Four degrees you can apply for through clearing to help you get a £70,000 job – and you only need 3 Cs

NOT getting the grades for your first-choice university can feel like the end of the world. But results day could be a hidden opportunity to find a new degree, apprenticeship or training course that will lead to a job paying up to £70,000. We’ve asked job experts what YOU need to do now to prepare. Results day is just around the corner so now is a good time to assess your options Credit: Alamy Consider a degree, apprenticeship or entry-level job Credit: Shutterstock Up to 70,000 students go through clearing each year, which is when universities fill places left on their courses by giving them to students who missed their offer or don’t have one. Meanwhile, around 353,500 people start an apprenticeship each year, according to the House of Commons Library. Here we explain what YOU should do if you didn’t get the grades you needed. Switch degree to boost your opportunities – £70,000 Swapping your degree could still help you to secure a top job Credit: Alamy Changing degrees to a similar subject can still help you to get a top job with a starting salary of up to £70,000. If you applied for an economics degree but didn’t get the grades then don’t panic. Swapping to business or finance could help you get a job as a graduate business development representative, according to Adzuna. You’ll earn a starting salary of up to £65,000 a year and reach out to potential clients and find opportunities to do business with them. With a business degree you could also become a graduate business advisor, which has an annual salary of £52,000. You’ll help companies to operate more efficiently and find flaws in how they run. You’ll need 96 UCAS points, equivalent to three C grades, to get onto a business or finance-related degree at Bedfordshire University, the University of Suffolk, or London Metropolitan University. Unlike an economics degree, most universities don’t need you to have completed A-level maths to do a business or finance degree but you will typically need at least a C in GCSE English and maths. If you’ve missed your software engineering offer, then a degree in a similar subject, such as computer science, can still help you get a job in that industry and earn up to £70,000 a year, Adzuna suggests. As a software engineer, you’ll help to build, test and maintain computer programs that allow people to complete tasks, run services and use digital devices. A computer science degree can also lead to a job as a NET developer, a software programmer that builds web apps, cloud services and software. You’ll earn up to £60,000 a year but could earn more than £100,000 when senior. With three C grades you could get a place on one of these courses at University of Hull, Coventry University or Greater Manchester University. Most universities will usually require you to have at least a C grade in GCSE maths and English, while some will ask you for an A-level in maths. If you’ve missed out on your statistics or data science offer, then a maths degree could give you similar opportunities, including a career in data engineering, which pays up to £60,000 a year. You’ll code systems to collect, store and analyse data. Or you could become a graduate accountant, which has a salary of £55,000 a year. You’ll help to prepare accounts, gather documents, resolve queries, and help senior staff with forecasting and payments. Although maths can be a tough course to get a place on, the University of Sussex and University of East Anglia both offer maths degrees with a foundation year to those with three C grades. To get a place on a maths degree, you’ll need an A-level in maths with an A, B or C grade. In comparison, mathematical data science courses often require you to have secured an A*, A, or B in A-level maths. Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “Don’t get too hung up on university rankings. “Entry grades for the same course can vary hugely between universities, so a lower-ranked university might actually get you onto the exact same course, taught to the same standard, just with different entry requirements.” If universities have places to fill, then they may offer you a place with even lower grades. It’s always worth calling the universities you are interested in and haggling to see whether they’ll offer you a place. Any degree – £55,000 Many employers are looking to hire graduates, no matter their degree Credit: Alamy Don’t panic if you can’t get onto the degree you wanted, as many employers will still offer you a job as long as you’ve graduated. Andrew Hunter said: “Across your studies you’ve been taught how to think critically, research independently, communicate complex ideas, and solve problems under pressure. “Those skills are exactly what employers need and look for.” Focus on getting good grades as many employers will ask for a 2:1 grade or above. A degree in a core subject, like management or information technology, or humanities subjects, like English and Geography, can set you up for a promising career. For example, you could become a trainee recruitment consultant and earn up to £55,000 a year, which includes a bonus. You’ll help companies to find candidates, negotiate contracts and write job adverts. Bag a top-paying apprenticeship – £80,000 An apprenticeship could lead you to a highly paid job without student debt Credit: Alamy Don’t panic if you’re no longer going to university, as you can still bag a top salary with an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships mix on-the-job training with classroom teaching, so you get a professional qualification and avoid student loan debt. Training can last from 12 months to six years, and you’ll usually earn while you learn. One of the highest-paying apprenticeships is for a Merchant Navy deck officer, paying up to £80,000 with experience. You’ll need to complete a ship’s master apprenticeship, which will teach you how to take full command of a commercial ship, lead operations and navigate. The programme usually lasts 48 months, and you could earn around £30,000 on completion. Svitzer is currently recruiting for an apprentice marine engineer, for which you only need GCSE grades five in English and six in maths and science to apply. Another option is to become a train driver, which could give you a salary of £28,000 once you finish your apprenticeship, or £65,000 with experience. You’ll usually work up to 40 hours a week and may have to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays. One way to get started is to complete a Train Driver Level Three apprenticeship, which usually takes 12 months. WM Trains is currently recruiting trainee train drivers to start next year. The job pays £35,441 a year and includes free or discounted travel. I earn £54k as a train driver and love my job Jane Fentaman, 45, earns a whopping £54,000 as a train driver. The mum-of-three took a career break to have children but decided to retrain to become a train driver in 2019. Jane completed two assessment days and several interviews before she was offered a trainee driver role, which paid £24,048 a year. Her training was split into three stages, and Jane spent her first three months learning about rules and regulations. She then started practical train driving with a driving instructor and had to do 100 hours of learning routes and speeds. Another 300 hours with an instructor followed, then she sat a five-day exam. The process took two years, but once Jane was qualified her salary jumped to £54,000 and she also gets free rail travel. Jane said: “This is what it looks like to be living your dream. I love what I do. “My children are super proud. They can’t wait to tell their friends their mum is a train driver.” To apply, you need at least nine years of education and have the ability to complete Level 2 Functional Skills in maths, English and ICT. When applying for apprenticeships, employers often focus more on whether you’re reliable, hardworking, and have the right attitude than school grades, explains Katie Emerton, recruitment expert at CV-Library. She says: “Look for opportunities to demonstrate these qualities when you are applying for a job or in interviews. “If you’ve done volunteering, helped out in the family business, made some money washing cars in your local area – these all show a strong work ethic and willingness to get stuck in.” Visit gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship to find programs near you. Grab an entry-level job – £32,200 You could step straight into work after school and bag a top salary Credit: Alamy Another option is to get stuck into the world of work with a role that has great career potential. Big companies, including the civil service, Network Rail and the Royal Mail, all offer jobs that you can apply for straight after school. For example, you can apply to become an administrative officer or executive officer within the civil service, which pay up to £27,000. These roles are mostly administrative, but once you have experience you can apply for the Civil Service Fast Stream, a leadership program that can speed up your career progression. The civil service is currently hiring an admin support officer in London and will pay up to £32,200. It’s looking for people with good time management, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills. Another option is to join the Royal Mail in an administrative role, where you’ll earn around £25,000, according to Indeed. Once you have experience, you can apply for jobs within the Royal Mail, for example, by becoming an analyst or business support manager. When looking for jobs, target those in growing sectors where there are more opportunities, recommends Katie. She said: “Sectors like education, technology and engineering are seeing job growth and many also offer apprenticeships and training.”