GCSEs, IBs, BTECs and A-Levels suitability

Unless they are the proposed new T-Levels, which utilise employer panels , I'm not sure they do. Generally, speaking to financial services firms, they seem to be looking for particular skills and attributes from school-leavers and graduates - this may differ from industry to industry and role to role. Subjects and grades achieved often seem to be a differentiating factor when applicants seem very close. There will always be some professions where employers look for particular qualifications for specific roles. We are a professional body offering A-level equivalent qualifications to students looking for a potential career in financial services. Our qualifications contain units derived from professional qualifications taken and developed by practitioners working in the industry - this is definitely one way of knowing the qualifications meet the needs of the sector.

Hi there, PwC are a professional services firm with opportunities in areas such as accountancy and consulting and as long as students meet our academic requirements in their qualifications, we don't look so much into which subjects they have studied. The only area where we ask for a specific A-Level is for students who want work as an actuary - they need to have a B in Maths A-level. We take students from lots of different academic backgrounds and value the diversity this brings to our firm. We do get questions from students asking us what subjects they should study at A-level or degree level and we encourage them to study what they enjoy and what they are passionate about. We're looking for transferable skills such as communication skills, teamworking, the ability to manage a task/project, commercial awareness & leadership which students can develop through study or extra-curricular activies.

The very areas where you look for transferable skills are those that school and college do not give sufficient time to developing. Also, because of the emphasis on extra classes, often on Saturdays in some, time outside studies is limited. This applies particularly to those who need to have a Saturday or pt job to eupport the selves and familied.

Although companies do offer events where youngsters can take part in projects, enterpreneurship days or weeks, it is sometimes difficult for those who really need such activities to be drawn in unless it is part of the curriculum. However, with the emphasis now on linear and end of two year testing, there will have to be even more 'intervention' strategies to support those whomperhaps learn and produce their best in other ways, as happened with AVCEs, BTECS and other exams with a more work-related [link removed]