LEAVING SCHOOL

 

School Leaving Dates

If your 16th birthday falls on or between 1st SEPTEMBER and 1st JULY, you will be eligible to leave school on the 30th JUNE of that academic year.  If your 16th birthday falls on or between 2nd JULY and 31st AUGUST, you will have to wait until the 30th JUNE of the following year before you will be eligible to leave. 

Finding Work 

You may go straight into a job when you leave school but there are few employers who employ young people without any training. Vacancies for school leavers are normally advertised in The Belfast Telegraph, The Irish News or The Newsletter. Vacancies may also appear in the local newspapers so school leavers should check all of these during their last term in school. 

Advice Available 

You are advised to make an appointment to see a careers officer at your nearest JobCentre. The careers officer will give you information about jobs, training and further education. You will be able to decide which option is best for you. 

Opportunities in Training or Further Education 

One of the main problems facing school leavers looking for work is that they have neither the qualifications nor the experience required by employers. School leavers can gain qualifications and experience at the Colleges/Institutes of Further Education or through the Jobskills training programme. 

If you decide that you would like to go to one of the colleges, you can arrange an appointment with a college tutor who will be able to give you more in-depth information on the courses you are considering. 

The Jobskills programme offers training to young people. Comprehensive, impartial pre-entry advice and guidance ensures that training is structured to individual needs. Trainees choose their training provider, who guarantees to train each person to an agreed National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level. An allowance is paid during training.

If you decide to enter Jobskills, you will need a training credit. You will get this after an interview with your careers officer. The training credit will show the job area in which you want to train and the qualification you hope to achieve at the end of training. 

NVQs are assessed at various levels to show that a person is able to perform competently in a specified range of work-related tasks. Lead bodies, made up of employers and employee representatives, set the standards required for NVQs in their particular sector. Various assessment methods are used, with emphasis on candidates showing that they can perform tasks in the workplace or under similar conditions. 

Social Security Agency Benefits 

Income Support is not payable to anyone under 18 years old with a few exceptions, eg. lone parents, people with disabilities and some others.  

If you are 18 and do not intend to return to school you can claim Jobseekers Allowance from the second Monday in January, the first Monday following Easter Monday or the second Monday in September - whichever first follows the date you leave school.
 
A plastic card showing your National Insurance number should be sent to you by post around the time of your 16th birthday. Keep the card carefully as you will need it when registering for work or when you start a job. If you lose your card or for some reason do not receive one, you should contact your nearest Social Security office.