Many 16 to 18-year-olds will be getting exam results this summer with their sights set on university.
But, in an area with one of the lowest university entry rates in Wales, some are taking a different path.
Eighteen-year-olds in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney and neighbouring Torfaen are far less likely to go on to higher education than those in some other parts of Wales.
Data published last month showed that 32.5% of Welsh 18-year-olds had applied to university by the end of June, compared to 41.2% across the UK.
Gearing up for their production of Beauty and the Beast, several members of Abertillery Youth Drama and Music Society dream of a career in theatre.
Millie, 16, is moving to a further education college in September to study for a diploma in performing arts.
“I like to have things planned out. I have a rough timeline of what’s going to happen to me after college”, she said.
She wants to go to university and the dream is to spend time in New York and its “amazing” theatre scene.
In an industry where work is not guaranteed, she said it was “very comforting to know that you can spend a few years actively honing your skills”.
She added: “Even if you’re not getting jobs and getting booked like you want to be, you’re always spending time in that space and improving yourself.”
Gil, 16, will be doing A-levels in college but then wants to find work, then “think about university”.
“None of the careers I would want to do are easy to get into with just a degree from university so I don’t really want to spend tons of money on going to university and then not be able [to] get a job straight out of it and then have to struggle with the debt,” he said
Now she has finished her A-levels, Megan Pitman hopes to study in Aberystwyth.
She has always wanted to do “something impactful and really big” that usually comes with a need for a degree”.
Having an older brother who told her “how much fun” university was helped cement the decision.
“I’ve lived here my whole life so it’s really nice to go somewhere new and be a bit more independent,” she added.
But 18-year-olds in the area are far less likely to go to university than in many other parts of Wales, according to Ucas data.
Neighbouring Torfaen was the Welsh parliamentary constituency with the lowest university entry rate for 18-year-olds in 2024 at 16.9%.
In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney it was 18.9% compared to 47.9% in Cardiff North, just a short drive away.
In London it was 51.5%.
University can feel distant to some young people living in the south wales valleys, said University and College Union’s Wales official Gareth Lloyd.
He said: “I’d like to see every further education college, every sixth form [travelling] to every open day in Wales and a free bus put on by the college and ideally funded by the Welsh government.
“When I was in school, we saw the glossy magazine for every university.”
He added that cuts to career advice in school, combined with courses being slashed at universities struggling for cash, could damage recruitment.
“If people want to go to university but don’t necessarily want to stay away, then they want something on their doorstep and that’s becoming more and more difficult.”
But other young people are on a different route.
Summer, 16, from Ebbw Vale left her hairdressing course at college but hopes to go back next term after a period on the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme.
“I want to do more education first so I’m fully qualified for everything and then have a job and hopefully it’ll be a good paying job because the more you work the more you succeed”, she said
Linda, 17, who is from a gypsy background and did not go to secondary school, joined the programme without any qualifications.
After a year, during which time she earned qualifications in English and maths, she is hoping for a placement or apprenticeship in a bakery.
“I think it will be a good opportunity for me to be more hands on with baking,” she said.
“I want to make birthday and wedding cakes – my own business. My dream? To be a baker.”
Over the summer ACT are taking a careers trailer to high streets to raise awareness of Jobs Growth Wales+.
The programme is aimed at getting 16 to 19-year olds work-ready, said Nathan Felvus of ACT.
“We work on personal independence, we work on their wellbeing and it’s really just an alternative to college or to sixth form,” he said.
“Some end up going to university but the main aim is to “find something they want to do.”
Medr, the body responsible for funding and regulating the higher education and research sector in Wales, said data suggested a “mixed picture”, with Ucas figures suggesting an uptick in applications from disadvantaged areas.
A spokesman called the figures a “useful snapshot” but said more data had to be considered for the full picture of next year’s university intake.
Universities Wales, which has previously called for “urgent action” to address low participation in post-16 education said: “University offers a transformative experience that not only benefits individuals but also strengthens our communities and economy.
“It is essential that we continue to highlight the life-changing potential that going to university can offer.”
