at leisure learning courses and seen a garden maintenance course, am now thinking of doing some voluntary work and getting some further experience so I can potentially begin a landscape gardening business. the reason I chose this is as it is relatively cheap to set up and enjoy being outside. I have written a list of what I think I need and believe I can begin the businesses with £1000. this can be funded by my current job and I shall just start of as part time. Thanks for all you help, has really got me thinking

Person_one

Wow, you went from not knowing what you want from life to a business plan with a budget in 24 hours! Don't rush into anything, make sure you do plenty of research.