Every young person born on or after 1st September 1997 must stay in some form of education or training until they’re 18.

Many stay in school and complete A Levels without knowing the wide variety of options available to them.

It may come as a surprise to many that school is not the only option, to others the array of possibilities can seem overwhelming.

In advance of the Carlisle College Open Evening on Thursday 19th January (4pm-8pm) we spoke to Carlisle College about the options currently available to young people making their education and future career choices in Cumbria.

“Many see continuing in school as their only option. School is something that’s been familiar to 15/16 year olds for the vast majority of their lives and finding out about anything else can be tricky when you’re so involved in your day-to-day studies.

6th form is a great route for many but the option to carry out studies at college rather than school can sometimes be overlooked. There are some big plusses to continuing your studies at College: a more mutually respectful learning environment where students are treated as adults, the ability to specialise in one subject area and the ability to move on to work, University or further study with greater confidence. It’s definitely something young people should be considering.

You’ll struggle to have missed the growing trend for Apprenticeships if you’ve turned on the TV or watched YouTube over the last few months. The offer of earning while learning is proving irresistible to many young people. Carlisle College offer an array of apprenticeships and currently have over 550 Apprentices working with 340 leading local employers in the region. Apprenticeships offer great career prospects and the ability to combine theory with real work experience is a big selling point for our students.

There is only one piece of advice I’d give to young people trying to decide on what to do in September: “Explore your options”. It’s easy to be swayed by our teachers, parents and friends but you won’t know what’s best for you until you know all of the options available to you."

With an open evening taking place this Thursday (the 19th of January) at Carlisle College from 4pm until 8pm there’s never been a better time to explore the options available.