Whether your child gets the grades they hoped for or not, there are things you can do to support them at such a pivotal moment in their educational journey.

At żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä, we’ve worked with thousands of young people as they navigate through this time and, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have all the answers. We’ve put together a few practical ways parents can help.

Keep talk positive and open

GCSE results seem like the be-all and end-all at the time, but they don’t define your child – and that’s something you may need to be reminded of as well as your child. GCSEs are just one milestone on a much bigger journey.

Whether the results are better or worse than expected, keeping calm and positive is important.

Focus on your child’s strengths, interests, and the opportunities ahead, rather than dwelling on disappointments. Let them know that you’re proud of their effort and that you’ll support them no matter what.

Explore options together

Many young people aren’t aware that sixth form or college aren’t the only options. It’s important that they know all the different pathways available to them and the opportunities that will play to their strengths. One option is Jobs Growth Wales+, a Welsh Government training and development programme for 16–19-year-olds. JGW+ can help hone numeracy, literacy, and employability skills while also helping young people progress in their chosen field.

For teens who want a bit more freedom from and a more practical, career-focused route, Jobs Growth Wales+ can be a great option – even if they haven’t chosen a particular career pathway yet.Ěý JGW+ can help boost confidence and life skills, as well as offer support for wellbeing and mentorship.

Tap into some insider knowledge

While exploration of different options is positive and insightful, it can also be nerve-wracking and, likely, quite overwhelming. If your teen is experiencing information overload, encourage them to speak with a careers adviser or to attend open days at training providers or colleges.

No one knows a programme as well as the staff that live and breathe it every day, as such they are a great source of information. If your child feels uncomfortable asking questions, attend a meeting or open day with them and compile a list of questions beforehand that you can chip in and ask if they’re feeling shy.

Sometimes simply talking through a lot of information can make things less overwhelming. Ask your teen if they would like to go over their options with you, and put together a list of the pros and cons of each option.

Avoid comparisons and promote individuality

As with many aspects of modern-day life, the pressure of comparison looms large during GCSE results day. Your teen will likely compare themselves to others – to their friends, their peers or even to random people on the news or social media.

If their results are vastly different to others it is natural that they will feel left out, especially if their results mean that they can’t follow the same path as their mates, or that their plans to ‘stick together’ after GCSEs have been disrupted.

Understandably, there is a strong sense of comfort and security from friends and this change can cause added stress and emotional upheaval. Remind your teen that it’s okay to explore different options. Stepping out of their comfort zones can unlock new, undiscovered pathways and their friends will still be there for them even if they are pursuing different options.

They’re independent but you shouldn’t disengage

Regardless of outcome, GCSE results day is a pivotal turning point when your child will start making more and more independent choices about their future. Encourage that independence but stay engaged and informed. Help them with applications, offer to visit training providers and colleges with them, and keep checking in emotionally. If they seem ungrateful for your input don’t be offended, this is a stressful time for them and emotions are high. Even if they don’t show it, your support and encouragement are appreciated.

The CIM L3 Certificate in Professional and Digital Marketing is ideal for new and aspiring marketers, providing essential skills and knowledge to kick-start your career. This Level 3 qualification covers key areas such as marketing principles, content and channels, and marketing insights.

Through a combination of interactive workshops, personalised tutoring, and practical tasks, you’ll gain hands-on experience and confidence. The programme is designed to prepare you for support[1]level roles within the workplace, ensuring you can effectively contribute to marketing activities. This qualification offers a strong foundation for career progression, opening up various pathways in the dynamic field of digital marketing.

By completing this programme, you’ll be well-equipped to take on roles such as Marketing Assistant, Social Media Coordinator, or Content Creator, setting the stage for a successful marketing career.

Through their partnership with Wales’ leading training provider, żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä, Captiva Spa has opened its doors to young apprentices aged 16 to 19, offering them real-world experience and the chance to develop practical, on-the-job skills.

Sarah Bruton, Managing Director at Captiva Spa, decided to offer placements in response to the gap between education and employment readiness, something that she believed a placement would bridge.

“We all know there’s a gap between what’s taught in school and what’s needed in the workplace, especially in the hair and beauty sector,” Sarah said. “Rather than complaining about that gap, we thought ‘why not be part of the solution?’”

While there were initial concerns about the additional commitments needed to support young learners, Sarah quickly found those fears to be unfounded.

“We expected it to be time-consuming and potentially challenging. But in reality, the learners were incredibly quick to adapt. They brought a real energy to the salon and very quickly became valued members of the team.”

And the impact has extended well beyond just having an extra pair of hands.

