EXPERTS behind a Bradford centre offering traineeships to school leavers is offering advice on the next steps on A level results day today.

Qube Learning, which runs the Kick Start Training Centre in Bradford, believes that it is important that students understand all the routes available to them to help make an informed choice.

Joe Crossley, CEO of the leading national training provider, has put together a number of tips to guide students to making the best possible decision.

He said: "Results day can be a nerve-wracking time for students across the country, particularly during these unprecedented times. Young people may feel that the next steps in their career are very dependent on the grades they get, or they may feel unsure of what options there are aside from university. Whatever the situation, it’s important that they understand all the education routes available to help make informed choices.

"With exams cancelled this year, pupils are relying on predicted grades with most hopefully achieving their desired results but if not, this need not be an obstacle and understanding the different options available will only support unlocking someone’s true potential."

His tips are:

• Not passing an exam is certainly not a barrier to achieving success in the future. If you find that you didn’t get the grades you expected, it’s important not to panic! Don’t make rushed decisions and take time to seek advice from friends, parents, teachers and career advisors.

• Once you have an idea of which career path is the right one, building the correct skill set is the next step. I don’t think people should assume that school, college and then university is the only path that is a credible one. In fact, I think there are many great examples of successful people who have started work early and then gone onto further education later in life.

• Find out about alternatives to university - traineeships and apprenticeships are great ways to build a long and successful career. Traineeships are a good way for 16-24-year olds to try out different sectors and job roles without making a long-standing commitment. Traineeships include really important elements that give students the right foundation for employment including maths and English, work readiness and industry specific skills such as customer service.

• Apprenticeships are also a respected alternative or addition to college and university. Apprenticeships ensure that participants gain not only sector specific skills, that are delivered by people with the most up to date knowledge, but they also ensure those skills are embedded over time. The key difference of course with an Apprenticeship is that they enable people to earn while they learn.

• Having a plan is key but if you don’t know what you want to do, then think about what you enjoy or if there is a particular trade or sector that you are interested in, this will then help you to focus on what you need to do to get in.

Traineeships or apprenticeships in a variety of career sectors are available through Qube Learning at the Kick Start Training Centre, on Rawson Place.