Grades To Go To College?

[laptopsteve]

Hi I have been told that you need certain grades from school
To be able to go to college to do a course such as
Plumbing, carpentry or electrics
Is this the case?
Surely if you want to learn a trade you can
Enrole onto a course to learn without grades from school stopping you

[sherrardk]

Yes, you have to have certain grades to enrol on different courses at diffrnt levels and they might even specify certain subjects that you must have.

[Tuvok]

Your best bet is to get in touch with your local college.

They will tell you what the entry requiements are.

You may find that you have to have an apprenticeship with a firm first.

[Tilly2]

Are you actually still at school?

[Buenchico]

Places are limited, so course tutors need to find a way to decide who gets a place and who doesn't. (For example, courses in motor mechanics probably get ten or twenty times as many applications as there are places).

Courses in certain subjects have obvious links to school work. e.g.the training to become a qualified electrician involves quite a bit of maths and physics, so tutors might be looking for a minimum C grade, at GCSE, in maths and a science subject in order to select the most suitable candidates.

Similarly, those who've shown their talents in CDT might get preferential treatment when applying for carpentry courses.

Even when there's no obvious link between school work and the content of an FE course, tutors may see good exam results as proof of:
(a) an ability to learn things fairly easily ; and
(b) a willingness to study hard.

[woofgang]

All of the trades that you mention need a good standard of maths and english, as well as other skills which are demonstrated by the examination system such as the ability to concentrate, remember and problem solve using known information.

[sherrardk]

If you don't achieve level 2 qualifications at school (GCSEs grade C and above) you can't start a level 3 course (A level equivalent).

[boxtops]

Getting a reasonable grade also shows that you have the commitment to study and see a course through to the end. For the trades you describe, you still find maths and English (the usual basics) necessary to be able to do the job well.