Careers World East of England SUMMER 2014

EAST OF ENGLAND edition

SUMMER 2014

RADIO 1 SUPERSTAR

SCOTT MILLS “I really had to convince them that I was the person for the job, because they didn’t think I was!”

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

STUDYING IN AMERICA

Want to study stateside? We find out how!

CONFUSED ABOUT CLEARING? Clearing can be a minefield, fortunately we can help you navigate it and get that place

PLUS: WE GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE FUTURE OF APPRENTICESHIPS & OUR EXPERT PANEL TACKLE ANOTHER ROUND OF YOUR QUESTIONS

m AFFILIATE MEMBER

Celebrating

Open Evening 30 Wednesday 9th July

YEARS of excellence

6:00pm-8:30pm

Take a closer look at Paston Come along and find out why we are Norfolk’s top performing Sixth Form College.

For Autumn Term open events visit paston.ac.uk l

Good transport links

l

Exciting enrichment programme

l

Excellent guidance and support

l

Long tradition of outstanding academic results

l

Expert teaching in historic surroundings

l

ÂŁ1.5m invested in new science facilities

l

Specialist support for university and Oxbridge entrants

l

No tuition fees

T: 01692 402334 E: findoutmore@paston.ac.uk W: paston.ac.uk

Paston Sixth Form College Grammar School Road, North Walsham, Norfolk NR28 9JL

Welcome to Careers World Magazine, the premier resource for careers information and guidance.

The Summer term is a scary time for a lot of you, with some big decisions to be made about your future. Don’t worry, the Careers World team are here to help!

We provide you with the facts on the most popular careers and sectors, and help you really get to grips with the industries that interest you. Get an insight into the lives of young people who have been through the careers process, with case studies and advice from successful professionals. In this issue we speak to radio superstar Scott Mills, who’ll let us know just how he got established in broadcasting.

It’s never too late or too early to start thinking about your future career, and with Careers World here to help, you can’t go wrong!

04

BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills chats to our editor about how he managed to turn his hobby into a career.

07

Some tools, tips and tricks to help you make those important choices, from our very own editor!

11 We ask our specially selected panel to tell us what they can offer you!

Health & Social Care

Construction

Sport & Fitness

27 31 35 39

We give you the lowdown on all the other sectors out there, which we’ll feature in future issues.

43

Some handy materials for careers advisors, plus some facts and figures about the world of careers.

15 The best of the best in your region tell us about themselves!

19

Engineering

Elliot Gardner, Editor

Retail

We cover...

The Summer Term Confused about Clearing?

Qualifications Explained Apprenticeships Vs A-Levels

48

Some contact details we think you’ll find useful, including web links, email addresses and phone numbers.

50

23

And now for something completely different...

Published by Open Doors Media Ltd 01765 694 120 | info@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Colouring inside the lines | James Sharman | Design design@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Advertising | Sales sales@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Joined up writing | Elliot Gardner | Editor editor@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Plastic safety scissors | Sarah Peel | Production artwork@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Distribution | Subscriptions distribution@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

All material is copyrighted both written and illustrated. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. All images and information is collated from extensive research and along with advertisements is published in good faith. Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Careers World is published by Open Doors Media Ltd ©2014.

ISSN: 2050-6570

DJ AND PRESENTER SCOTT MILLS

talks to our editor about tricks of the trade, the ups and downs of work in radio, and his long road into the industry. Scott has been in the business for over two decades and is one of the most well-known and respected names in broadcasting. He currently presents the Scott Mills show every weekday at 1pm on BBC Radio 1.

it’s fair to say that most people will recognise you from Radio 1, but what came before that? Well, I always wanted to do radio, from as far back as I can remember really. I was actually helping out at my local radio station when I was 12.

I THINK

4

I had a weekly slot where I would do the chart run-down and tell awful jokes. I have a couple of copies of recordings from those times and my voice just sounds really high!

I wrote to loads of radio stations in my area and offered to volunteer, which is a really good way of getting into radio.

Eventually, after 2 or 3 years, one of them gave in to my constant hassling and let me do some voluntary work at the local commercial radio station in Southampton. your hobby and made it into something you might want to make a career out of? Yeah it was just a hobby, I used to go down to hospital radio every Tuesday and Sunday, I used to absolutely love it. From that point there was no doubt in my mind; I knew that if I could, that was exactly what I wanted to do. No doubt at all.

