With better apprenticeships and technical courses, A-levels should no longer be seen as the right choice for everyone

GCSE and A-level results days mark a turning point for hundreds of thousands of young people. They are about to embark on a new and exciting chapter of their lives.

This is a time for celebration for many. Not just for those getting their results but for the parents, teachers and others who have supported them through the hard work to get to where they are today.

Over the next couple of weeks, they will be considering their next steps, a scary but also exciting and life changing prospect.

There are lots of options out there, from university, to taking a gap year, going straight into employment or further training.

‎That’s why we are reforming and investing in apprenticeships and technical education to give people a real choice to take a route that works best for them.

Our Skills Plan sets out how we plan to change technical education in England so young people have clear routes into skilled trades. This includes introducing new T levels backed by over £500 million a year once up and running and creating prestigious new Institutes of Technologies.

‎We are also doubling investment in apprenticeships in England to £2.5 billion by 2019-20. This will help people get into more and better quality training schemes and to choose a rewarding career path.

As we prepare to leave the European Union it will be vital we continue to build the skilled workforce that business and the country needs to ensure we can compete across the world.

These are challenging reforms and the only way to deliver them successfully is through genuine partnership between business,  government, employers and education professionals.

These are the people who know exactly what skills they need which is why we have put them front and centre. They will be fully involved in the design and development of our new T levels so we get these important reforms right.

‎I’m proud to say that I started my career in nursing doing an apprenticeship. It gave me the chance to get the hands on experience I needed to pursue a long career in the NHS, before I became a MP. We have seen over one million apprenticeships started since May 2015, and we also now have the highest number of apprentices on record. 

‎I cannot recommend a better way of learning on the job - getting the experience needed for a successful career at the same time as earning a wage with a chance of working at a top company such as AstraZeneca, Network Rail and Barclays to name a few.  

Since I started my role as Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, I’ve heard inspiring stories of people whose lives have been changed for the better after doing an apprenticeship. Natialie Ojevah is a Foundation Cashier apprentice at Barclays. 

After deciding that classroom-based learning did not suit her Natalie opted to do an apprenticeship. Only 22 years old, she has just become one of Barclay’s youngest branch managers – a fantastic achievement! It is stories like Natalie’s that prove with the right support and guidance, anything is achievable.

If you work hard, you can rise as far as your ambition and talent will take you. Why not follow in the footsteps of famous actor, Sir Ian McKellen and designer Karen Millen who rose to the top by getting stuck in and learning the ropes on an apprenticeship, or study art and design like tech whizz Sir James Dyson did. The important thing is to explore all the options on offer and take advantage of the full range of exciting opportunities out there.