Or you could do an apprenticeship, if there are any to be had nowadays!
I went straight from school after O'levels and was then a mechanical apprentice for 5 years at the now defunct Ferranti. Then you needed 5 passes at C or above (incl. maths & physics) and did day release to get my ONC, HNC & HND. Stopped then because a degree seemed like too much hard work...
Not having a degree hasn't stopped me getting on, and being an apprentice meant I didn't have to be a 'proper' layabout, tax dodging, hippy student. Which was nice.
