College

Although many people go to a further-education college at 16, after their GCSEs, you can also attend at 17 or 18.

Colleges offer a wide range of courses, including:

• Vocational subjects - these are related to a broad subject area such as business, health and social care, etc. - so they can lead to a large variety of employment areas or university courses.

• Practical vocational courses (often now called technical or professional programmes) that lead to specific jobs such as hairdressing, plumbing, or engineering.

• Apprenticeships based with a paying employer, where you will be assessed either in the workplace by a visiting assessor, or by attending college for a day or week at a time.

• Courses that prepare people for Higher Education, such as Access Courses or the Art Foundation course

• Vocational HE courses, such as Foundation Degrees, Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and Certificates (HNCs)

• Foundation Courses to develop Maths, English, study skills and employability skills. These courses can give students the chance to try out several different vocational areas.