Emergency online pack produced for 130,000 turned away from Uni

More than 130,000 students face being rejected from University this summer amid unprecedented demand for higher education. A new student results-day survival pack produced with input from Employment Minister Jim Knight, The Department of Working Pensions and the newly formed National Apprenticeship Service aims to show teens just what is out there for them if they fail to get the grades they needed, or never intended on going to university in the first place.

Apprenticeships and employment schemes, free distance degrees, gap years, the next steps regarding Uni regardless of grades and more are detailed in the downloadable ‘Welcome to the rest of your life’ pack created by notgoingtouni.co.uk, in a bid to help school leavers make informed choices about a future with or without University, released just in time for A-Level results day on Thursday 20th August.

The pack can be seen here, www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/survival-pack, free for use and reproduction.

More than 130,000 students face being rejected from university this summer amid unprecedented demand for higher education, but Tom Mursell, founder of notgoingtouni.co.uk is keen to stress to them and the A-Level students who never initially applied for Uni that there are many alternatives open to them that the careers advisor tends to shy away from.

Tom Mursell said, “Our pack aims to inform worried A-Level and GCSE students that there are many alternatives to higher education, including apprenticeships through some of the UK’s leading employers, employer-funded study, gap years and more.

"With the huge rise in university applications, rejection is unfortunately a possibility for many. The key message we want to convey is ‘don’t panic’, as there are many avenues open to students."

The pack was created with input from Jim Knight MP, Minister for Employment, Simon Waugh of the newly founded National Apprenticeship Service and the Department of Working Pensions.

Jim Knight MP Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform said,

"Finishing your A-levels is a major life event but the big decisions about what to do next can be daunting. This is why the Government is putting major resources and energy into creating thousands of jobs, training, volunteering and work experience opportunities for young people. The UK business community is committed to working with Government to make the most of young people's talents and skills to build a stronger future for Britain."

The pack covers key issues for school-leavers such as apprenticeships, gap years, distance learning, debt-free degrees, finding a job, starting your own business and more. Contact information for specific advice related to each career route is given, as well as case studies detailing individuals who decided to follow each path.

19 year old Tom Mursell, who was featured on Channel 4’s ‘Year Dot’ started notgoingtouni.co.uk as a small blog to help school-leavers make key decisions about their future, before the site received investment and was able to expand to offer a fuller service for users, including apprenticeships through some of the UK’s best known retailers.

Tom concluded,

"Many successful business people never went to Uni, including Sir Alan Sugar, Bill Gates, Sir Philip Green and Sir Richard Branson, although we're led to believe that university is the only route to success. Not going to university doesn't mean your life is over, nor does it mean you can't be successful. notgoingtouni.co.uk hopes to inspire, advise, give young people opportunities and help them to succeed in their chosen path."