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Useful Careers, Information & Guidance Online

As a student it is important to have opportunities to access impartial on-line resources to help you develop your aspirations, reflect, and evaluate your own goals and use information obtained to help make decisions about possible options and career paths. You might want to make your choices based on current employment trends. The Shaw Trust have produced a handy and visual guide to understanding labour market information – who’s hiring; what sectors are expanding – it is a useful tool to help research future jobs in the local area, understand the skills needed for certain roles and the demand for future employment - watch Understanding Labour Market Information by Shaw Trust below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fuller details including an explanation of qualifications and pathways including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can be found in My Way Into The World of Work guide under the heading Labour Market Information below.

Please see below information that will direct you to these online resources (some of which you have already used/registered with in school). Some resources also have helpful sections for parents.

www.aimhigherwm.ac.uk 
Aimhigher West Midlands is a partnership of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), schools, academies and colleges. Together, they want to make sure that young people from less advantaged backgrounds have access to high quality, exciting and challenging experiences that enhance their careers education, motivate, inspire and provide accurate and impartial information, advice and guidance about higher education.  There are some really helpful sections on this website that cover most areas relating to progression - https://aimhigherwm.ac.uk/resource-bank/ - this link will take you to what you need to know for each key stage and there is also a helpful parent area.  The KS3 & KS4 learners area  covers everything from choosing GCSE options; Journey to Higher Education; Careers of the Future – West Midlands and the Post 16 Learners area has information on how to choose subjects; student finance and many other age related topics.

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
The National Career Service provide information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work. The National Careers website as information on exploring careers; skills assessment; finding a course and help to get a job. There is a web chat facility for you to ask questions and you can also telephone them on 0800 100 900.

www.icould.com
Website that gives you free access to more than a thousand videos related to different curriculum subjects of people telling their personal careers stories in their own words including information on Labour Market Information (LMI) e.g. average salary, skills & qualification.

www.successatschool.org
Success at School is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice. Lots of helpful advice in the advice section on employability skills, work experience, apprenticeships, university and different career paths. Information for parents can be found in the advice section. There are some excellent subject handouts that gives details of the where the subject can lead you which you can download now.  You will need to sign up to access these resources and the subject resources can also be found on Firefly - go to the Careers section and select number 3 - Linking Curriculum to Careers.

careerpilot.org.uk
Expert careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds, all in one place.  Do you love a subject and wonder where it might lead you - you will find this link helpful - careerpilot.org.uk/job-sectors/subjects

www.unifrog.org: Helping students find their future starting from choosing their GCSE subjects all the way through to post 18 progression pathways including university, apprenticeships or employment. Unifrog brings all the available information into one single, impartial, user friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications.

www.ucas.com 

UCAS not only has information for undergraduate (university applications) but did you know they also have information on further education choices (post 16); apprenticeships and a whole area dedicated to careers – search by career area or subject preferences

www.ucas.com/further-education
www.ucas.com/understanding-apprenticeships
www.ucas.com/careers-advice - not sure what career you want then take the career quiz - www.ucas.com/careers/careers-quiz

University Access Programmes, Summer Schools & Internships

Swanshurst Sixth Form actively promotes University Access Programmes, university summer schools and employer internships to our year 12 and 13 students. Well established links with the programmes below have seen many of our students enjoy the successes and benefits that these opportunities have given them.

University Access Programmes

University Access Programmes are designed and delivered by universities and help year 12 students make informed choices about their future; equipping them with the knowledge, experience and skills needed to be successful in accessing higher education.

University Access Programmes are completed alongside A Level/BTEC Level 3 studies and aim to help Year 12 students, who meet specific criteria, gain a place at university, and include a mixture of online and on-campus events, workshops, academic assignments and academic mentoring.

Aston University – Pathways to the Professions Programmes – (Healthcare, Business, Law, STEM)

University of Birmingham – Pathways to Birmingham Programme (Inspired, Routes to the Professions, Academic Enrichment Programme and Access to Birmingham - A2B – year 13 only)

Realising Opportunities - (15 x Russell Group – RIUs research intensive universities – a unique collaboration of leading research universities from across the UK working together to promote fair access to university and professions)

Warwick Access Programmes – (Warwick Scholars, Pathways to Professions, Realising Opportunities)

University Summer Schools and Employer Internships

University Summers School give students the opportunity to meet other like-minded young people, explore subjects and a chance to experience what university life is like.

Internships help students gain first-hand experience with top employers and develop the skills needed to achieve their aspirations.

Social Mobility Foundation – (internships with top employers)

The Sutton Trust Summer School – (UK university summer schools)

UNIQ – University of Oxford Summer School – (university summer school)

Quick Guide to Qualifications

What are my GCSSE options?
What are T levels?
What are Traineeships?
What is an apprenticeship?
What are A levels?
What are BTECs?

A Parent’s Guide to Careers Guidance

The decisions young people make from an early stage at school can have a big impact on their future career choices and happiness. There are also parent sections in some of the resources above and below.  National Careers Week (NCW) (a celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK) also have a parents guide (click here to view). This guide by Cascaid is designed to provide an overview of how parents can help support their children with these important choices.

