Does my daughter have to tell anyone that she isn't working??

getmore4less

frogga wrote: »

Well, I suppose it is delaying tactics? But she'll end up with a degree that can only help in her quest for employment. So quite a good tactic I think.

It just puts her three years behind people with experience unless it is critical to the jobs she wants to do.

oh yes that's the bit she has no clue on.

What degree is she doing?

anamenottaken

saker75 wrote: »

I agree.

University is not just about the academics, but about the co-curricular involvement, meeting a diverse range of people, being outside of your comfort zone. Unless the OP's daughter demonstrates that she has seized every opportunity to undertake sport, volunteering, part-time work, internships etc then most graduate recruiters won't give her a second look.

This could be a real career limiting decision unless she has an action plan to develop her skills. The OU's careers team are excellent and she should engage with them throughout.

Studying with the OU should mean meeting a very diverse range of people - probably more diverse in terms of age and experience than at a traditional university.

The opening post said that she was looking for part-time work.

frogga

Interesting how threads tend to go off in a different direction as to the one it started on? The question was about having to tell 'someone' what she was doing with herself. Luckily for me some knowledgeable people on here have put my mind at rest about that one.

I'm assuming that the family member meant the Government or the council with regards to Tax and Insurance and accountability? They have an 18 yo who has just 'signed on' and I think that's where it came from but I'm not sure.

With regards to what degree, at the moment she has picked to do a Science bit and a History bit to start with and I think she said it will be an 'open degree' rather than a specific subject. But she has been advised that once she has earned credits, she may like to specialise if she finds something she is particularly interested in.

She does volunteer work in a charity shop, does reading in a primary school, and runs a local youth group. She has many interests and is in no way a hermit who 'doesn't mix well'. She has expressed an interest in being Primary School teacher possibly so yes, she would need the degree, and as there is a shortage of teachers I don't think they'd be picky about where she got said degree?

Lots of people don't know what they want to do at 18. She's a good person who works hard and as we are happy to support her, I'm not sure what the problem is? :beer: All is well thanks.

Mojisola

frogga wrote: »

She does volunteer work in a charity shop, does reading in a primary school, and runs a local youth group. She has many interests and is in no way a hermit who 'doesn't mix well'.

Lots of people don't know what they want to do at 18. She's a good person who works hard and as we are happy to support her, I'm not sure what the problem is? :beer: All is well thanks.

Doesn't sound as if there's a problem at all. Good for her for choosing to do what suits her rather than follow the crowd.

Loanranger

There is no shortage of primary school teachers, it's physics and maths at secondary school level where the shortages are. Also, she needs to do a degree in a national curriculum subject in order to get into primary teaching so she really needs to discuss these ideas, no matter how vague, with a careers adviser in your local town. Not the school's careers teacher but someone qualified as a careers adviser. It's not too late for her to go to a brick university in September, if she chooses this path. I have two OU degrees so understand how lonely that path can be, especially for an 18 year old.

frogga

Thank you, that's interesting to read. I work in a secondary school and they hire Canadians and Americans all the time because they can't get British teacher to fill the posts so I thought it was the same?

I also though a degree was a degree? Is it the same if she wanted to teach High School? The careers advise she had at school wasn't great, they just wanted to push her to go to a brick uni. She really doesn't want to do that, the reasons are irrelevant and I wouldn't like to go into them here. Also in my school they struggle to fill all posts, in all subjects, English History as well as Maths and Science. The local authority website is FULL of teaching jobs?

Annisele

frogga wrote: »

I also though a degree was a degree? Is it the same if she wanted to teach High School? T

No - not all degrees are equal. She can have a look here at the routes into teaching (for England and Wales).

In theory you can have a degree in any subject and then get a place on a primary PGCE, but in practice you'll really struggle if you've done something esoteric.

For secondary, you really need a degree in the subject you'll be teaching. You might get away with teaching maths with a physics degree, or chemistry if your degree is biology, but usually the subject has to be pretty closely related.

If she definitely wants to be a primary teacher, she'd probably be better off going straight for a BEd (a degree in education). From what you say it sounds as though she isn't definite about what she wants to do, but it's something to consider.

missbiggles1

frogga wrote: »

Interesting how threads tend to go off in a different direction as to the one it started on? The question was about having to tell 'someone' what she was doing with herself. Luckily for me some knowledgeable people on here have put my mind at rest about that one.

I'm assuming that the family member meant the Government or the council with regards to Tax and Insurance and accountability? They have an 18 yo who has just 'signed on' and I think that's where it came from but I'm not sure.

With regards to what degree, at the moment she has picked to do a Science bit and a History bit to start with and I think she said it will be an 'open degree' rather than a specific subject. But she has been advised that once she has earned credits, she may like to specialise if she finds something she is particularly interested in.

She does volunteer work in a charity shop, does reading in a primary school, and runs a local youth group. She has many interests and is in no way a hermit who 'doesn't mix well'. She has expressed an interest in being Primary School teacher possibly so yes, she would need the degree, and as there is a shortage of teachers I don't think they'd be picky about where she got said degree?

Lots of people don't know what they want to do at 18. She's a good person who works hard and as we are happy to support her, I'm not sure what the problem is? :beer: All is well thanks.

There is no shortage whatsoever of primary school teachers, they're very much over supplied. The fdact that her degree is from the OU won't go against her but she needs to ensure that 50% of it's in a National Curriculum subject.