Not made the grade? View it as a learning curve

The release of this year’s A Level results has prompted our HR Director Maria Williams to issue this message of encouragement to those who didn’t quite get the marks that matter...

“There have been some fantastic A Level results today and as an organisation dedicated to young people, Upturn has thoroughly enjoyed seeing and hearing about their success.

However, there is a group who will not have attained the grades they hoped for and who will be very uncertain about their future. Some of those may have no one to turn to.

As an independent not-for-profit organisation, we can offer them practical encouragement. That includes helping them through the clearing process for university and explaining the complex job market but also maybe guiding them down a different, vocational route.

Apprenticeships combine top level education and on-the-job expertise and of course, you can earn while you learn. Happily, society has finally come around to the idea that vocational education is on a par with academia – as it already is in countries such as Germany.

During the course of the last few days, Upturn has secured places on degree apprenticeships with companies including an international engineering and fast-food manufacturer. What makes us different is that we offer bespoke personal training and have superb contacts with large and small businesses looking to plug their skills gaps.

Not attaining your grades should never be seen as a failure, rather a valuable experience where you can learn about a prospective future ahead.”