Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Hello

I just joined the forum and was hoping for some help regarding what options are available in the U.S for someone without any GCSEs?

I'm 16 and still living in the U.K with my dad but my mother moved out to America last may and got re-married, whilst i was unsure about moving out there myself last year i feel like i could be missing out on a better future and the deadline for the 'to follow' visa is nearing.

If your wondering why i have an absence of GCSEs its due to the fact that i was home-schooled for my secondary education and have been unable to sit GCSE assessments. I do however have a level 2 functional skills qualification in both English and Maths that i believe are equivalent to a GCSE C.

So what type of education or employment opportunities would i beable to get if i decided to make the move?

Thanks

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Assuming your visa is sorted by your mum (and I'll let others talk about that) I doubt very much that the employers you will talk to in the USA will have any clue what a GCSE is, let alone a level 2 functional skills qualification. Seriously--like may .001% will have any idea, if that.

Even if you had your GCSE, you'd need to get converted to a US standard, like a high school diploma or associates degree. There are services that can look at your academic record and attempt to come up with a similar credential here in the USA. You might have to site for your USA GED, which is a high school equivalency exam just to get some baseline that US employers could understand.

Even with a GED, you are going to have a rough go at things. Many employers (a significant number) will not even talk to you with a university degree. It depends of course on experiences, but absent a formal UK or US educational certification let alone a US university degree the employers wouldn't have much to look at to make a judgement about hiring you.

Do you have an idea what type of work you would like to do? Do you have a portfolio or experience already?

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Like penguinsix said, you could get your GED, which is a high school equivalency exam covering English, Maths, Science and Social Studies (US history, government, civics). Here's a brief outline: https://www.petersons.com/college-se...#/sweeps-modal

You could enroll in community college, which is somewhat like the UK 6th form colleges/ FE colleges/ technical colleges (not sure what they're called these days). There, you can take 2 year courses to study for an Associates' Degree (and then transfer to do the last 2 years of a 4 year Bachelors' Degree at a university). Community colleges also offer shorter, more targeted vocational courses for business, computers, trades like welding or AC repair, hairdressing, etc. Community college may require in-state residency for one year before you can pay the cheaper resident tuition, which is usually about $3-4K a year.

You don't technically need the GED to get into community college, I don't think, as they are open enrollment and test you upon admission, and put you into remedial classes by subject if necessary to bring you up to post-high school level. But you'd frankly need it anyway, as job applications will simply reject you out of hand if you can't fill anything in on the 'tell me how you graduated high school' click list.

So yes, it's completely doable - you'd need to spend at least the next 3-4 years in education to make a go of it in a trade job, and 6+ years to get a degree. And you'd have to plan how this would be paid for.

What's the plan if you stay in the UK? It's perfectly possible to get GCSEs without attending school, by the way - many home-ed kids do this by going to a couple of classes at a 6th form college, or studying at home and paying the fee to turn up at a test center and just do the exam (often an independent school). 'How to do GCSEs and A levels' is discussed endlessly on home ed forums, so search on those if you'd like some hints.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

I agree with kodokan, lacking school qualifications is something you will want to deal with whether you stay in the UK or move to the US.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Just to say that if you do want to take GCSE's, being homeschooled doesn't preclude that - you can still sit them as a private candidate.

So that might be worth considering before you move, so that at least you can have high school education.

Best of luck.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Your 16. You'd be required to do a couple more years worth of school till you're 18.

You'd be hard pressed to even get a paper round with what you've got.

That said, as mentioned, you can sit your exams and that would be worth doing and then get your GED but you're going to want to do more schooling.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

If is mother is only a permanent resident (not citizen) then there appears to be a 2 year wait for visa for children of permanent residents.

If this is correct he can't move yet.

https://travel.state.gov/content/vis...uary-2017.html

In which case it would be more beneficial for him to complete his education in the UK. Don't understand his situation whereby he was home schooled but unable to take GCSE's

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Surely the application would be on the basis of becoming a step-child of the mother's new US citizen husband?

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Yes, that would work ......

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Doesn't that require formal adoption, which has implications for the OP's natural father? :unsure:

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

No - stepchildren are treated in the same way as biological children, so long as they were under 18 when the wedding took place.

I don't know whether father's permission would be required or whether, at 16, the OP is considered legally old enough to make the decision themselves, but adoption isn't needed.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

OP suggested a K2.

Rather depends what you want to do, job wise.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

Very few, if any, Americans will have any idea what a GCSE is or any other UK qualification. You might as well be speaking Martian to them.

I would just tell them, you're 16 and have been home-schooled in the UK but haven't finished your education yet. They will understand that.

Other posters are correct that moving forwards you will be unable to do ANYTHING gainful or meaningful without a high school diploma, and, increasingly, a university degree. Community College is an option as when you are finished you can transfer into a university for your major units.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

You will struggle. My husband was born and raised in the USA and didn't finish high school and the best fixed employment he's ever had was at the 7-11. The worst was cleaning toilets. He is a very talented artist and has worked on album covers and t-shirt designs but that's all very hit or miss. So he takes other jobs to keep the money trickling in but his choices are very limited. I would urge you take some formal qualifications so you at least have something on paper that someone may be able to work with.

Re: Education/Employment options for someone without GCSEs?
 

I agree with this. I taught high school in the UK until moving to the US and worked with charter high schools here and one thing that is true BOTH sides of the Atlantic is that you need to finish your education if you want to have any stake in the job market. Even if high salary isn't your thing, employment fields are extremely competitive these days (again, in both the UK and the US). Graduating high school is something most American teenagers do by the age of 18 (though you can do this earlier) and colleges and employers are looking for a High School Diploma as a minimum. Many jobs also ask for an Associates Degree or Bachelors. At 16, you have the time. Google your options in both countries. Spend some time also Googling employment opportunities. If you want to be in the USA (and do make sure that's something you want to do) then you're in a fortunate situation that you're not dependent on employment visa but have an alternate route.

For any answer to your question to have real value, though, depends very much on why you think moving to the US is better for you than remaining in the UK. Question your own motivation and see what you come up with. Then do your research. This may be the 'land of opportunity' but there are some pretty good opportunities in the UK too if you don't mind investing your time and making some sacrifices.