A-levels: 'I failed business and now own a £10m company'

Rachael Flanagan said that for her not passing her business A-Level was a "positive failure" that led her to more success

She failed her business A-level in school and yet now runs a company projected to be worth about £10m by next year.

Rachael Flanagan, 34, from Swansea, set up Mrs Buckét Cleaning after leaving school at 18 years old.

Her advice to young people who have received their A-level results? "Don't be afraid to do something different."

"After a couple of years I began to realise that I was so much more than just a grade," she said.

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Thousands of pupils in Wales have received their A-level results in the last week, with the top grades seeing a drop from last year.

Students will be receiving GCSE results on Thursday, before deciding on the next steps.

However Ms Flanagan has said not passing her business A-level was a "positive failure", which gave her the "grit and determination" to find success.

Rachael Flanagan grew Mrs Buckét cleaning from herself, a mop and some flyers, to a company with more than 300 employees

Ms Flanagan said that during the summer holiday after her final year of school - while her friends were preparing to go to university - she was posting flyers through letterboxes for her cleaning business.

"All my friends then went off to university, and I just waited for the calls to come. And thankfully, they did," she said.

After cleaning homes herself for years, Ms Flanagan grew Mrs Buckét over the following 16 years to a commercial cleaning business with more than 300 employees.

"I've had a pretty hands-on journey. I was the cleaner, and then I had to learn how to be a manager. And then obviously these last couple of years I've really learned leadership."

'Don't be afraid of different to the norm'

"We need to not be afraid of doing something different to the norm. There's a lot of peer pressure and we all have to fit in this perfect box," she added.

"But actually, getting out and starting your own business, or at least giving it a go... that's what we need to instil into the youth now."

Alwen Williams, 45, from Gwytherin in Conwy county, said after doing well in her GCSEs she "didn't engage very well" with A-levels, and wanted to explore other options.

After leaving school aged 18, she wanted to work, and that same year landed a full-time job with BT.

"I think I think I pretty much said in my interview that I was only going to stay for a year," she said.

What followed was a 24-year career with the company which saw her become BT's Wales director and allowed to her to complete a first class honours undergraduate degree while she worked.

Alwen Williams left BT in 2019 to become portfolio director for Ambition North Wales, and is now studying for a masters degree

"You learn quite quickly that what somebody brings into an interview is not about the qualifications they have on their CV," she said.

The best way to have a successful career, she said, was doing something different to the crowd, setting simple goals you can achieve and following your gut.

"I always followed my gut instinct, even though it was it was nerve-wracking to do so.

"You might feel sad, panicked, unsure, but you you actually do have the ability to create your own pathway, and that pathway will be the right pathway for you."

'I didn't like the classroom environment'

Similarly, Scott Davis, 41, left school and decided university wasn't the right route for his career.

"I didn't like the classroom environment," he said, adding: "I've always had that hands-on approach. So [an apprenticeship] just suited me better."

After initially enrolling in an apprenticeship, aged 16, for British Steel at Shotton, Flintshire, he worked his way up to eventually becoming founder and CEO of his own company.

Needing a degree to have a "good job" is the "biggest fallacy ever told", said Mr Davis

The Deeside-based Ethikos Group - which he co-founded with his wife Gail - has now acquired companies with an combined turnover of around £50m.

Mr Davis thinks society has driven the idea that the only way to get a "good job" is to go university and get a degree.

"This is one of the biggest fallacies ever told really," he said.

"What has often been overlooked and undervalued is the apprenticeship schemes and working your way up."

'Don't panic'

Mr Davis highlighted the amount of support available now for people looking to enrol on an apprenticeship after school - such as the Welsh government's apprenticeship vacancy service.

He said the one piece of advice he would give to students leaving school is "don't panic".

"Don't think you've got to have your life sorted by by the time you're 20... I think there's a lot of pressure on getting it right first time."

"Being able to change your mind, and not not putting yourself under too much pressure to make the right decision about the career path in front of you, that would be my advice."

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'More than one way into anything'

Fiona Stephens, career advice expert for Careers Wales, said there was a "massive amount of support" for people looking to enter the world of business from whichever route they chose.

"People need to realise there's more than one way into whatever you want to do. It's not linear anymore," she said.

If certain university courses are not available this year, she highlighted some jobs that offer degree routes.

"So you can work for the company for a while... and then they can put you through university if you wanted to later down the line, whilst working, which is a completely different experience."

For those unsure of which career path to chose Ms Stephens recommended Jobs Growth Wales Plus, a government scheme that allows people to work with different organisations to find out which sort of jobs they might be interested in.

"And please don't panic, there's something out there for everyone," she added.