“[The learners] ask questions, they challenge us to think differently, and that’s helped us improve our processes. They’re also much more aware of social media and emerging trends, which helps keep the business fresh and appealing to younger audiences.”

Captiva Spa has also seen how valuable these placements are in developing future talent. Many of the learners go on to stay with the business, becoming long-term employees. One standout success is the salon’s current deputy manager, who started as a learner on placement.

“We’ve seen learners grow massively in just a few months. Their communication improves, their confidence grows, and they become genuine assets to the business.”

And the benefits aren’t just one-sided. While learners gain invaluable workplace experience, the business gains a clearer understanding of its own development needs.

“Having learners on board has made us think more strategically about staff training and mentoring. It’s influenced how we approach workforce development across the whole team.”

The placement programme has also helped foster a culture of mentorship at Captiva Spa; something Sarah sees as vital not just for learners, but for all staff whether they’ve been with the company 10 weeks or 10 years.

“It’s made us better at supporting each other. Our team now thrives on sharing knowledge, and that culture of learning benefits everyone.”

Asked what advice Sarah would give to other businesses considering whether to offer placement she said: “Don’t focus on what the learners don’t know yet. Focus on what

you can teach them. You’ll find they bring just as much to your business as you give to them.”

Captiva Spa’s story is just one example of how work-based learning can benefit both learners and employers alike. żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä works with businesses across Wales to help young people gain meaningful experiences.

żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä is encouraging more employers to sign its Employer Pledge – a commitment to support Jobs Growth Wales+ learners aged 16 to 19 through real-world work placements.

By signing the pledge, businesses can play a vital role in developing young talent, shaping future professionals, and bringing fresh perspectives into their teams. In turn, learners gain confidence, resilience, and invaluable skills that can’t be taught in the classroom.

For more information about how to get involved and support the next generation head here.

The CIM L4 Certificate in Professional and Digital Marketing is designed to elevate your marketing career by providing essential skills and knowledge. Developed through extensive employer-led research, this qualification prepares you for roles such as Marketing Executive and Digital Marketing Coordinator. The programme covers key areas including understanding marketing principles, planning and executing integrated marketing campaigns, and mastering social media marketing. You’ll delve into units such as “Marketing Impact,” “Planning Integrated Campaigns,” and “Social Media Marketing,” ensuring you are well[1]equipped to excel in the dynamic field of digital marketing.

The CIM L3 Certificate in Professional and Digital Marketing is ideal for new and aspiring marketers, providing essential skills and knowledge to kick-start your career. This Level 3 qualification covers key areas such as marketing principles, content and channels, and marketing insights. Through a combination of interactive workshops, personalised tutoring, and practical tasks, you’ll gain hands-on experience and confidence. The programme is designed to prepare you for support[1]level roles within the workplace, ensuring you can effectively contribute to marketing activities. This qualification offers a strong foundation for career progression, opening up various pathways in the dynamic field of digital marketing. By completing this programme, you’ll be well-equipped to take on roles such as Marketing Assistant, Social Media Coordinator, or Content Creator, setting the stage for a successful marketing career.

Angelina, 28, who works for training provider żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä in Cardiff, pioneered the delivery of the Digital Learning Design Apprenticeship Framework in Wales.

Lucy Wilkinson, żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä’s digital services route manager, explained: “Angelina navigated the delivery of this qualification independently as, at the time, she was the only assessor for this qualification in Wales. Her drive and commitment to her continuous professional development within the digital industries is exceptional.”

Last night, Angelina was named Work-based Learning Practitioner of the Year at the prestigious Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2022. The awards highlight the outstanding achievements, during unprecedented times, of employers, apprentices and work-based learning practitioners.

A former secondary school teacher of modern foreign languages, Angelina joined żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä as a trainee assessor in 2018 as she was looking for a new career challenge and wanted to help others become tech savvy.

To ensure that she fully understands her learners’ journey, she has herself completed the apprenticeships that she delivers as well as learning Welsh so that she can deliver bilingually too.

Angelina, who lives in Cardiff and is originally from The Netherlands, has been so successful at learning the language that she won the Work Welsh Learner of the Year Award (intermediate) from the National Centre for Learning Welsh. She is fluent in five languages.

Learners and employers love her and she is her team’s top performer – 90% of her learners complete their qualification and she achieves an 88% employer engagement rating.

She also supports and oversees digital services route learners at żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä and is constantly upskilling herself to keep pace with technology and qualifications.

