Editorial: Exam results are not the be all and end all
Over the coming fortnight, students across the north west will be receiving their GCSE, A Level, Leaving Cert and other qualification and exam results. Come what may, it’s imperative each of those young people is supported and knows that whatever their grades, they have numerous options.
Time was that academic qualifications were seen as the be all and end all. That was understandable in bygone eras when opportunities were few and and well paid jobs scarce. Then good grades and a place in university could mean the difference of a well paid job that could set you up for life. But those days are gone.
Over the past 20 to 30 years, things have somewhat turned on their head and it is often the traditional and modern trades, IT and manufacturing industries, rather than professions aligned to academia, that provide the steady work, a ‘job for life’ and a heftier wage packet. In such in-demand jobs you can work for yourself or choose who you work for, and quite often you can name your price. University is not the only route to such careers, with apprenticeships and further and higher colleges helping tens of thousands of people discover their talents.
Sectors such as health and social care, education, lifestyle also provide opportunities for various different career paths and the chance to travel, while there are also numerous services and organisations set up to help those who wish to strike out and start their own business.
So come what may, the world can still be every young person’s oyster if we help instill confidence in them.