Labour Market Information

What is Labour Market Information?
Want to know which career areas are growing and which are declining?  LMI websites can help you to compare different career areas by looking at their predicted growth/decline rates, average salaries, working hours etc – all to help you make an informed decision.  Click on the document below for more helpful websites including websites for different career sectors! – Labour Market Information – useful LMI resources.

The National Career Service have produce newsletters throughout the year that provide LMI information.  LMI provides you with knowledge and understanding of how the labour maket functions and is essential for understanding the changing economic circumstances and allows you to reflect upon what the future holds.

To make well informed career decisions, young people could consider the key factors below and these have been covered in the guide MY WAY Into The World Of Work - a regional Labour Market Information guide for teachers, young people and parents/carers and it includes information to help you make decisions.
  • What qualifications and career pathways will be the best option for certain careers? 
  • What job opportunities are available locally? (Relocation may be required for certain jobs) 
  • Which industries or job roles are increasing or declining? 
  • How much you would expect to earn in certain job roles? 
  • Who the main employers are in the employment sectors, what jobs they have on offer and what qualifications and skills they are looking for?
  • What the working environment is like?

The National Career Service have produced newsletters throughout the year that provide LMI information. LMI provides you with knowledge and understanding of how the labour market functions and is essential for understanding the changing economic circumstances and allows you to reflect upon what the future holds.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-of-the-future  A helpful publication to help you with researching your future careers – Careers of The Future!

www.lmiforeall.org.uk
LMI for All is an online data portal, developed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, which brings together existing national sources of high quality labour market information (LMI) that can inform people’s choices about their careers.

www.startprofile.com
Swanshurst students have started to register with the U-Explore START from Year 8 as part of the Which Way Now Day and will continue to use in their Year 9 and Year 10 Activity days in the summer term.  What does this programme do?

  • You will develop self awareness and improve understanding of skills, qualities, interests and work preferences
  • To consider how suitable you are for careers based on your characteristics
  • To explore a range of jobs and industry sectors related to skills interests and preferences to widen aspirations about future careers
  • To access and make use of labour market information to support decision making

nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
The National Careers Service provides information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities. The service offers confidential, helpful and impartial advice, supported by qualified careers advisers. . The National Careers website as information on exploring careers; skills assessment; finding a course and help to get a job. There is a web chat facility for you to ask questions and you can also telephone them on 0800 100 900.

kudos.cascaid.co.uk
An online tool to help you narrow down your career choices

 

University/Higher Education

www.ucas.com

Organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK. They also provide innovative online tools which make it easier for students, and higher education institutions (HEIs) to manage applications and offers. There is also a parent’s section where parents can find all the information needed to support you with your choices and application.  Need a quick link to check you are choosing the right post 16 subjects for your degree aspiration? Click here - read through the section. The ‘search for courses by subject to see what’s available’ link takes you through to a new page where you type in the name of your degree e.g. business and it will then list all courses related to that degree area in the UK!  You can choose filters to narrow down your searches.  Remember fuller details will be found on the individual university websites and entry requirements are subject to change.

www.ucas.com/undergraduate

Parent(s) – UCAS Parent Guide – everything you need to support your child with their Higher Education Choice

www.informedchoices.ac.uk
What you study at sixth form or college can affect your options at university and your future career.  Use Informed Choices to help you understand which subjects open up different degrees, particularly at Russell Group universities.  Read about the types of degree you are interested in to see which subjects may be good preparation at sixth form or college.  Know which subjects you want to study at post 16 but wondered which university courses could be open to you – follow this link - www.informedchoices.ac.uk/which-degree

The Russell Group of Universities has produced a guide to help young people to have clear information about how the subjects that they choose to study in the Sixth Form can affect their options of university – that way, they can make well informed choices.

www.bestcourse4me.com
bC4me is independent, free and shows the link between what you study, what you earn and the jobs you can get.

www.prospects.ac.uk
Graduate Prospects is the UK’s leading provider of information, advice and opportunities to students and graduates and provides an extensive graduate careers website.

 

Apprenticeships

So what is an apprenticeship – A way to earn and learn at the same time. Everything you need to know about apprenticeships - search by subject; salary; industry sector - apprenticeshipguide.co.uk

Looking for an apprenticeship – you start here - gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Find out more about apprenticeships - watch this video from Amazing Apprenticeships -  amazingapprenticeships.com/resource/the-apprenticeship-assembly-film/

What is an apprenticeship? 

The January 2024 edition of the Amazing Apprenticeships Parents’ Pack covers a huge amount of useful information, including how hobbies can support an apprenticeship, a ten step apprenticeship plan for 2024, and dates for your diary.. Please click on the Parent Pack from the January edition below and for further information please visit - https://amazingapprenticeships.com/resources/

Employment

www.notgoingtouni.co.uk
If you are thinking of not going to University – then the ‘notgoingtouni’ team are here to help you find the options that work for you and they can give advice, inspiration and tools to make an informed decision about your future.

www.jobseekers.direct.gov.uk
nationalcareers.service.gov.uk

Get advice on the different stages of a job hunt, including how to improve your interview technique and write an effective CV.  You can get help to search for your first job, get back into work or change career direction.