Students anxiously waiting on GCSE results in the hope of studying at Milton Keynes College are being guaranteed a place, whatever happens tomorrow.
While the crisis around marking appears to have been resolved, many young people will still be worried about their futures after the chaotic end to their school lives in lockdown.
In response, the College is making an “Offer Guarantee” to prospective students who’ve already applied.
College Group Principal and CEO, Dr Julie Mills OBE says, “We know people are frantic with worry about their futures. It’s a great relief for everyone that the grading situation has improved but a lot of potential students are obviously worried about what the next step for them will be. With the disease still disrupting our daily lives and a significant recession just beginning we wanted to calm the fears of as many people as we could.
"Everyone who’s already applied to study with us after their GCSEs is now guaranteed a place. Not everyone will necessarily be on their course at the level they originally applied for but they will be eligible for education or training to start them off on the road towards the career they want and deserve. What I can assure everyone is that decisions will be based on individual cases and not by results on a page.”
With all the uncertainty caused by this year’s pandemic and the employment problems which are forecast, Dr Mills says it’s vital that young people and their parents know they’re being supported.
She continues: “School students may be considerably less vulnerable to the virus than their elders but in economic and social terms they have probably been the hardest hit of all. The people waiting nervously for Thursday’s results have already been robbed of the big finish to their school careers and see a rapidly contracting jobs market blighting their futures. Put simply, they deserve a break and we want to give them one. We believe every sixteen year old deserves hope for their futures.
“We are part of the community of Milton Keynes and that community needs our help. That’s why we’re doing this.”
Anyone who has already applied will be sent an email on Thursday with details of what they should do next. If they are considering college for the first time or just seeking advice they are invited to come to one of MK College's Advisory Days which will be running from Thursday 20th August until Wednesday 2nd September.
