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Time off for study
Left school
recently with few or no qualifications? Feel you’re in a dead-end
job? Want to get on in life?
From
September 1999 a new law gave some young people the right
to time off work to get qualifications to improve their job
prospects.
Does this
mean me?
If you
:
- are
16 or 17 years old
- are
employed
- are
not going to school or college full-time
- have
not already got a qualification at ‘Level 2’
you are
entitled to reasonable paid time off during normal working
hours to study or train for a ‘Level 2’ qualification.
How
much time off can I have?
The law
says you can have ‘reasonable’ time off – but there is no
fixed rule about what this means. It could mean day release
to college or it could mean setting aside some time at work
for private study.
What
do I have to do?
Your first
step is to talk to your employer. If you don’t want to do
this yourself, get in touch with your local Careers Centre
and ask them to approach your employer on your behalf.
What
is a ‘Level 2’ qualification?
‘Level
2’ here means :
- NVQ
Level 2 or
- Intermediate
GNVQ or
- BTEC
First or
- 5 GCSEs
grades A-C or
- Similar
level qualification
This
means that, as long as you haven’t already got one of these
qualifications, you can try for one at this level at work.
The qualification
you go for has to be one that will help you in your future
career but it doesn’t always have to be one directly connected
with the job you’re doing now.
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HOT
TIP!
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One
of the easiest ways to get a qualification at work is
to go on a National Traineeship or Modern Apprenticeship.
A training provider will organise things, for you and
your employer, and help you get the qualification.
Your
local Careers Centre can set this up for you.
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