High school drop out - Options?

[BananaPeel]

Hi all,

I'm a 16 year old turning 17 and need advice on what the next steps I should take. For context I dropped out of school half way through year 11 (2025) and wanted to pursue a trade like my older brother who is successful. I had no real plan and just kind of winged it hoping that id get an apprenticeship reasonably easy but I had no luck for about a couple months and just worked retail with a good company, but my family had warned me to not get comfortable with them or else it wont go anywhere. So with that in mind I kept looking for a apprenticeship and was able to get a plumbing one and started doing that for a couple months, however it just wasn't what I wanted to do long term the guys on site were condescending and all around ignorant (typical tradie things). The guys that weren't rude and actually nice to me were telling me that you shouldn't do the trade, they explained that it was mentally and physically demanding and that a young kid like you shouldn't be here especially when there's a lot more opportunities out there. It also didn't help that the hours were long and rough by the time id get home just to fall asleep and wake up the next morning and head off to work, there wasn't a lot of time for me to have my own personal time and it just started to stress me out and felt like shit had no social life and was just working with these guys that hate everything. I didn't want to live the life that they were living. So after a couple months at it i just couldn't handle it and quit just to head back to retail working and I've been given a few choices on what i should do. One was to go back to school and finish off y12 however since i didn't complete y11 i would have to restart it essentially making me a year behind all my mates or I could continue looking of an apprenticeship with a a bigger company hoping that they'd treat me a little better. My parents have encouraged to make a choice and stick with it and Im just not sure what i want to do as a career although i would love to be a content creator though its quite not in the cards for me. I have been stressing and having major anxiety over this. I know that my life just starting but i already feel like I'm being thrown into the deep end not really knowing what to do and it sucks because my parents have always been supportive of me and i just feel like Im wasting there time and that they should've had a better since I don't deserve it

If anyone has advice id really appreciate it

(apologies for bad e

[Guest_04587124]

Hi! I’m gonna make this as short as I can but I am getting that the uncertainty of your future and options is giving you a bunch of anxiety - fair enough. Firstly, I hope you know you are not alone in this, it’s terrifying to not know for certain what you want or even that what you want is really what you want! PHD grads and people with extensive careers and even those with not many options at all have these crises when you realize that the responsibility to chase your dreams falls on you. Now here’s my practical advice. If your anxiety is inhibiting your life - go talk to your GP. If they don’t address it or offer practical solutions for you, find another GP. This is annoying but can all be done on phone (im pretty sure i actually don’t know if minors can book their own drs appt but it sounds like your parents are supportive so maybe talk to them about it). Medications and therapy actually work, coming from a long time skeptic. Second, make a habit of scrolling/applying for jobs. LinkedIn is sooo so so good for apprenticeships in general so make ur LinkedIn super great and get started there. Actually taking steps (even without an immediate outcome) is going to help your with some of the thinking you may be experiencing. Aircraft maintenance engineers, boilermakers, tend to a little bit less male dominated. I am also a girl in a male dominated field and every day I wish I could replay the stupid stuff they say and stare at a camera like it’s the office but in fact the joke is my real life. But hey, the pro of a male dominated industry is the girls tend to create alliances asap, and that has helped me personally. Also the bigger the company, the better the HR is + more likely to be more women AT THE VERY LEAST. Also, all of this advice may take a while to put into action and with that I suggest on the mean time while waiting for potential jobs coming up - planning and ideating what kind of content you want to create, how you want to edit, find signature audios or whatever it may be. Try one thing at a time, give yourself some grace, and remember even 80 years old is never too late to try something new. In fact the more things you try, the more statistically likely you are to find the thing you love ! That’s daunting, I know. Sometimes we don’t even love the same things forever. But a lifetime of exploring your passions is never one wasted. I hope that all made sense and best of luck 

[luke_c]

I'm a tradie, and I say don't let those plumbing blokes ever talk you out of doing an apprenticeship, you just gotta find a good crew of blokes that will help you, these guys seemed like they didn't want to spend the time to show you, have a think about your hobbies, are you like me who likes pulling stuff apart and fixing it, then maybe a mechanic or a fitter apprenticeship might be your go, do you like metalwork, welding, or if you like working with timber, carpentry might be the go, we need more young blokes in the trades, we as a nation are facing a severe shortage of trades, electrical is always a safe bet if you like working with wiring and understanding how power works, I suggest keep applying,get some help with applying and approaching employers through training organisations like megt, busy at work or other group training mobs that deal specifically in your state, if you enjoy plumbing it's an excellent trade to get into and you'll always have a job like many trades,my 2 cents

[melodica]

I echo the advice above. Even though you have dropped out of high school, there are options, including tafe, traineeship and apprenticeship. Keep trying, as there are many providers out there, and sometimes it takes a while to find the right one. 

