Should I stay or Should I go...

[Barry_White]

I will be 70 next month and have had over 35 occupations during my working life. (And still working BTW). The trouble is I let a 15 year old kid decide what I was going to do for the rest of my life without the wisdom of older people. At that age my father had opted out of family life and was dead two years later.

My first choice of occupation was to be a plumber but my mother said you don't want do that it's too dirty. So I picked an occupation off a list and didn't even know what it was about. Patternmaking something even my mother didn't know what it was so couldn't say one way or the other. Now a dying trade.

My advice is seek out advice from older people, do an aptitude test as some of the others have said go and do some work experience but by all means go to at least year 12 because by then you will be letting at least an 18 year old rather than a 16 year old making a rest of life decision and year 12 will give you many more options.

If you do decide to do a trade do a transportable one like electrician, plumber, fridge mechanic, motor or diesel mecahnic.

[Howdya do that]

I will be 70 next month and have had over 35 occupations during my working life. The trouble is I let a 15 year old kid decide what I was going to do for the rest of my life without the wisdom of older people. At that age my father had opted out of family life and was dead two years later.

Well said

[ss_11000]

stay at school mate, you've got the brains to do well and those extra two yrs at school will help if the apprenticeship doesnt work out...you can still do the apprenticeship after yr 12 anyway

[Terry B]

I would not employ someone (given a choice) that didn't have the "stickability" to complete there schooling. I would be worried that they wouldn't complete whatever training was needed for the job. I only employ a small number of people but am yet to employ someone that hasn't finished school.

[watson]

Good advice Stirlo!

[Groggy]

The general opinion seems to be to complete year 12. I agree and will add that if you decide to go back to study for some reason later in life it will most likely have year 12 as a pre-requisite.

It IS possible to be successful by leaving school early and there are a number of people who will point out the success stories. What I rarely hear though is the comparison between how many leave early and how many actually 'make it'. The odds are well and truly against you.

My qualifications for saying this? I left school early in year 11. Had to go back to night school for two years to complete year 12, then attended uni at nights to get what I wanted. If you try to go back to study after a break of a few years it will be very hard to do.

[Cruzi]

If you leave now and do the apprenticeship, you have one shot to make it work, albeit a good trade.

If you stay, you expand your options if the trade turns out to be not what you thought it would be.

[Woodlee]

Here's my story I'm not recommending you stay at school or leave ,this is just my experience.

I left school at age 15 ,I completed 3 rd year High school only ,didn't have my HSC, started an apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner after convincing the employer that I was better with my hands than with my brains and didn't want to return to school .After completeing a five year apprenticeship I spent a number of years working in toolmaking and also maintenance work .I completed a few extra courses on hydraulics ,part time .I was moving from job to job constantly ,working in different factories as a maintenance fitter or tool maker ,I was very unsettled and silly as a buckled wheel .


In 1980 Moved to the Territory and started work in the mining industry and spent 9 years there (longest job I had until then was 2 years ,not counting the five year apprenticeship) ,then onto the power generation industry for 12years . While working in these jobs ,I was learning constantly ,then I had the opportunity to do a part time University course in management ,which I completed .I also did a lot of operational and maintenance courses on turbine and reciprocating engines and gained a certificate in high voltage switching, and engine drivers certificate.

Finally I grew tired of the heat ,noise and filth working in power stations and travelling from one side of the country to the other .The job was also very boring at times as we sat around for months on end , waiting for something to break so that we could fix it.
A job came up in Defence in an engineering section so I applied and got the job .Now I drive a desk ,have a number of people working for me and am on a very good salary.I doub't I would have got the current job with out my experience and trade back ground .
Since being in this current job I have completed courses in Accounting , Financial Management , Budget Planning and Financial Auditing etc.
I have been around a bit and have worked in numerous jobs ,I don't regret leaving school early ,but as you can see I have spent considerable time back at "school" doing courses to advance my knowledge ,I must add that all the extra schooling cost me nothing except effort as it was all paid for by my employers both financially and time wise.

Kev.

[weisyboy]

I think things have changed a little bit since you left school. please dont take offence.

they couldnt have changed mutch in the last 2 years could they.

i love being my own boss and i lobve fencing and all the other bits that i do.

