Recent research published by Centre for Cities has shown that areas of the UK where pupils statistically achieve poor GSCE Maths and English results are also those with the highest youth unemployment rates. *
This tie between poor GCSE results and job prospects may not be startling news in itself. However, there are some who think pupils are suffering due to schools focussing too much on so called ‘easier’ subjects in order to boost their own reputations and league table positions.
With youth unemployment in the UK having recently broken through the 1 million barrier, those with poor GCSE Maths and English results are likely to find it harder to get work.
So what are the options available to those who didn’t achieve an A, B or C grade in GSCE English and Maths?
- Start their own business
Lots of young people are looking into starting their own businesses, due to the lack of employment prospects. Being able to get funding isn’t easy though. Not having a good grasp of maths and English at GCSE level may also prove problematic in starting and running a business.
Starting a business as a teenager is a daunting prospect for many, especially if they feel they’ve under-achieved in terms of their GSCE results.
- Gain qualifications via distance learning
There are Maths & English GCSE courses online which can be done through distance learning. This gives people the opportunity to improve on their existing grades while they continue to look for employment.
Distance learning GSCEs are usually made up of a combination of online and offline learning. In many cases, being just a year older and having less classroom distractions can make a big difference to the results achieved by individual pupils.
- Try to find work where GCSE Maths and English aren’t considered important
Another option for school leavers without good grades in GCSE Maths and English is to look for work where these aren’t considered important.
The problem with this is that the employment market is already very difficult without young people having to narrow their options.
The majority of employers are looking for a good all round knowledge of academic subjects. GCSE Maths and English are a good foundation for a lot of skills that can be developed in the workplace.
Poor results in GCSE English and Maths can be damaging in the short term, but are not the end of the world. Online training and distance learning GCSEs can help improve the employment prospects of young people in the UK.
*source: http://www.managers.org.uk/news/unemployment-linked-poor-gcse-results
**source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/16/youth-unemployment-hits-1m-uk
Author Bio: ICS Learn is a leading provider of distance learning courses in the UK. Take a look at their GCSE courses online to find out more about how you could improve your employability.
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