So another vintage year for A level and GCSE passes, and well done to those whose hard work paid off and they achieved the grades they wanted for further study or for work based learning options.
To those who didn't do so well - the pain passes and you find your way through life. I was listening to You and Yours on the 14th August, where they were doing a story on how not getting the grades you wanted wasn't the end of the world. I was almost tempted to phone in myself to say that I got two poor A levels, but that meant I went to Hatfield Polytechnic and discovered OR and went on to do a PhD. Considering my school regarded me as rather a failure, I thought this was quite an achievement. However others with a very similar story got to the phones before me - so there is a way out!
But the basics still count - even if you don't get those qualifications at the expected time, you need to carry on trying and learning to get them eventually. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) published some research today demonstrating that qualifications do pay off in money terms (Five good GCSEs net £2,200 more). They had spoken to around 4,000 employers to look at starting pay and how much each successive GCSE pass would net the holder. For a first employment, they found that 5 good GCSEs would mean an extra £2,200 in starting salary.
Over the past 10 years, the LSC and its predecessor bodies used to fund household surveys and would include questions on levels of qualifications held and also on current salary levels. I have never analysed one of these surveys without finding that with each progressive level of qualification (GCSE, A level, Degree, further degree), the average salary level increased and increased substantially. In Coventry and Warwickshire we used to use these figures extensively in careers events and materials, and I tried to introduce the same analysis in Kent and Medway. It is a powerful message and one that speaks directly to an individual's self interest.
The Household Surveys seem to have died a death, so thank you to the LSC for this research, and get that message out there! While we all know an exception to the rule, someone with no qualifications who earns a fortune, I think if you scratch below the surface, they have gained vocational qualifications on the way to their success.
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