Improving their educational choices

Schools and colleges all over South Yorkshire have introduced a wide range of vocational qualifications to sit alongside subjects like English, ICT, maths and the sciences. Their aim is to provide young people with:

• more choice in what and how they learn

• the skills employers need.

Great news for you and your children

They'll be more likely to leave education with the qualifications and skills they need, while you can rest easy in the knowledge that they're getting a relevant education that will help prepare them for work and life.

So what's so good about vocational education?

• Vocational qualifications can help provide your children with the knowledge and skills they'll need to work in a wide variety of job sectors - such as bioscience, creative and digital media, ICT, catering and hospitality, retail, construction and engineering.

• They offer your children a more hands-on approach to learning, as well as encouraging them to take more responsibility for the work they do. Depending on your children's skills and interests, they can also be tailored to their career choices and the way they learn.

• Like GCSEs and A levels, they can help your children get a job or secure a place at college or university.

• Vocational qualifications are challenging, flexible and offer plenty of scope for specialisation.

• They can be mixed and matched with a variety of other courses to give your children a wide range of experience and the skills employers are looking for, such as team working, organisation and communication skills.

As Stephen Alambritis from the Federation of Small Businesses says,

"Students involved in vocational courses add real value to any workplace. Students from a vocational background are using their business skills to hit the ground running when they start work."

So what are you waiting for? Find out more about voc ed and the benefits it could offer your children today!

• Visit our case studies page to hear what young people on vocational education courses in South Yorkshire have to say.

• Find out more about the range of courses and qualifications your children can take.

• Browse through the online prospectuses to discover the vocational courses on offer.

• Check out different job sectors in South Yorkshire to discover a range of careers your children could work towards.

• Find out more about the options available to your children by visiting our Year 9 options and Year 11 options pages.