Choosing a Course

a little background - i dropped out at 13., currently 17. Went on to get my maths and english gcse myself at 14 and got into college at 16. I want to be a body piercer and own my own studios etc. I have one year left of free education after this one. i cannot train in piercing until i’m 18 and want to use my free ed years wisely really.
Last year - i done an entry level childcare course bc of my lack of gcses and i also was working in childcare so it fit! I can’t really do much with that qualification as it’s just entry level but it was fun.
This year - i managed to get on a Level 2 Business Skills course, it’s less enjoyable but manageable and also has a lot more pressure on me.

Right, so my current problem:
next year is my last year of free education. I want to use it and train in piercing alongside it. I don’t know if i should get a higher level Childcare so i can possibly open up childcare careers in the future or go and do a Level 3 Business course. I feel the business course would open up a lot more opportunities but they’d be more boring. But on another hand, it could help me when i own my own studios. I have no clue which to choose and i like to start thinking about it around this time of year.

Reply 1

Ash1234

Some thoughts for you to think about..

You need to think short term goal and long term. Long term would be your goal to own studios. Short term might be to work for someone else in either childcare environments or office environments.

It's really down to what "job role" you want in the short term (up to 5 years to build up money/savings while working for someone else). I say that because you've wrote you want to " I want to be a body piercer and own my own studios etc."

higher level Childcare- the transferable skills would ideally let you apply in offices but ofcourse interview wise say a candidate has L3 Business course qualification vs you have childcare I'm sure they'd chose the l3 busiss course candidate.

Level 3 Business course - could open doors to entry level admin/reception roles at so many companies so your less limited.

I'm mindful some childcare roles maybe term time allowing you then to focus on self-employment opportunities to do with piercing?? So win win situation. Then again you could do a office role part time too.

Reply 2

HelloHello143

U get free education until 19 if ur still in college, after that u pay even if ur still in college

I went to a sixth form for 1 year, dropped out and changed courses to level 3 BTEC childcare in a college which is 2 year course

If u want to go into childcare I wud recommend getting up to level 2, that way u can become a manager after working in a nursery for 2 years if that's something ur looking for...my current manager has a level 2...level 2 is 1 year so u wud still be getting free education, or since u already have a level 2 (even tho it's in something else) u cud do level 3 childcare which means slightly better pay and a bit more responsibilties

And if u get level 4 or 5 u can also own ur own nursery, some of my collegues are doing this/want to do this

If u want to become a body piercer instead then u shud look into that, I have no clue...maybe u cud do an apprenticeship? They may even end up offering u a job...but as far as I know u don't actually need any professional qualifications to be a body piercer and u don't need a business qualification to own or build a business, unless ur going uni oir a job that requires business, i dont think business is useful for anything