Prior to the pandemic, she had already adapted to remote learning and introduced 20-minute themed discussions on a topic to enable her learners to achieve the knowledge part of their apprenticeship. This assessment method has been adopted as best practice by her peers.

Her personal qualifications include a Bachelor of Education degree specialising in French teaching, a Minor in Multi Media Design, Apprenticeships in Social Media for Business, Training Assessing and Internal Quality Assurance.

“Angelina leads by example,” added Lucy. “Her educational development has taken place internationally, which has enabled her to observe best practice from some of the leading educational countries in the world. Angelina goes over and above to share her knowledge and skills with colleagues and learners alike.”

On being shortlisted, Angelina said: “I’m really happy that I have been shortlisted for Work-based Learning Practitioner of the Year, as it means a lot to me. It shows that others feel that I am making a difference in organisations and schools in Wales.

I work really hard and hope that the things I’ve learned at university and in work are of use to other tutors, teachers and curriculum developers.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething congratulated Angelina and all the finalists. “Apprenticeships make a huge contribution to our economy and will be crucial as Wales continues to bounce back from the pandemic. They can help futureproof, motivate and diversify a workforce, offering people the chance to gain high-quality vocational skills.”

As Project Coordinator for Cwmpas, an economic development agency Thomas was keen to expand his social media knowledge further and signed up for aĚýĚýĚý

“I was looking to undertake something new and social media was an area of my role where I felt I could learn more. For me, the qualification offered a free learning opportunity which I’d be accredited for at the end of it.”Ěý

The Level 3 Social Media for Business Apprenticeship supports learners in developing various digital media skills that can be transferable across many sectors. Equipping learners with the skills knowledge and competency to support business systems, processes and services, the qualification enables learners to use social media in a more efficient and productive way.Ěý

Speaking about the qualification, Thomas commented, “I’ve really enjoyed the qualification and liked that I got to pick and choose the units that best suited my work needs. There are mandatory units to cover your core knowledge but then there’s a huge choice around the units you can tailor fit around you. It enables you to both grow your knowledge and your confidence at the same time.ĚýĚý

“For me learning about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and increasing brand visibility was essential learning for engagement. The outcome is that I’ve adapted my approach and engagement with my network has really improved without necessarily advertising.”Ěý

Thomas is a firm advocator of upskilling on the job and believes apprenticeships are a smart and savvy choice for anyone looking to boost their career progression – especially in the current economic climate.ĚýĚý

I’ve always had a big drive and ambition to improve my education. I knew I was worthy of a meaningful career and greater opportunities and recognised I needed to demonstrate that to make it happen. I took the advantage of free training in Wales!Ěý

“I’ve seen a shift from wanting specific A ‘Levels and degrees when hiring, to businesses like Cwmpas that want people to have a good standard of education which is representative of the role you’re going for. This is where apprenticeships come in massively! I’ve not got a degree in Management but I do have a range of qualifications in Leadership & Management, Business Administration and now social media. It makes up a nice package of skills!ĚýĚý

Social Media particularly, is vital in today’s market place as it allows businesses to both attract and engage customers, while increasing market reach. Through his Social Media for Business qualification, Thomas can devise and implement marketing campaigns ideas to drive business and raise the visibility of his current work project.Ěý

“The biggest thing the qualification has given me is the confidence that I’m doing something right. You’re more likely to perform your job better if you feel confident. This qualification gives you tools so you have the knowledge, confidence, experience and know how to figure out how best to adapt your approach.”Ěý

Navigating an apprenticeship alongside work commitments may seem overwhelming but Thomas stresses that with commitment and support, an apprenticeship is a viable option for anyone in the workplace.ĚýĚý

I would absolutely recommend apprenticeships to anyone. They’re not something you do when you’re young and you think you’re not academic. This perception is wrong! Apprenticeships are a viable way of upskilling yourself, showing your responsible and committed to learning while gaining confidence and being an asset to your workplace.Ěý Also, they’re free!ĚýĚý

“The support from żÚ˝ťŃŐÉä has been fantastic too. The assessors have always been on hand and provided a great deal of reassurance, guidance and been really encouraging and flexible. My value in the workplace has increased since undertaking my apprenticeships and I’m now in a position to share my knowledge with others in the business.”Ěý

Despite only recently completing his Social Media for Business qualification, Thomas has already set his sights on further qualifications which will enable him to reach his goal of becoming a Business Advisor.ĚýĚý

“I’ve applied to do Community Shares Practitioner Training which will demonstrate my skills as a Business Advisor. For me, it’s about future proofing myself and gaining all the skills I can.”Ěý

If you’d like to learn more about Social Media for Business and how it can future proof your careerĚý