SO YOU TOOK

www.careersworld.co.uk

inspired you go into radio though? I don’t know! It’s something that just absolutely fascinated me, and because I was quite a shy child it was a way of talking to a lot of people without actually having to meet them. I used to listen to a lot of radio back then in my room and there was something just magical about it. It was just ideal, even to the point that when I was 8 or 9 I would pretend to play songs on the radio in my bedroom to my mum.

I was pretty determined, which is important I think, especially in a job like this, because there were, and there still are, knockbacks. You just have to be prepared to take it all on the chin. If you can’t take those then it’s probably not the job for you, because it’s not all plain sailing.

WHAT FIRST

weren’t in broadcasting, what career path do you think you would have gone down? Is there anyone that ever tried to convince you when you were younger to go down a different career path? I went to my careers advisor when I was at school and told them I’d like to be on the radio and they just laughed! Well I’m very interested in travel and everything that goes with that so maybe I would have gone down that road somewhere.

IF YOU

you would be on TV or radio doing travel? To be honest I’ve not thought about it too much because I’ve worked hard to make a career in radio. With radio you have to be prepared to move around a bit. I spent a few years at a station in Bristol, I did 2 years in a station in Manchester, and then I moved down to London to be on Heart for a bit. Then, after a lot of hassling, I managed to get the job on Radio 1, but that took years.

Because I’ve been at Radio 1 for a long time people think that it was easy, but I really had to convince them that I was the person for the job, because they didn’t think I was.

DO YOU THINK

kind of assume that it was the first job you got. Well I would send them CDs of demos all the time. For 3 years every 2 months. I was very persistent! Then finally someone cracked and that’s how I got the early breakfast show.

I GUESS PEOPLE

you get knocked down at the first hurdle you need to keep trying? Yeah you really have to. And then when you come to Radio 1 you have to be prepared to start at the bottom again.

So I did 5 years of early mornings, which is getting up at 3am. It’s kind of hard work but when you do it it’s worth it.

I remember when I was 16, I couldn’t even get to the radio station because I wasn’t even old enough to drive, so I had this really naff little old scooter that I used to drive into work in all weathers. When they eventually gave me a break it was between 1 and 6 in the morning, obviously my mum wasn’t that interested in taking me in at that time so I had to find my own way to get there.

SO EVEN IF

honorary doctorate from Southampton Solent University… Yeah how did that happen! That was amazing. My whole family was there. Sometimes I forget and then I remember ‘oh yeah I’m a Doctor of Arts.’ I chose not to go to university; I didn’t even go to college. I left school and went straight into radio, so it’s quite an honour to be given something like that from a uni.

YOU RECEIVED AN

think you would have gone to uni even if you didn’t go into radio? I was so determined; it wasn’t even on my mind. I remember my parents saying you have to have something to fall back on, because radio seems like one of those jobs that no one gets. But my mum and dad totally supported me. They really did.

There’s always a danger, it’s one of those industries that some people get into fine and some people never do. But I

DO YOU

wasn’t taking no for an answer, I was really determined. So it didn’t really cross my mind because I was already doing the job that I wanted to do. the craziest thing you’ve done through Radio 1?

Well no two days are the same. Sometimes we have a day where we are just like ‘wow’.

It’s honestly the best place to work in the world. I never thought of Radio 1 as a goal because I thought it was impossible, so I actually just really enjoy working here.

When I first started working at Radio 1 they gave me a mental job. They told me to present backstage at the BRIT awards.

We were in a little porta-cabin backstage and I’d only been there a year. They were kind of trying me out to see if I would sink or swim. I remember there was a queue of famous people, Elton John, Destiny’s Child, Eminem, and this is when I was really scared of interviews. I felt massively out of my depth.

The other thing that sticks out in my mind is about 6 months after I got the job at Radio 1. They rang me and asked me if I wanted to do top of the pops next week.

I’d never even done anything on television.

I was actually physically sick before the show out of nerves. It was so terrifying. But you get given an opportunity and you just can’t say no!

