School Leavers - Minerals Matter

Still at school and researching your career options?

If you’re still at school or college, there are lots of ways to get into the minerals industry.

Preparing to take your GCSEs or BTECs? Look at T Levels or apprenticeships as alternatives to A Levels, Scottish Highers or university degrees.

Already working towards your A Levels or Scottish Highers? There are higher apprenticeships, higher technical qualifications such as HNCs or HNDs or university options.

Read on to find out more about these and more…

Work experience

Getting some work experience is a good place to start. Work experience is usually unpaid, and you might do it through school in Year 10 or Year 12. But you can find a placement at any time, if you want to find out what it’s like to work in a particular job.

Work experience can:

Develop your skills
Give you something to include on your CV
Boost your confidence
Allow you to try new industries and job roles

Most work experience is arranged through an employer and takes place at their site or workplace. But you may find online work experience opportunities too.

Contact an employer

T Levels

T Levels are a new 2-year qualification for 16–19-year-olds, as an alternative to A Levels.

You’ll study for a technical qualification at your local college or through a training provider. And you’ll have a 45-day industry placement with an employer to gain practical experience.

Nationally recognised, T Levels are worth the same number of UCAS points as 3 A Levels. They will be accepted by universities and other education providers if you wish to continue your studies.

More about T Levels

Traineeships

If you are based in England, you may be eligible for a traineeship.

Traineeships are unpaid courses with work experience for people aged 16-24 years, who have little or no work experience.

You’ll have a work placement from 6 weeks up to a year and you’ll get help to find paid work.

Find out more

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a vocational alternative to A Levels and degrees, where you train for a recognised qualification, alongside on-the-job experience.

You have a real job and get paid, while studying for at least 20% of your working hours at college, university or with a training provider.

There are hundreds of apprenticeships available at different levels, from GCSE equivalent through to degree level.

More about apprenticeships

Higher technical qualifications

These technical qualifications are an alternative to apprenticeships and degrees. As the name suggests, higher technical qualifications, often shortened to HTQs, are practical, vocational qualifications.

They include higher national certificates (HNCs), higher national diplomas (HNDs), higher education diplomas and foundation degrees.

They’re also approved by employers, so you will learn relevant skills to equip you for your career.

More about HTQs

University degrees

If you want to study for a degree and then work in the minerals industry, it’s worth considering a subject related to your skills and interests that would be relevant to the industry. This would include science subjects, engineering, maths, business management, finance, marketing, geology or human resources for example.

But, ultimately, you can study any subject to degree level and then access the minerals industry at graduate level.

Find out more about graduate schemes.