NVQ Level 2 Office Management: your thoughts please

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

DD2 (18, almost19) has taken a year out before uni. She has a place for Sept at a Russell group uni.

She has been doing a temp job as an office receptionist for several months and is loving it.

The office is advertising for an apprentice to take over from her when she leaves for uni. DD is not a natural studier, and is considering applying for the apprenticeship.

Because the apprenticeship is linked to the local college, the best course they can offer her is a NVQ level 2 in Office Management. (She was hoping to do AAT or CIMA or similar).

The office cannot afford to take her on as an employee ATM, even on minimum wage.

What are your thoughts wise mumsnetters? Is an NVQ2 worth its salt?

[LIZS]

Not really , it is GCSE level so aimed at those with less education and experience than she has. Could she not find a company offering AAT/CIMA while working ? What was her degree course due to be ?

[Petallic]

I have recently applied for an admin job that specified either an NVQ in admin or demonstrable relevant career history. First time I'd seen it as a requirement in a job spec (was a public sector job). But agree your DD has world at her feet and there's so much she could do that would either be more interesting or lead to better things. I would not advise or encourage her to do this admin apprenticeship instead of going to a good uni.

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

Sorry to post and run - busy couple of days.

DD is bright, but doesn't like studying. I don't think she'd last the course in uni without being pushed to get up for 9am lecture/finish her essay/do some independent reading etc. She's just not that motivated. She did well enough at A Level, but didn't reach potential, despite huge effort from both school and parents. We were surprised when the uni offered her a place, and even more surprised when they accepted her with lower grades than her offer.

We are qhitey relieved that she's considering not going. She's loving working and being in an office, and has really matured since she started. The girl who was always late for school is never late for work, and she has great feedback from her manager at 1:1s.

Thank you for feedback about NVQs. Its what I suspected. We've suggested to her that she suggests to her manager that she part funds a course that's more suitable. TBH, I'd much prefer to support her through a few years of something like CIMA, and have her earning (even a pittance) because I know she'd stick to something hands on and practical.

Her degree would be in languages, so four years of debt, with probably more training at the end if it.

If she goes down a part self funded apprenticeship, she would live at home earn/save a bit/ gain work experience/be debt free/have a decent qualification in 3 years.

Do you think that sounds like a plan? (If she can self fund studies)

[Jinsei]

If they can't afford to pay her, I think she needs to look for another job. I can't see that working as an apprentice receptionist is going to be of much use to her, and the NVQ isn't worth much - it's real experience that counts in that sort of role. Could she not find some other sort of temp role that actually pays?

Also, I'm not sure if you're looking at the CIMA professional qualification or just the certificate? As far as I know, you need relevant work experience for the professional qualification, and I'm not sure that her current role will give her that? Also, from what I've heard, there's a fair bit of studying involved, so she needs to think about that if motivation is an issue! Does she actually want to be an accountant?

If it were my dd, I think I'd be wanting her to take up her uni place, but you know her best, and if she really isn't interested or motivated, maybe there is no point.

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

She is doing some finance reporting work as part of her temp job and that's the bit she likes best. She enjoyed the finance parts of Bus Studies GCSE and A Level too.

Thank you for all your thoughts. We need to think some more with her I think.

[Petallic]

What about swapping to a business studies or finance uni course that offers CIMA/AAT accreditation as part of the course? If she went for a sandwich year when she's got the added motivation of wanting to do well on her 1st year so she gets a good placement. General business studies is quite broad and she could specialise in her 2/3 year once she knows which areas she likes.

Ps I've been to 3 uni's and unless you are doing a full on science course with loads of lab work - there's not too any early starts. 10am is more usual :-)

Good luck with whatever she chooses. There's always the apprenticeship website if she really feels the work route is best for her, you can search for keywords like AAT. But lots of the good programmes may have already recruited this years intake and you do have to be wary of the employers that are just looking for cheap labour.

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

Thanks Petallic. I have suggested switching courses, but she's fairly anti-uni at the moment. No decision is for ever though, and it might be good for her to mature a bit and go to uni in a few years time.

I'll google the apprenticeship website - hadn't heard of that.

[titchy]

A Higher Level apprenticeship might be better. Some of the accountancy firms offer them to kids with decent A levels.

Oh and she should be doing the searching not you!

[titchy]

Here:

apprenticeships.org.uk/employers/higher-apprenticeships/higher-apprenticeships-frameworks.aspx