Can a 17 year old work in full time job without gaining GCSE maths? 29 March 2022 at 2:01PM in Employment, jobseeking & training 24 replies 971 views

PWFZ12

As per the title, can a 17 year old get a full time job in England without achieving maths GCSE?

TadleyBaggie

I'm certain it's possible to get a full time job without any GCSEs at all.

Marcon

PWFZ12 said:

As per the title, can a 17 year old get a full time job in England without achieving maths GCSE?

The only time you'd need it would be if the job itself required GCSE maths. Plenty of jobs don't have a requirement for any particular exam passes, and in some cases no requirement for any exam passes at all.

theoretica

I don't think the GCSEs are the issue - I think it is the age. 17 year olds are supposed to be in at least part time training or education.  Though I have no idea how it is enforced or monitored.

https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

Savvy_Sue

How close to 18 are they?

Ath_Wat

Having GCSE maths won't enter into it, but in England you have to be "in part-time education or training" until you are 18.  This would include a full time apprenticeship. 
The fact is the person in question ought to be in some sort of education or training now, are they, and do they want to leave it to take the job?

PWFZ12

Ath_Wat said:

Having GCSE maths won't enter into it, but in England you have to be "in part-time education or training" until you are 18.  This would include a full time apprenticeship. 
The fact is the person in question ought to be in some sort of education or training now, are they, and do they want to leave it to take the job?

Yes they are currently in full time college but will finish in the summer at which point she’ll turn 17. She would rather get a full time job than do another year in college until she’s 18 but I’m not sure if it’s technically legal.

Ath_Wat

I don't believe it is, as per the link posted by theoretica above. The option would be to go part time at college and get a part time job, but the question would be whether the qualifications she might (or might not) get from full time college would be of more use to her in the long run.  

MoodyMand45

Do Functional Skills Maths Course and apply for the Job, i was told i could apply for jobs requiring GCSE Maths as long as i was doing the course and would complete it within a certain time frame, i was told my level-2 Functional Math's certificate is equivalent to GCSE C-A Grade.

sammyjammy

theoretica said:

I don't think the GCSEs are the issue - I think it is the age. 17 year olds are supposed to be in at least part time training or education.  Though I have no idea how it is enforced or monitored.

https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

Edited:  I was wrong

Marcon

theoretica said:

I don't think the GCSEs are the issue - I think it is the age. 17 year olds are supposed to be in at least part time training or education.  Though I have no idea how it is enforced or monitored.

https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school

But they can still work up to 40 hours a week, which is very much full time in most people's view.