SO WHAT IS

the kind of industry that you don’t really get the opportunity to say no to things?

Absolutely, you can’t, and also if you did then I think you would kick yourself. I do things at Radio 1 all the time that really scare me. These are all things that wouldn’t have happened without my job. We did this trek through the desert in Kenya with Lorraine Kelly, Olly Murs and Dermot O’Leary 3 years ago for Sport Relief, and that’s something that I never thought I’d be able to achieve. Last year they made me do another thing for sport relief. I danced with Olly Murs on stage. It’s one of my worst fears because I can’t dance, but I did it!

IT SEEMS LIKE

a favourite guest from the years that you’ve been doing radio? When I started Radio 1 it was the late 90s. Bands were quite angry and people could be really rude, but now pop stars are generally really nice.

Tinie Tempah is really nice to interview, and we had Will.I.Am in recently. He was hilarious, we didn’t play any music for 40 minutes because he’s so engaging and he’s got some good stories. The oddest one I think was one I did about 2 years ago with Nicolas Cage. He wouldn’t look at any of us in the studio so we had absolutely no eye contact with him at all. His answers to the questions were very strange as well, he was an odd one.

HAVE YOU GOT

anyone that you’ve really wanted to meet but then they’ve let you down a little bit? Pamela Anderson was quite rude. I expected her to be nice but she just wasn’t. I did a TV show with David Hasselhoff where I went to go live in his house for a bit and I expected that to be an icebreaker in the conversation, like ‘I lived with David and you used to work with him on Baywatch’, but she didn’t

IS THERE

www.careersworld.co.uk

care, so I was a bit disappointed by that.

You don’t really get that so much anymore.

Even with massive people like Rihanna and Beyonce. I don’t know why, I guess people are just a bit nicer now. it now to back when you first started then?

I do. It’s because I’m much more confident.

I totally put it down to this job. If you told me now that I was going to interview Lady Gaga in five minutes then it wouldn’t really bother me, whereas back in the day I would have been absolutely terrified.

SO YOU PREFER

only having a couple of minutes before an interview, do you feel responsible for the success of Chris Stark? Well I kind of do actually! I’ve known him for years and he always used to make me laugh. I met him at university radio in Southampton because I was doing a bit of stuff there. We ended up DJing together and kept in touch.

I just found him hilarious, and every time he was up in London we’d meet up and have a chat. I just thought to myself, ‘you’ve got something. I don’t know what it is, but I think you’re so normal that people will really like you.’ I don’t think I’m responsible for his success because you make your own luck, but I hope that I helped.

SPEAKING OF

done some TV in the past, with the National Lottery and documentaries and all sorts, would you consider more of that in the future?

I really enjoy it when I do it but I’m too shy to be properly famous. I don’t fancy it, it’s not for me. When I went to the Brits this year I saw people with 30 photographers following them and I thought to myself ‘I would absolutely hate that’, it’s just not for me. I’m doing the Eurovision semi-finals again this year for BBC3, which I really enjoy, but yeah it’s my little hobby really, but I do love it because it’s a different skill.

YOU HAVE

give one piece of advice to your teenage self now what would it be? Stop worrying.

Be yourself. I think in my job in particular it’s important that you are yourself. If you heard tapes of me when I was on the radio in Manchester, I just don’t sound like me.

You wouldn’t even recognise me.

IF YOU COULD

it’s just a case of being yourself? It’s a case of relaxing and being confident enough to be yourself on the radio. That’s what Radio 1 teaches you, because they do want you to be you.

SO THEN

in radio about 24 years now, what’s the biggest change in the industry in that time? Social media. 100%. Even in the last 5 years. For Radio 1 to survive it needs to be where the young people go the most, and that’s on their phones and laptops, that’s where kids spend most of their time.

The days of just listening to the radio are kind of dying out, so if Radio 1 wants to appeal to the next generation of 14-15 year olds, which they obviously do, then they have to be on their phones. It’s the first radio station to hit a million subscribers on YouTube, which is pretty impressive, but that is the way it’s going and that is the way it’s going to have to be.

YOU HAVE BEEN

5

n a h t i w r Go furthe m o r f p i h s e c i t n e r p Ap h c i w r o N e g e l l o C y Cit From health to engineering, IT to creative arts, City College Norwich has comprehensive training for all types of business, providing skills that employers want. Whatever your age, whichever level you are at, or skills you have, we can deliver the training you need.

