Careers Sections
Careers | Parents
Raising The Participation Age
What does Raising the Participation Age (PRA) mean?
Raising the Participation age came from government legislation, introduced in 2013 to encourage young people to stay in ‘education and training’ until they are 18.
It’s not quite the same as the school leaving age as it doesn’t mean young people have to stay on at school. They will have a choice of what they can do:
Full time education at school or college
Part time education or training if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering for 20 hours or more a week
Apprenticeship/Traineeship
The RPA has been introduced to help students improve their career prospects by continuing with some form of learning or training after their GCSEs. This change gives all students the opportunity to develop more skills and qualifications for future employment.
More Information on RPA
You can find out more information on Raising the Participation Age at:
Raising the participation age - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Qualifications Explained
In the UK, most qualifications fit into one of nine levels, the higher the level, the harder the qualification. The levels are based on the standards of knowledge, skill and competence needed for each qualification. Qualifications at the same level can be very different in terms of content and the length of time they take to complete.
Knowing about the different levels means that you can compare qualifications and identify what you need for your chosen career.
The table below shows some examples of qualifications at each level, this list is not exhaustive.
Further Information for Parents and Carers
Parents & Carers | GMACS | Inspire. Explore. Apply
Apprenticeship Resources For Parents (amazingapprenticeships.com)
GM Higher: Parent and Carer's Guide by GMHigher - issuu