[Optimark]

I left school at 13½ years of age, probably not the best thing to do, but I didn’t have an option at the time. On the one hand, I have always regretted that I wasn’t able to do higher education; on the other hand, my life probably wouldn’t have been as eventful as it has been.


I travelled and lived by myself from the moment I left school, that was my situation and it was the early sixties. Many things have changed, pieces of paper are now required for a lot of jobs, in those days, if you could do the job, you got the job. Not so, now!


That said, I now own my own business, which is extremely successful, all of the people I have hired have no formal qualifications, which is interesting as I think about it right now. I didn’t go out of my way to hire people without formal education, I just hired those who could do, and do, do the job.


If you are capable of doing higher education, higher than you currently have, then I think you should seriously think of staying in the education system whilst you are still used to being educated. It is quite hard to get back into learning mode, especially if you aren’t really the studious type.


All of that said, it’s your decision in the end.


Mick.

[Master Splinter]

Having provided the same advice to my son recently....

It's pretty easy to pick up tertiary qualifications (plenty of scope for mature age students, online/remote learning, part-time hours, out of work hours, recognition of prior learning and so on) at a later date if that's what you want to do; I know a number of people who have done a trade and then gone on to get degrees at a later stage of their life, but I'm yet to meet someone who started with uni quals and has managed to successfully pick up a trade at a later date (especially in the more protected trades such as plumbing and electrical work).

And as for hiring...the very worst worker I've ever seen had four degrees (the guy was basically at the stage where he was looking at doing another two or three units to qualify for yet another degree...he had all this knowledge, but was unable to actually do anything outside of an academic context). Some of the best workers have come straight from year 10. So it all depends on the person!

[flynnsart]

I suppose you would have to take into account what you are like at school. I know my daughter probably wasted her grade 11 and 12 years, she was not of the studious kind. Think my boys needed it, for the maturity that the extra time brings.

Have you looked into School based apprentiships? Do you have an actual job lined up? Can you go there during the holidays and do some work experience? So often our dream of what we think we want is far from reality. Look at that young fella on the forum that up stakes and went down to Tassie for a course and everything fell to poop for him.

We all have different niches to fill and we just got to find the one that fits us, some dont find where they belong until late in life. (Carl is very lucky that he has found what he loves to do so early, my hubby is only now finding what he likes to do at age 52)

Not everyone can benefit from a few extra years of schooling no matter what anyone says. But think long and hard, some wont take apprentices that havent got year 12 under their belt.

Donna

[manoftalent]

Apart from all the advice that has been given (mine included), do a test scenario.....write down three occupations, that you have a mind to go for, I say three because sometimes we may want to be something but just not may be able to "cut it"...I always wanted to fly, but alas I was passed up by the airforce, so I joined the army instead, ....out of the three occupations ......do the "math", go and find out what is "required" in each chosen career, and basically find out yourself what some here have been trying to point out....

you owe it to yourself to do this, as with anything in life, by all means make a decision, but be it an informed one .....

[funkychicken]

I'll soon be going for a talk to a woody about doing some work experience (setup by the school). This woody makes million dollar, bought by famous people pieces, privileged to even step inside his workshop kinda thing.
So I'm veery lucky to have this oppurtunity.

If this woody happened to take me on as an apprentice, I'd be doing it as a school based apprenticeship an then maybe full time if he wanted me there full time and if things were right for that.

Oh and..I Haven't been told his name yet


My situation:
I'm failing Math because I find it pointless and irrelevant and impossible
I'm failing English because of...lack of trying really. But it is kinda hard to try hard at something you hate and when the teacher annoys the heck out of you
I'm passing Graphics, Woodwork, Junior catering with flying colours
I hate school; the monotony, the stupidity, some of the people, the uniforms, the boredom, etc.

Notice how some people seem to work well with school and others just don't..

As Master Splinter and my boss said, some people who do really well in school and uni are absolutely useless when it comes to real life.

I've got the whole rest of the year to decide so there's no rushing the decision


Thanks for the input everyone

[RETIRED]

I hate school; the monotony, the stupidity, some of the people, the uniforms, the boredom, etc.

Kind of like working but the hours are longer.