Post-18 Options: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
11th March 2026
What are my options at 18?
There are five main options:
1. Higher Education (H.E.)– Higher level courses (Level 4 and above) at Universities and Colleges (including Specialist Colleges for Art and Design, Performing Arts and Land-based courses).
2. Apprenticeships– Real paid jobs with recognised training at Intermediate, Advanced, Higher, Degree and Postgraduate level (Level 2 to Level 7).
3. Work- Paid employment usually with a short induction and training programme specific to the job and/or company.
4. A Gap Year- This is done best when planned and with a purpose. What do you want to get out of your Gap Year and how does it relate to longer term aspirations? There are lots of opportunities to volunteer, experience travel and get paid work.
5. A third year of full-time Further Education (F.E.)- Further Education is fully funded until the academic year in which the student turns 19. Those who might spend the full 3 years in F.E. include:
- Students who studied at Level 2, after GCSEs, and now want to do a 2-year Level 3 course e.g. a Level 2 Health and Social Care student progressing to the 2-year Level 3 Health and Social Care course or a T Level in Health.
- Students who studied a ‘Preparation for A-levels’ year and then progressed to A-levels, or those who chose to repeat year 1 of their A-levels because their results/personal circumstances, or those who resit their A-level exams in Year 14.
- Art and Design students who want to study the one year Art Foundation Diploma to explore ideas and build their portfolio, often in preparation for Higher Education study.
- Students who change their minds about their career pathway e.g. an A-level student who realises that they would be better off on a Level 3 technical course (2 years) and enrol on one the following year.
Is Higher Education only studied at University?
No, University is just one kind of place where Higher Education is offered. It is also available in Colleges (including Specialist Colleges for Art and Design, Performing Arts and Land-based courses).
Higher Education qualifications offered at Colleges include Degrees, Foundation Degrees, HNDs, HNCs, Certificates of Higher Education. Courses at colleges can be 1-year (HNCs, Certificates in H.E.), 2-year (Foundation Degrees, HNDs) or 3-year (Degrees).
Colleges tend to offer technical Higher Education courses linked to work sectors and specific jobs.
When Colleges offer Higher Education courses they usually brand the buildings where H.E. is delivered as the ‘University Centre’ or ‘Higher Education Centre’.
Apprenticeships at Higher and Degree level are also a kind of Higher Education.
What does Higher Education look like at College?
- Higher Education courses at College tend to be technical, reflecting the same Further Education courses offered to 16-19 year olds. This means that you can progress from a T Level in Education and Early Years to a Foundation Degree in the same subject at the same College. Of course, you don’t have to have previously studied at a College to apply to one. Anyone can apply to any College as long as you meet the entry requirements.
At the end of the two year Foundation Degree students can choose to ‘top-up’ to a degree at the same College or through a local University partner.
- Art and Design students often choose to study the 1-year Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, having studied Level 3s or A-levels at College or Sixth Form. This provides students the opportunity to try out lots of art and design traditions and build a better portfolio for entry to degree level study (note that this particular course is part of Further Education meaning it doesn’t cost for 16-19 year olds).
Level 3 Art and Design students at College might choose to stay at the same College to study a related art and design course at Foundation Degree level, and then ‘top-up’ to the Degree at College or at a local University partner. Alternatively, they might choose to apply for a full degree.
Foundation Degrees in creative subjects tend to be focused on a particular art and design specialism e.g., Interior and Spacial Design, Fashion and Textile Design or Designer Maker.
This pathway might be followed at a large non-specialist college or at a specialist art and design college e.g., Northern School of Art.
Is University ‘just like school’?
Not really, no. There is a lot of variety when it comes to studying at University- some degrees are very academic (a bit like school) and others are more technical (a bit like College). The University experience is different for everyone.
- There are Universities that have a long history of traditional academic learning. For example, the 24 Universities that make up The Russell Group are from this tradition. These Universities offer lots of degrees with a focus on theory and knowledge in a wide-range of familiar ‘school’ subjects (e.g., English, Mathematics, Chemistry, History) and other subjects you are not likely to have studied before (e.g., Data Science, Linguistics, International Relations).
However, The Russell Group are not the only ‘traditional’ Universities in the U.K.- others include University of Bath, Lancaster University, Loughborough University, University of Surrey, University of St. Andrews and many more. Just because we hear a lot about The Russell Group, this doesn’t not mean that we should automatically believe that they are ‘the best’. For example, in 2026 the top 10 Universities for Chemical Engineering according to The Complete University Guide included University of Bath and Strathclyde University.
- Other Universities have a more recent history. At one time (pre-1992) a new group of Universities were known as Polytechnics. They offered Higher Education courses with a focus on technical learning (as the name suggested). Today, these newer Universities still provide lots of degrees linked directly to specific professions and work sectors and many have developed very close links with the local economy.