[smallwolf]

hi there and welcome.

I hope you dont mind if I start with a question and then ....

could you tell me what you would like to do? (And I know that you mentioned content creator, yet that term is a little vague for me - and I am much, much older. Sorry.)

A story or two...  (1) After highschool I went down the TAFE road in the 1980s. At the time I felt bad because of a load of reasons, but in the end, it did not hinder my career path after than. Someone from the same school and year as myself repeated year 12 because his grade did not allow him to get into Uni at the time. (Story 2) My son is a swimming coach because that is what he wanted to do. Well, he tried Uni for 1/2 one semester and did not like it.

I also know from many other stories that straight after high school we might know what we really want to do. Trying out a few things is OK. And if really want to do plumbing, do that.  (When I was in grade 10, I did work experience at a bank. I was told that I should not work at a bank cause I was too smart.) Don't listen to the naysayers if there is something that you really wan to do...

Now... you mentioned content creator. What skills do you kneed to do something in that space? Perhaps that could be your side venture (and learning how to do that) while you have a day job.

Your path is unique and make you... you. 

[BananaPeel]

Content creation is alot of things, to narrow it down i want to create video game content online by using social media platforms like twitch, yt and other areas. I pretty much just want to entertain people, i wanna make people laugh and all around have a fun time watching me. Skills id need would be like communication skills, tech abilities like editing and recording, creativity to create content, consistent posting. Though I won't lie i am absolutely terrible at talking, I always stumbled on my words or straight up just say the wrong things so most the time during family or friend gatherings, I just prefer not to talk at all.

I've been considering just to head back to school and finish off y12 while doing content creating in the background of it but i still am not sure on what to do

[Daydreamer70]

Hi there, 

I just came across your post and wanted to say thank you so much for writing in. There are so many other kids I think who are in the same position as you and feel the same way, so well done for having the courage and insight to write in. First of all, 16 is such a tricky age especially in high school. I remember being so stressed about the future and looking back its crazy to think about how much emphasis gets put on choosing a career path at such a young age. With limited professional work experience its hard to know what you might want to do. I understand the school environment as well can be challenging if it doesn't suit your interests/way of learning. 

WIth dropping out, I think it can be a great option for people who have a direct pathway that they know they want to pursue (trades etc). However if you find yourself feeling unsure, the pathways can become a bit limited. I have a friend in that situation, and they often say how much they wish they had have stayed in school. That is not to say I am advising you in any way to go back, I understand it is not for everyone. But I do think its important to consider the very real implications of a decision like leaving school without a real direction or plan.

You have mentioned that content creation for video games is something of interest to you. Maybe having that alongside school could be a good balance? Or even alongside you trade, however I also hear you when you say how demanding that can be and it could be hard to find the energy after long days.

In my experience, having a wide range of options when you are young is the best possible situation you can be in. I have always been unsure of what I want in terms of future career etc, and having options to choose from has always helped keep my mind at ease. Having a high school certificate does give you greater freedom to choose your pathway, unfortunately the way it is structured does not suit every student. My advice would be to go with the option that you feel gives you the broadest range of choice for your future. At the end of the day school or an apprenticeship is a means to an end. You will become qualified with something and no one can ever take that stability away from you. 

I hope this helps. These questions are so difficult to find the answers to and your doing really well by being so insightful and it sounds like you know yourself and your interests really well. 

All the best!!

Daydreamer70.

[randomxx]

Hi there op.

For a start stop being so hard on yourself . You've done ok you've started a few things and so what they haven't turned out to be what you want most people go through he same starting out doesn't matter what their education. There's plenty of uni students out there so called educated to the hilt but can't even get  start or decide on anything, very common actually.

