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Jobs with training to degree level (A to H - Administration to Hotel and catering)
Administration & management (private and public sectors)
- Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (ICSA):
Local Government Careers for job and talent seeking - Institute of Administrative Management In addition to higher level qualifications, look out for NVQ 3 to 5 Business Administration or Business Management Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma.
There will be many others too in HM Revenue and the Civil Service. Look for A level entry positions with scope for on the job training and promotion. Visit the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway.
Air traffic controller
After a trainee course of a few months or experience as an assistant with an airport operator you can apply for full training (following health and security checks) to become an Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO). With experience you can progress to higher roles in training, planning and management.
- Aviation Services Training & Consultancy (ASTAC)
- BAE Systems Training College
- National Air Traffic Services Limited
- GoSkills - the Sector Skills Council for the Passenger Transport Industries
Ambulance paramedic
You may not have got a place to do medicine but with three A levels you can become a highly responsible health care practitioner. To become a paramedic you will either have to do a course (this varies from area to area, either a Foundation degree, a Diploma in Higher Education, or an Access course) or you can apply for a student paramedic job with the Ambulance Trust (vacancies are usually advertised on the NHS jobs website) which will include study with the Institute of Health Care Development (IHCD) for their Paramedic Award. Other requirements include experience in working with the public, fitness, driving licence and CRB clearance.
Computing and ICT
Keeping ahead of the game is essential here. Opportunities exist in technical support and helpdesk or customer service if you have Level 3 qualifications (BTEC Diploma for IT Practitioners, City & Guild, and OCR) Colleges run courses in advanced practice such as networking, programming, website design, software development. See e-skills UK for the Foundation degree framework for the IT and Telecoms sectors.
Look at www.e-skills.com/FD
Engineer/Electronic technician, Service engineer, Telecommunication technician
Which of these you select is likely to be influenced by what companies are in your area. Find out about apprenticeships and in-house training.
Financial services
There are quite a few roles within the financial world where you could enter at Level 3 (Al evels) and work your way up by taking internal qualifications. If you don’t have A levels, consider starting with an NVQ 3 or doing an apprenticeship. 4 GCSEs A-C including maths and English are essential. The Institute of Financial Services (IFS) offers a qualification the Customer Service Professional Award. From there you can take the Professional Diploma in Financial Services Management (DFSM) or Applied Diplomas in Corporate Banking or Retail. Useful links include the Building Societies Association and the Institute of Financial Services' School of Finance Qualifications to consider once you have some experience are the Certificate in Mortgate Advice (Cert.MA), membership of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) or the School of Finance Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMAP). The Institute of Financial Services also offers an Advanced Certificate.
Health care
Dental Therapist and Dental Hygienist
To be a Dental therapist you could gain experience as an assistant or receptionist and then take a General Dental Council qualification such as a Diploma in Dental Therapy/Dental Hygiene, and progress if you wish to a degree in Oral Health Science. See NHS Careers, the Health Learning and Skills Advice Line and the British Association of Dental Therapists.
Care Home Management
Basic qualifications in care, or an apprenticeship in care leading to an NVQ 2 or 3 can, with some experience lead on to a Health care qualification or to a Level 4 Registered Health Care Manager Award. There is a range of health related roles that require little training but can lead on to other medical and care roles: Phlebotomist, Ambulance Care Assistant, Chiropody Assistant leading to further training (NVQ3) and a degree in Health Administration, Emergency Medical Dispatcher leading to paramedic work or management.
Hospital Play Specialist
Entry with a CACHE Diploma in Childcare & Education or an NVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development can lead to the Level 4 BTEC Professional Diploma in Specialised Play for Sick Children. This could lead to more senior posts or pave the way to switching to nursing.
Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA)
You may not need GCSE qualifications to start but to progress you would need 4 GCSEs. NVQs 1-3 are available for Clinical Laboratory Support. With experience you could then be sponsored for on the job or part-time training up to Level 4. Useful organisations are the Association of Medical Lab Assistants and the Institute of Biomedical Science .
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant
BTEC and NVQ offer Level 3 qualifications in Pharmacy Services. 4 GCSEs are usually required. With experience you can move up to graduate level training - see the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Further queries about any of the above can be made to NHS Careers, T 0845 606 0655.
Human Resource Management
Often referred to as ‘HR’ this offers one of the most flexible training opportunities. You could start as a Personnel Assistant or an Administrator with a few GCSEs. Then you could study on the job to gain a CIPD Certificate in Personnel Practice (CIPD is the Chartered Institute of Personnel Practice) or Certificates in Recruitment and Selection, or a Certificate in Employment Law & Employment Relations. Your study could be on the job, day-release or distance learning. You could then go on to the CIPD Professional Development Scheme that takes you to graduate level with postgraduate options also available. You could also consider being a trades Union Official, Training Officer, Recruitment Manager or Careers Adviser.
HM Forces
Training in the Armed Forces (the Army, Royal Navy and RAF) is open to both A level applicants and graduates.
Hotel and Catering
On the job training is available both for hotel management and catering. A Foundation Degree or HND/HNC in Hospitality Management can be converted to a full degree with some of the training done on the job. Springboard promotes careers in hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism.
For more, see J to S - Journalism to Social work