You will learn on the job and get paid for doing so.

Get in touch to find out just how much City College Norwich Apprenticeships can help you.

FIND OUT MORE!

Visit: www.ccn.ac.uk/apprenticeships Email employerpartnerships@ccn.ac.uk and quote ‘Apprentice’ Call us on: 01603 294 660 part of the

Each issue, we ask our editor to give you a roundup of the topics that might affect you, as well as the choices you need to make about your future. As you could imagine, there are plenty of things going on that tend to stay behind the scenes. Usually, you’d have to trawl through pages of information to learn all this, but don’t worry; we’ve done all that for you!

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR At this time of year there’s some big decisions to be made, and with all that pressure piled on, lots of young people take the easy way out and just go with what their parents or careers advisor want them to do. Of course these people know what they’re talking about and only want the best for you, but the only person who can REALLY decide what’s best is you!

There’s been lots of talk lately of young people being convinced not to go down certain career paths because of a belief that they are either too clever or not clever enough for them, or that the course isn’t going to lead to a decent career. If you have done your research and know about the benefits that an Apprenticeship ,degree, or going straight into work can provide, then don’t just back down and submit to what someone else wants you to do, prove to them that it’s the right choice for you by giving it your all and enjoying it while you do!

THE FUTURE OF APPRENTICESHIPS Thinking about doing an Apprenticeship? Then you better make sure you’re up to date with these big changes that are coming soon. Most placements won’t be affected until 2017, but there are a few that are being reworked now!

•

•

• • •

KEY FACTS

The aim is to make Apprenticeships more appealing to employers and to help apprentices become more employable.

Changes to assessment methods.

Two thirds of your grade will be assessed at the end of the Apprenticeship.

Simple frameworks. No more reading through pages of information to find out what your course is about.

Graded Apprenticeships. New ranks of ‘pass’, ‘merit’, ‘distinction’ and ‘fail’.

Minimum duration. All Apprenticeships will now be a minimum of one year with no exceptions.

www.careersworld.co.uk

WHY ARE THINGS BEING CHANGED?

Apprenticeships are getting bigger and bigger, and lots more students are considering them as an alternative to college, sixth form, or university. The Government is really keen to keep this going and for it to be the norm that every pupil either studies for a degree or undertakes an Apprenticeship. With this in mind, Apprenticeships are being changed to make them as attractive as possible to employers. After all, if more employers want to train apprentices, that’s more places for you to apply to! All this means that you can expect to see lots of Apprenticeship vacancies opening up in small companies.

These businesses are going to have a lot more say in what their apprentices study, which means that the chance of you getting a placement close to home is going to be much higher!

7

IMPROVING EMPLOYABILITY

The other reason for all these changes is to make all apprentices more employable after their course is finished.

What’s the point in doing a course if you’re not going to be able to get a job out of it! In the last issue of Careers World we talked about changes to Maths and English GCSEs that mean a minimum standard will be expected from every school leaver. This is going to be the same in Apprenticeships, with requirements being stepped up a notch. Employers will be able to set what level of Maths and English skill will be required to complete their Apprenticeship.

As well as this, off-the-job training will be a vital part of all courses. No, this doesn’t mean training at the beach. At the minute, some apprentices don’t receive any training away from their place of employment.

The new change is that all apprentices will have to spend 20% of their placement studying ‘off-the-job’ topics. This might still be in your workplace but won’t be related to your everyday position. More than likely, for those studying Apprenticeships through colleges or universities, this would mean studying in an education environment.

CHANGING ASSESSMENT

The method of assessment for your qualification depends very much on the actual Apprenticeship that you are

8

working towards. Some focus on whether you can actually work to the level demanded of the position you are in. Others are geared towards more traditional exams. One thing that all Apprenticeships share is the mix of on-going assessment throughout the placement, and end testing.

The change is to have a minimum of two thirds of assessment at the end of the Apprenticeship. The approach to testing probably won’t change much, after all there’s no point in all your exams being all written when you are trying to prove that you can be a builder, but a lot of Apprenticeships like to test you throughout the year so that you can show your development and constantly build up your skill set. The new method would involve a lot more revision, as well an end of year exam-type situation, with a broad range of skills being tested all at once, proving you are ready to work in that sector.

they plan to go about this is to make Apprenticeships graded.

