Firstly, congratulations! GCSE results day is a big deal.
But it also seems to be the day where, at 16 years old, everyone suddenly expects you to know exactly what you’re going to do with the rest of your life. You might be one of the lucky ones that does know exactly what you want to do, but if you’re not…
What are you doing next?
College? Sixth form? University…eventually? An Apprenticeship? Work? Or even entrepreneurship?
If your answer is currently “I haven’t got a clue” then you’re probably in very good company. What 16 or 17 year old genuinely knows what they want to do for the next 40+ years?
And who says you need to?
But, what you do need to start thinking about is your next first step.
If you enjoyed science, technology, IT, maths, or practical subjects at school, we’d seriously consider putting manufacturing and engineering careers on your list. There are so many opportunities in this industry than you probably even realise.
University isn’t your only route
University is great for some people, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And somewhere along the way, we’ve managed to make it feel like it’s the logical next step. School > College > Uni > Job. It doesn’t have to be in that order…there doesn’t need to be an order at all!
You can go to college. Go for an apprenticeship. Earn while you learn. Go to university. You can start working. And… revolutionary idea incoming…You can change your mind at any point!
People change careers, they retrain, they work their way up. Some find something they’re really good at completely by accident.
Your job right now isn’t to map out your entire life, it’s to figure out what your useful next step is.
Why Manufacturing & Engineering?
We recruit in manufacturing & engineering every single day. And one thing we’d love more young people to understand is just how enormous this industry really is!
When we say ‘Engineering’, we’re not talking about one type of job.
We’re talking automotive, aerospace, robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, automation, design, testing, maintenance, quality, CNC machining, fabrication and plenty more.
And the UK needs people with these skills.
Skills England’s latest advanced manufacturing assessment found that 71% of priority occupations in the sector were experiencing critical or elevated demand across the wider UK economy. Technology and AI are changing manufacturing, absolutely. But they’re not making skilled people irrelevant. They’re changing the skills businesses need.
Machines still need programming. Automated systems need maintaining. Products need designing, testing, and inspecting. Problems still need solving. And somebody needs to understand what the hell is going on when something stops working at 2pm on a Tuesday.
“But I Hated Maths”
Fair point! Maybe you didn’t particularly enjoy maths. Maybe your miserable maths teached sucked every last ounce of enjoyment out of it. But there’s a difference between enjoying maths in a classroom and enjoying using it to do something.
Engineering can take the subjects you’ve studied and suddenly give them a point.
Maths becomes measurements, calculations, and design.
Science becomes understanding materials, processes, and how things actually work.
Computing becomes programming, automation, and control systems.
So, instead, ask yourself this…
“Do I enjoy figuring things out?” because that’s where things get interesting!
Are You The Person Who Likes Fixing Things?
Maybe you’re not the one who wants to sit down with a calculation. Maybe you’re the one helping your dad or grandad with odd jobs on the weekend.
You like working on cars, you’ve helped renovate the house, you were good at woodwork, maybe electronics made sense to you. You like building things, or taking something apart to see how all the pieces make it work.
The things you’re naturally good at, can give you clues about the way your brain works. Manufacturing needs people who can solve problems on paper, but also with their hands.
Maybe You’re The Person Who Spots What’s Wrong
This is another reason not to write off manufacturing because you don’t picture yourself physically making something.
Let’s say you were good at English because you’re good at spotting mistakes. You’re observant, analytical, and communicate well. And maybe you enjoyed Science too. Ever thought about quality inspecting?
A massive part of quality inspecting is essentially asking – “Is this right?” and if the answer is no, “Why isn’t it right, and how do we fix it?”
Someone who notices the tiny mistake everyone else has missed can be extremely valuable to a manufacturing business. And yes, there are careers built around that!
What About Apprenticeships?
This is where we think more school leavers need to properly investigate their options. An apprenticeship means you’re not waiting around waiting for several years to experience an actual workshop.
You’re already in it. You’re earning money. Learning. Gaining qualifications. Building experience. And you’re learning from people who actually do the job!
There are engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships across a huge range of disciplines and at different qualification levels. And plenty of employers will continue investing in training and qualifications as you progress. That’s worth thinking about before automatically deciding university is the only route to a successful career.
Don’t Know What To Do? Start Here
Instead of asking yourself the enormous question of what you want to do with your life… take the pressure off!
Try these questions instead:
- What am I good at?
- What do I actually enjoy?
- What am I curious about?
- What skills would I like to develop?
- What problems do I enjoy solving?
Don’t worry if the answers don’t magically produce a job title. They’re not supposed to. But they could give you a direction.
Get Yourself A Character-Building Job
Yep, we’re saying it!
Not every job is going to be your dream job. Sometimes doing a bit of a shitty job can teach you quite a lot. You learn to turn up, how to speak to people, build your confidence, how workplaces work. You’ll deal with people you wouldn’t necessarily choose to spend eight hours a day with, you’ll develop resilience.
And you’ll discover what you definitely don’t want to do (which is useful too!).
Your first job isn’t forever. It’s a stepping stone that will teach you things you didn’t have before.
Skills. Experience. Confidence. Knowledge. Contacts. Qualifications.
At 16, You Don’t Need the Whole Map
Think about learning to drive. At 16, you don’t need to know what car you’ll be driving when you’re 30. You haven’t even passed your test yet.
Careers are the same.
You first job, college course, or apprenticeship might not be your final destination. You just need to start moving. So go and see things, talk to people. Ask your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandparents, and whoever else, what they actually do at work.
If you get the opportunity to look around a a workplace, do it!
Build something. Fix something. Try something you’ve never done before.
One Last Thing…
Your GCSE results matter, but they’re not a prediction of what you’ll earn, what you’ll become, or how successful you’ll be.
They’re on piece of information you can use to decide what happens next. If manufacturing and engineering has never crossed your mind before, have a look into it!
There is a skills gap. Businesses NEED the next generation coming through. There are opportunities to learn while earning, gain qualifications and build skills that businesses genuinely need.
And you might discover you’re bloody good at something you didn’t even know existed.
You don’t need your whole life figured out today. Enjoy the day. Take the win. Give yourself some time to figure out what’s next.
And if you’re a parent reading this thinking ‘my kid needs to see this’… share it with them!