Vocational qualifications train you towards a particular job. If you have an idea about the area of work you would like to progress into then this route might suit you.

Vocational courses train you towards a particular job field such as Business, Health and Social Care, Motor Vehicle or Sport for example.  They are practical courses based on course-work rather than exams and are offered at different levels depending on your qualifications so you can start at level 1 and work up to level 3 if necessary. This option would suit you if you are a practical person with a career in mind and would like to gain qualifications in this field.

BTECs have become more popular over recent years and over 100,000 BTEC students apply to university every year according to Edexcel. Universities have learnt that BTECS are a great alternative to A-levels and very few institutions won’t consider BTEC students as candidates although some universities will ask for other qualifications alongside them as well. In some colleges there are options to study a BTEC alongside 1 or 2 A levels.

Which? University has lost of useful information about BTEC choices and things to look out for!

http://university.which.co.uk/advice/ucas-application/can-you-get-into-university-if-youre-studying-btecs

Don’t forget you can see a member of the Careers Unit if you are unsure and want to discuss your options further.