School leavers who are picking up their GCSE results today and just don’t know what to do next, can take advantage of a whole range of apprenticeships at Milton Keynes College. 

Apprenticeships mean your time is split between studying in the classroom and working for an employer in a real job, so that you can earn as you learn. 

Director for Apprenticeships and Partnerships at Milton Keynes College Group, Anna Clarke, says, “Apprenticeships are a brilliant way to start a career, and people who take them usually find themselves in a job once they’ve completed the course.  In fact, 89% of Milton Keynes College apprentices either stay in the job they’ve been working in, or even end up getting promoted.” 

Anna says that at this time of year, a lot of parents in particular worry that with so many options available to young people, it’s hard to know what to do for the best.  Some end up staying on at their school’s sixth form but then find that it’s not for them 

“Everyone’s different,” Anna says, “some people are well suited to staying at school, but a lot of others need to make a change.  People learn in different ways, and the great thing about an apprenticeship is it’s learning by doing.  If parents feel they’ve been fighting an uphill battle keeping their children focused in full-time education and they’re dreading another two years of more of the same, they should come to talk to us and we can go through all the options, including apprenticeships.”  

Students can choose from a huge array of courses, including engineering, construction, finance, catering and hospitality, business, motor vehicle, digital and a whole lot more. 

Anna says, “In many areas, we’ve actually got employers queueing up, looking for the right people to start their working lives with them.  Milton Keynes is growing fast and it’s our job at the College to provide a pipeline of talent to feed those expanding businesses.  The opportunities are out there, and we’re the ones who know where to look. 

“We would invite anyone who’s interested in an apprenticeship to come along to one of our Advisory Days that are happening over the next two weeks. They’re a great chance to find out more about what apprenticeships can offer and to see if there’s an apprenticeship that could be right for you.” 

To find out more, students can come along to the College’s advisory days from 22^nd August until Tuesday 3^rd September. For details and to book an appointment, visit https://mkcollege.ac.uk/events/advisory-days/. 

Staff from Milton Keynes College are ready to support the thousands of young people in Milton Keynes receiving their GCSE and Level 2 BTEC results today. 

From today (22^nd August) until 3rd September, the College is hosting a series of ‘Advisory Days’ at its Chaffron Way campus where anyone can come in with their results and discuss their options. Tutors from every subject will be on hand to talk to students about the courses available, and support staff will be there to discuss learners’ additional needs, language support, financial help and a range of other topics. 

Sally Alexander, CEO and Group Principal of Milton Keynes College Group said: “Today is of course very important for the young people of Milton Keynes, and we’re here to support them and talk them through their options. We have a huge range of choices available for school leavers at Milton Keynes College, from BTECs to T Levels and A Levels to Apprenticeships. There’s also our Skills Academy which is a fantastic option for students who need additional support before they can progress onto further study or into the world of work. 

“We want to invite anyone receiving their GCSE results today to come along to one of our Advisory Days. For the next two weeks, we’ll be here to talk to students and helping them find their best next steps. I’d encourage anyone who’s not sure how to move forward after their results to book on one of our Advisory Days to find out how we can help.” 

Some of the College’s own students have received GCSE results today, for resits in English and maths GCSEs. 99% of learners resitting English GCSE achieved a pass grade, while 98% of those resitting maths GCSE achieved a pass grade. 

Alex Pollard, an Applied Sciences student at the College, initially achieved a grade 2 at English GCSE and has now achieved a fantastic grade 7 after resitting at MK College. Alex will continue onto the second year of his course, subsequently aiming to study forensics at university. Alex said: “I don’t usually get nervous about these things, but when I found out I got a grade 7, I was so excited! My ultimate goal is to be an astronaut, and this result will help me to get closer to that dream”.  

Sally Alexander commented: “After resitting their English and Maths GCSEs with us this year, there are now 371 more young people in Milton Keynes with a high grade in these subjects who didn’t achieve this last year. We’re extremely proud of our learners who will now have more options available to them in terms of further study and employment, and of course of our tutors and support staff for their hard work and dedication in helping our learners to achieve”. 

The College is working with current and prospective students to ensure they have a place on the right course for September. All students who had previously received an offer will be guaranteed a place on a course. For those students still considering their options, the College will be holding pre-booked Advisory Day appointments at its Chaffron Way campus from today (22^nd August) until 3rd September. For more information and to book an appointment visit: 

https://mkcollege.ac.uk/events/advisorydays/