However, the ‘newer’ Universities also offer lots of the same academic degrees found at the traditional ones. Indeed, over the years the lines between the traditional and newer Universities have become blurred with all offering a selection of academic and technical degrees.
- Of course, the traditional Universities have always offered degrees with specific pathways to professions. For example, some of the oldest professions (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Law) have been taught for hundreds of years at the traditional Universities. Equally, some of these oldest professions are now taught at the newer Universities too. For example, the University of Sunderland now offers Medicine and Teesside University offers Pharmacy.
In summary, University offers a huge range of courses, some very academic, others very practical and all quite unique in their own way. This highlights how important it is to fully research your Higher education options.
Do I need to know what job I want to do to be able to choose a Higher Education course?
No you do not need to know. There are thousands of students enrolled at University who do not yet know what job they want to do. Here are some key pointers regarding jobs after Higher Education:
- For students studying academic degree courses there is not a direct link to work sectors nor do these degrees focus on skills needed for specific jobs. Often young people choose an academic degree because they simply want to learn that subject in greater depth. After their degree, they might start their journey into work through Postgraduate study linked to a job or sector (e.g., teaching), or they may seek a graduate training opportunity with a company that will teach them how to do a specific job (e.g., management trainee). Other students choose to stay in the academic world, take a Masters and then perhaps a Doctorate (PhD), and become academic experts in their field as researchers or lecturers.
- However, there are also many students who do have an idea about the job or sector they want to work in. They might choose to study a degree that provides a clearer pathway to a to a job or work sector (e.g. Accountancy, Business Management, Digital Media, Engineering, Information Technology, Nursing, Radiography, Social Care). Such degree courses might even offer a ‘year in industry’ and/or have work placement opportunities. For example, most healthcare students will spend a number of hours on a clinical placement.
- Just because someone has chosen to do a more technical degree with a clear professional pathway, it does not mean that they are tied into this and all other pathways closed off. It estimated that almost 70% of all graduate jobs do not require a specific degree (any degree will suffice).
- It is also true that University students develop transferable and diverse skills that can be applied across all jobs and industries. So, whether you choose a purely academic course or a more technical one with links to industry, you have lots of available options and loads of flexibility in terms of where your next steps might take you.
- At CareerWave we like Prospects’ ‘What can I do with my degree’ as a great way to see how your Higher Education course might link to the world of work.
I don’t want to go to University or College, but I still want a qualification. What can I do?
This is where apprenticeships come in. Apprenticeships are available at Intermediate, Advanced, Higher and Degree level. In all cases the majority of your time is spent working for an employer and getting a salary. At any level, the application process is competitive and, like any job, you will compete against others for the vacancy. The learning is delivered by a learning provider which could be a College of Further Education, a private training provider or, at Higher and Degree level, a University.
Ideally, someone with a Level 3 qualification (A-level, Level 3 Diploma, Level 3 Advanced Apprentice) will look to the Higher and Degree Apprenticeship market, however there is intense competition for these vacancies. It is strongly advised to spend as much time planning for these as you would do planning and applying for University. The difference is you are applying for a job and therefore need to reflect on your skills and qualities. It is essential to be able to describe how your work experience, part-time employment, volunteering and additional responsibilities relate to the opportunity you are applying for.
A further option, although not as common for 18 year olds, is to work or volunteer whilst going to University part-time or by distance learning. The Open University offers hundreds of distance learning courses including those at degree level.
At 18, can I apply for a lower level apprenticeship?
Yes of course, although there might be some restrictions if you have completed a technical course, at Level 2 or 3, in the same area of work that the apprenticeship is in. This is because you would be doing the same qualification, at the same level, twice. As long as you are not doing the same qualification again, you can do a lower level apprenticeship at any age.
A-level students can always apply for all levels of apprenticeships because academic learning is not related to an industry or a job.
Some learners at 18 might have just completed their Level 2 in a specific job area and, for them, progression is to the Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3). An Intermediate Apprenticeship is equivalent to Level 2. For example a Level 2 Professional Cookery student at a local college might move into an Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) with a local employer.
And what if I just want to move into work without formal training?
Well that’s fine. There is no legal requirement to remain in learning after 18. For example, if you have already achieved a technical qualification at Level 3, you want to remain in the same industry or work and you do not want to do a higher level qualification (Level 4 and upwards), then it is totally reasonable to pause your formal learning and just do the job. However, your career journey is likely to benefit from gaining the highest level qualifications that you can. So if further recognised qualifications are on offer, at least consider taking them up on it.
It is also important to know that even when a formal qualification is not part of the job, you will likely have to undertake internal training to be able to do the specified tasks safely and accurately and understand the company’s aims, structure and values.
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