Representative: Hi there, are you interested in doing a foundation course?
Student: No, well, I’m not sure actually. I’m not sure what I want to do.
Representative: That’s not unusual. Are you thinking about further study, or were you planning to go straight into a job?
Student: I was always thinking I’d go to university, but the fees are so high now, I was looking for other options, something where I can be sure I’d get a job afterwards.
Representative: Yes, that’s a real problem now, isn’t it? The high fees at university.
Student: Yeah, that and the fact that I’m really not sure whether a university courses really prepare you for any particular job.  They’re too academic, not really very practical.
Representative: Well, it sounds as if one of our foundation courses might be the right thing for you. The fees are lower than university fees, and not only that, but because the courses aren’t full time, you can work for two or three days a week, so you can earn and study at the same time.  The other good thing is that you get real experience in the workplace where you can develop your employability skills. The teaching is also a lot more personal, with smaller class sizes, which means you get more attention.
Student: So, do you get the same qualifications that you would at university?
Representative: You’d be working towards a foundation degree, not an honours degree like you would at a university, but you can progress onto a honours course if you successfully complete the foundation course.

PAUSE

Representative: So what sort of course were you thinking of taking?
Student: I was thinking of going into business or management or something like that.  Do you do courses in that?
Representative: Well, not as such, but we do offer a course in Managing Public Services which might be of interest to you, especially as the public sector is one of the country’s biggest employers and it’s always looking for talented individuals. A lot of the skills you need for those departments are the same as those you’d need in business, so you can decide at a late date whether you want to work in a public or a private company.
Student: Yeah? What does the course involve?
Representative: Well, there are a number of different modules you can take. The ones which might be of interest to you are, er..., let me have a look, this one – ‘Organisational Behaviour’.
Students: What’s that about then?
Representative: You’ll learn things like the theoretical and practical nature of organisations, such as how they are set up and structured. There’s another module called ‘Managing People’ which teaches some principles and management techniques for leading groups of people. Then there’s this module: ‘Individual and Group Behaviour‘ – that’s a human resources module which looks at how people behave as part of an organisation and how you can motivate them. Then there’s this module: ‘Financial resources’ – it looks at budgeting and planning, and where you can get different sources of finance. 
Student: This one looks interesting: ‘Applied Psychology for the Public Services.’
Representative: Yes, it is.  It follows on from the ‘Individual and Group Behaviour’ module I mentioned. It looks at how you can apply psychological factors like stress and memory to work in the public sector.
Student: It looks like a really practical course.
Representative: It is. I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Student: So, what do I need to be able to get onto a course?
Representative: You need GCSEs in Maths and English at grade C or higher.
Student: Uh-huh, well I got a B in Maths and an A in English, so that’s OK.
Representative: And are you doing A levels?
Student: Yeah
Representative: Well, you need to get at least 60 points, and that must include one complete A-level.
Student: Okay, well that doesn’t sound like too much of a problem.  Can I take one of these information packs?
Representative: Sure, go ahead.