The new grades would be ‘Fail’, ‘Pass’, ‘Merit’ and ‘Distinction’ (Familiar to anyone who has completed a grade in music).

find what you need! On top of this, the description of each Apprenticeship will have to be less than one page of A4, which is a big deal because at the minute they’re more like twenty!

What this essentially means is that Apprenticeships will become more focused around your end-results, and the best grades will look amazing on CVs. There’s a down side though. If you don’t get at least a Merit in your Apprenticeship then an employer might see you as ‘only’ passing, instead of rewarding you for completing a demanding course. The point is to ‘incentivise’ Apprenticeships, in other words trying to get you to work as hard as you can, but you should probably be doing that anyway!

While most of these changes won’t come into effect fully until 2017, there are a few subjects that have already been affected, and will continue to change over the coming months. These are called ‘trailblazers’ and are mainly in the STEM subjects (that’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). So if you are thinking about a career in those sectors, you better double check your Apprenticeship is being delivered in the way you think!

SIMPLE FRAMEWORKS

There are over 250 different Apprenticeships in England, and lots of those have optional modules within them, making everything very complicated.

There are so many different options, sometimes it can be GRADED hard to find out what course you APPRENTICESHIPS Right now, Apprenticeships need to do to get the job you’re are pass or fail. Lots of people actually after. like this way of doing things as it makes the whole process That’s why changes are being a lot less painful. In a degree, made. There will be one or A-levels, simply passing is separate Apprenticeship course often not enough because there for every job. That means it are so many grades, making should be simpler for you to everything more competitive. find the Apprenticeship you The Government are really keen need to get the job you want on rewarding high-achievement because you can just search in Apprenticeships, and the way for ‘Chef Apprenticeship’ and www.careersworld.co.uk

WHO IS AFFECTED?

The nature of Apprenticeships is definitely changing and the proposals that we’ve talked about above are really going to have a huge impact on every single apprentice in England. It’s so important that you keep your finger on the pulse if you are even considering Apprenticeships in the slightest.

Deciding to become an apprentice can be one of the biggest and best decisions of your life so you have to make sure you are as informed as you can be. It’s like starting a new job thinking you’re in sales but getting there and finding out you’re working in the warehouse!

STUDYING IN AMERICA America is one of the most important countries in the world. We are constantly surrounded by US culture; whether it’s the clothes we wear, the TV we watch, or music we listen to. Visiting the United States is on the top list of things to do for thousands of young people in the UK, but did you know that in the quest for your ideal career that you can study full time state-side? At Careers World we’re asked all the time for information on American study, and since now is the time that you should be thinking about where to apply if you want to study abroad, we’ve put some information together about what American education can offer you.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY THERE?

HOW DO I APPLY?

Make no mistake, studying in America is not for everyone, but if you have a sense of adventure and want to learn at the same time, it could be right down your street. There’s a real emphasis on the social side of things at US universities. Uni’s in the UK have this as well, but to nowhere near the same level. Can you imagine a UK university sports club being televised and getting 50,000 fans attending every game? There are hundreds of societies to join, including a national competitive Quidditch league for you Potter fans!

The application process for UK nationals to study in the USA is a bit more long-winded and complicated than applying through UCAS, but then again you are asking a university from the other side of the world to accept you for study, so what do you expect! UCAS applications are based around your grades and other academic achievements, but the US system tends to evaluate your whole character. Obviously your grades are still a big deal, but they also want to know about your background, and what you do in your spare time.

If you don’t like being limited with the universities you can apply to, maybe the college or uni in your favourite city doesn’t offer your course, you’re pretty much guaranteed to not have the same problem in the US. There are just under 200 Higher Education facilities in the UK right now, but with over 4,500 offering undergraduate degrees in America right now, you’re spoilt for choice.

If you are worried about costs (it’s hardly cheap going to uni here, let alone in America!) then you should consider applying for a scholarship or funding. Funding looks at all of you, not just how much money you or your parents earn. If you can show that you are worth their money, the uni will sponsor you to study at their institution.

