College is a good starting point for many school leavers because there are a broad range of college courses available in Glasgow and the West with access available at many different levels.
Going to college is a good way to enhance the skills and qualifications that you have gained throughout school to then lead you into a career or to further education at University.
Colleges offer such a wide range of subjects and vocational courses. Examples include: entry to nursing, social science, photography, hairdressing, childcare, business studies and much more. Going to college also allows you to become more independant and meet new people who share your interests.
Below is a list of the different types of course levels that most Scottish colleges provide:
National Certificate (NC) This course is normally offered as an access to an HNC course, studied full time for one year. Units related to your subject of interest are studied. After completing an NC many people progress on to a relevant HNC course.
To be accepted on to an NC course you need to have Intermediate 2 qualifications.
Higher National Certificate (HNC) This type of course is usually studied over one year, on a full time basis. The course is made up of a number of units relevant to your subject to prepare people for employment, to progress onto an HND course or into a degree course of university.
To get on an HNC course you normally need to have one or two relevant highers.
Higher National Diploma (HND) Once many students have completed an HNC year, many will go on to study for an HND. This usually takes a further year to complete studying full-time. Completion of an HND can be seen as the equivelant to studying the first 2 years of a degree course and can, in some instances, lead to direct entry to third year in many Scottish Universities.
To get on to an HND course, you normally have to have completed a relevant HNC.
Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) SVQs are awarded for learning and experience in the workplace. They may be offered as part of a full-time course where there is a work placement or where assessment is in your place of work.
You can complete SVQs in many areas such as practical cookery and childcare.