Vocational courses will give you the knowledge, skill, work experience and qualifications to progress to a higher education course at university or at college, to an Apprenticeship or into full-time employment.

They will also provide you with the employability skills that will give you a head start in your chosen career.

Our vocational courses are almost all taught at our London Road campus. Our Art vocational courses are all taught at the English Bridge campus.

Depending on your achievement in GCSE and equivalent qualifications you will start your course at Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3. However, for some trades, everyone starts at Level 1 or Level 2 regardless of your qualifications as you will need to build up your skills before progressing to advanced level.

Extended Diplomas are two year courses which allow you to progress to higher education or a job. They are worth three A Levels and are valued highly by both universities and employers. You can study an A Level alongside an Extended Diploma. You will need to have achieved the entry requirements of the course, typically four GCSES at grades 4-9/C+, though individual subjects have different specific requirements.

We also offer vocational courses in Hair, Beauty, Construction Trades, Fabrication and Welding Engineering, Motor Vehicle, and Hospitality & Catering. These courses lead directly into employment and therefore you will start studying at either Level 1 or Level 2.