Let him go for A levels if he is interested and has the capability. My kids are all at a similar age. The oldest one leaves school in June and has applied to uni and for apprenticeships (which require her to get an ‘A’ and 2 ‘B’s at A level). Still coming to terms with the amount of debt (£45k+ apparently is likely- £9k fees and £8k for rent and living per year) she will land herself in if she chooses the uni route. She has been motivated enough to keep as many options open as possible to choose from when she leaves.
I think A levels keep their options more open.
A part time job is also excellent to make them more aware of the sort of jobs you can do if you don’t have qualifications as well as giving them their own money, experience in interviews, applying for jobs, being rejected and the satisfaction of someone else valuing what they do enough to pay them money to do it.

Thanks again for all your replies, much appreciated

Anyway who gives a monkeys about the future, I had the **** time of my life at Uni, I want my son to do the same if possible. Life’s too short to worry about money all the time. Drink, drugs and girls…. glad I had that time.

At your sons age I was academically gifted but pathologically lazy and had no real idea what I wanted to do. I started A levels (Maths, Applied Maths and Geology) but left after a year. I would have gone on to a maths degree and a solid future in accountancy, my sole source of joy being a slightly amusing tie 🙁

Instead I completed a 4 year ONC/HNC engineering apprenticeship with Marconi. Found purely by chance from looking at job adverts in the local paper. At the time they also had student apprentices who’d done A levels and were being supported through their degrees. These guys worked outside term time and did a year in the business in the middle of the course. Do you have any large engineering employers locally who offer these opportunities? I remember the wages being pretty savage so your boy may need to stay at home. Our student apprentices had subsidised accommodation though.

The four years gave me a good understanding of what I might enjoy doing because it was split into 3 month placements across a variety of departments (test, test eng, design, QA, purchasing, sw lab). I left to go into audio electronics and now run the test department of a hi-fi company, a job I love doing. I would require a degree to work in R&D but could be supported in this from my current position. 2 people in my department are currently doing day release degrees.

Unless your lad shows interest in a trade, I wouldn’t see the vocational courses as a great option. Junkyard is likely to be the best source of unbiased information.

The problem is that unfortunately some industries are closed shops these days unless you have a degree, and probably wealthy parents too. There is almost certainly no-chance of getting a job in media, say, without a degree regardless of the fact that it is a vocational industry. It also means the place is run over with Tarquins and Tabathas whose parents are footing the bill for them to do 12 months plus of free work experience to get their first job for the princely sum of £12k per year. It’s not the industry it was when I started out…

Keep him on the conveyor belt until he decides to get off it. It offers the best chances: but they’re still just chances. He’s got to do the work and want things. It’s best to show him as many of the opportunities as you can so he can make the decision himself.

but I feel as though the school is brainwashing us into thinking the sixth form/uni option is the only option.

The School would do has they don’t want to loose the money

TBH Schools are not really that mercenary, Yes they want Bums on seats but they don’t make a reputation or gain more funding off the back of high dropout rates or poor final marks…
Throwing kids at the wrong courses won’t help any school/college in the long run and they know it, They really want capable students doing subjects that interest them…

“Success breeds Success” and all that innit…

Keep him on the conveyor belt until he decides to get off it. It offers the best chances

Not always, as shown in my example. If such apprenticeships are available now, then after 4 years you’ll be in work, have 4 years of relevant experience and have some academic credits towards a degree, leaving you with 2 more years of full time study if you left and completed a degree. The academic route has positives but at the same point in the timeline you’d be a year further forward in a degree but with far less workplace experience and bigger debts. Better sex life and more booze and drugs possibly. Don’t tell your son that OP!