And your not a drop out, many many people only do to yr 10. Many of the most successful people in the world only did about the same we've even had prime ministers that only went to yr 10. Pretty sure even Elon Musk left school very early said it was useless and very boring. Education is not not everything it more just depends on what you want to do and in what you need to get into that.

Most apprentices when l left school all only did yr 10 as l also only went to myself but l've had a business 35yrs. lt never made sense doing more than yr 10 for trades as that's all you needed so you could be out there getting started and earning money instead.

Sorry you copped that rubbish with your plumbing apprenticeship though to btw. l and other friends all started in the trades back when at your age never really had that rubbish although there was usually one or two and l think you just unfortunately happened to cop one of those and a pretty bad crew. 

Do you need yr 11 or 12 to do content creation if you did decide on that, that's the thing or in whatever else you chose?  Starting a course in that field instead would be far more beneficial. Did that myself actually to get into what l wanted to do eventually , RMIT. 

Anyway, ease up on yourself eh , most people go through a lot of the same figuring it out and getting a start.

rx

[Eagle Ray]

Hi BananaPeel,

There are courses you can do related to content creation at TAFE. I am in WA and there is a TAFE course in my region called Certificate IV in Screen and Media (Content Creation and Production). I don't know which state you are in, but there would be something similar I would think wherever you are. You could go and have a chat to the people who run the course and get an idea of it and whether it is something you would want to do. There are private places that run courses related to content creation too, such as the SAE University College which has campuses across Australia. That could be on the more expensive side though, you would need to look into it. But going to talk to people somewhere like that too could be helpful.

If you really feel passionate about content creation, it would be good to explore the options. When you love doing something it makes a profound difference in your life. Obviously it's good to still think about the practicalities of content creation and the likelihood of it being a sustainable career, but at the same time I think people often bypass what they love for something that seems like a "good job", but they end up not being happy in it. I am 51 now and at your age I had a huge passion for photography. I did finish year 12 and applied for several courses, one of them being a Diploma in Photography at TAFE. I never got around to submitting a portfolio for it which was a requirement, went and did a music certificate course for one year and then ended up at university doing a degree. Looking back I just wish I had listened to myself as someone who is creative by nature. University took me away from that and if I had my time over again, I'd go back and be in a creative field from the start.

So I guess what I am saying is that it can be worth following what you feel most drawn to, otherwise you will never know. At 16 you are still really young with lots of time ahead. You could finish year 12 while exploring the content creation option as that would allow you to look into content creation without it being the whole of what you're doing, but you'll come out with your high school certificate too. That definitely sounds like a balanced and sensible option. You could also go straight to TAFE and do a content creation course knowing that you can still complete the equivalent of the HSC later if you wanted to. I would say just keep exploring and follow your heart, while staying grounded as well in terms of practicalities.

Of course, many people go into content creation without any training/education, but one value of doing a course would be meeting other people passionate about the same thing and perhaps expanding your horizons with it. So it might go beyond your initial ideas to other ideas as well. I think the best thing is to really talk to be people in the field of content creation and find out more about the skills you would need to develop. It's great if you are inspired about something, it is a really good start. Just explore and find out as much info as you can because that will help you in making a decision. All the best!

[trying_my_best]

Hi Bananapeel! 

I totally get where you’re coming from! I had no proper idea what I wanted to do when I was your age too! I didn’t even fully know what I wanted to do with my life until I got into my degree, and my experience isn’t necessarily the same experience everyone has as when I got accepted into my degree I had a gut feeling that that was what I wanted to do with my life and I really do love what I’m studying. 

However I do have a friend who experienced the same thing as you, she left her apprenticeship and worked in hospo. She then realised what she wanted to do and rather than going back to school she looked into bridging courses! She did a bridging course and is now about to start her first year of uni. 

I think having a sit down and looking at where your interests lay and what you want out of a job is really handy. I did this myself and continue to do it regularly as these things change! 

Again it’s a totally normal experience to not know what you want to do for a career! In fact I’m pretty sure the science says we have a total of like 5-8 careers throughout our lives! So keep your head up and I’m sure you’ll land on something soon! 🫶