If you struggled to decide on what GCSEs or A levels to choose, picking just one degree course can be a bit of a nightmare. There’s nowhere near the same amount of pressure at American colleges and universities, they adopt a ‘liberal arts philosophy’. This means that you take several different classes in the first year of your degree, and then move on to choose your main ‘major’ subject after you’ve had a taste of a few. It’s also much easier than in the UK to switch courses if you change your mind.

According to figures from The Fulbright Commission, 65% of employers favour applicants with experience of work overseas. It really is a fantastic way to kick-start your career and improve your employability. The Fulbright Commission are jointly funded by the UK and US governments and operate the Advisory Service, the only official source of US study advice in the UK, so it’s worth checking them out at www.fulbright.org.uk. Don’t forget that the timetable for applications is a bit different than in the UK, so if you’re thinking about going to an American university next year, you need to be doing some research about where you want to go NOW!

www.careersworld.co.uk

9

expert /’ekspərt/

Noun.

A person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area.

Ask the Experts

Adjective Having or involving such knowledge or skill.

Synonyms noun. specialist - connoisseur - adept - judge - master adjective. skilled - skilful - skillful - proficient - adept

Are you frustrated by all the choices you face? Don’t you wish there was a way to compare all your options, or to have those key questions answered? Well, we’ve done it for you. We’ve put together a team of experts from your area to give you an insight into what kind of experiences, benefits and future they can offer you. We’ve asked the same questions to each expert, to help you decide on the right choice for you.

The Employer IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

We run, maintain and develop Britain’s rail tracks, signalling, bridges, tunnels, level crossings, viaducts and 17 key stations.

Web: www.facebook.com/ontrack

Not at all. It’s never too late to look at your options. Some people decide very quickly on their future careers, others take their time.

Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme opens for applications in January, with successful candidates starting in September. Use this time to research whether the scheme is right for you, or come and visit us at one of our open days, which we advertise on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ontrack

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

The first year of our scheme is run on-site, at a purpose-built training facility in Hampshire.

We provide all of your accommodation and food whilst you are learning. We focus not only on developing your skills in your chosen area of expertise, but also on helping you build your leadership and people skills. You will be offered a wide range of extracurricular sporting and development opportunities, that we encourage you to take part in. Our scheme is fun, hard work, a great learning opportunity, and a fantastic foundation for a rewarding career in the rail industry.

www.careersworld.co.uk

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

During your first month on Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme you will undertake a comprehensive induction package at HMS Collingwood and Sultan in order to prepare you for the challenges ahead over the next three year programme.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Our railway is more popular than ever.

Passenger numbers have increased at a faster pace than expected and every day 4 million people use the rail network. We carry 50 per cent more passengers today than 10 years ago. Modernisation and smarter ways of working have delivered more frequent, reliable, safer services, as well as brighter and better stations. We’ve achieved a lot over the last 10 years and we’ve a lot more to do! We’ve been given £38bn to carry out work over the next five years, and by 2019 the country’s rail network will be delivering 225 million more passenger journeys each year. Our Apprenticeship scheme helps us attract and retain key talent for the future that will help us meet our strategic goal - a better railway for a better Britain.

11

The University IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is an internationally renowned university based on a distinctive and attractive campus in the historic city of Norwich. We pride ourselves on the excellent academic, social and cultural facilities which we offer to over 15,000 students.

Web: www.uea.ac.uk

No. Although UCAS deadlines for undergraduate courses have passed, universities and colleges may still consider your application. At the University of East Anglia (UEA) we will talk you through your options so we can find a solution to enable you to enroll, whatever time of the year you apply. Once you have your results in the summer you can also apply through UCAS Clearing.

Applicants might also consider taking a year out to investigate work experience, volunteering, travel or professional training.

You can confirm your place at University

The Training Provider IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

If you are looking to work in engineering, manufacturing, care, ICT, hair and beauty, administration, sport, customer service, warehousing, or financial services then we will do our best help you find the right Apprenticeship or programme for you.

NO! Training providers focus on candidates being able to begin their Apprenticeship when they first start with a new company, and we don’t have terms or summer breaks so you can start with us at any time throughout the year.

WS Training works with a wide range of companies and can offer you a way into a variety of different careers. We also offer a free of charge service to businesses that are looking to recruit people for Trainee/ Apprenticeship positions.

Web: www.wstraining.co.uk Tel: 01473 604260

The College

Lowestoft College offers a range of full and part-time courses, as well as Apprenticeships. The college is always looking for ways to develop the site and improve the facilities.

Web: www.lowestoft.ac.uk

12

www.careersworld.co.uk

IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

No it isn’t too late. As a starting point, why not have a look at the college’s website to get an idea of the courses on offer, or call in to the St Peter’s Street campus and talk to our student services team, who will be able to offer advice about courses which may suit your skills, interests, qualifications, and any career goals you have. If you are thinking about studying here, get in touch as soon as possible so that you can start planning your future.

and then defer your start date to allow time citizenship, all on the doorstep of Norwich, one of country’s finest cities and a hotbed of to build your experience. shopping, sports, arts, culture, music, and WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR nightlife.

APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

UEA blends world-leading research with an open and collaborative learning environment. We are as committed to our exceptional student experience as we are to the significant impact our research has on the world around us.

Our students and academics work closely together, which helped us achieve our position of first in the 2013 Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey.

UEA has a real sense of community and

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

We are able to offer a wide range of qualifications across East Anglia, and because of this we can follow you through your career. You may start off working towards a Level 2 Apprenticeship, but upon completion of this you might be promoted to a supervisor so we can advance you on to a Team Leading Apprenticeship. You may well be promoted again to a management position, so could then go on to complete a Management Apprenticeship. Whatever your career path, WS Training will be there to support you, moving your career onwards & upwards!

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

Some people pick Lowestoft College as it offers them different progression opportunities - they can use their skills and qualifications to find work, join another course, or even study at university. Others choose it for the variety of courses, which include art & design, engineering, care, travel, the construction trades, hairdressing & beauty therapy, business, hospitality & catering, sport, and uniformed services, as well as specialist maritime and offshore training.

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

A bit of everything! You’ll have the chance to explore your school and subject, make friends, and enjoy Fresher’s week, which introduces you to life at University. You will also meet your academic staff, including an Academic Adviser who will support you throughout your degree. There are a range of social events, ensuring everyone has the chance to get to know one another, along with the opportunity to join clubs and

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

societies, of which we have over 200, from rowing to Capoeira, and baseball to comedy.

For those who can’t wait, UEA’s ‘Preparing for University’ open, online course (MOOC) about key skills for university starts on June 16 at Futurelearn.com.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

We are the best! Ask our students, who voted us number one for student experience. If you come here you can be confident that you will receive excellent teaching, tailored support, and unrivalled opportunities to explore subjects that interest you in a way you may not have considered possible. You’ll develop skills that will help you to achieve your goals and ambitions – whatever they may be.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

WS Training is a Suffolk based training provider established for nearly 20 years.

At WS Training, we believe in consistent You will complete a thorough sign up excellence in customer care, supporting process, which will involve an assessor and advising people on the qualifications visiting you in your workplace, assessing that will suit their needs. your skills from the first meeting, and setting up a plan of how you will work towards We offer Apprenticeships and Traineeships your qualification. You will also be invited in a wide range of occupational areas across to attend an induction day at one of our East Anglia. If you are looking to work in centres where you’ll find out more about engineering, manufacturing, care, ICT, hair your qualification and will be able to meet and beauty, administration, sport, customer other people who have just started their service, warehousing, or financial services Apprenticeship too. The main thing you will then we will do our best help you find the be given is support and guidance by our right Apprenticeship or programme for you. qualified team of assessors/tutors.

WS Training has a great reputation and we recently achieved a Grade 2 at our latest Ofsted Inspection, which shows that we are a good provider.

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

The first month varies from course to course, but generally you will be able to get to know the college, your lecturers, and other students on the programme. Some courses also offer team building experiences. You will spend your time in the workshops, salons, kitchens, or classrooms, so you will also start learning more about your chosen area of interest.

www.careersworld.co.uk

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Many of the lecturers at Lowestoft College have worked in the industry they teach in, so they have first-hand experience. Some also have excellent contacts with people working in their respective trade so you may visit different workplaces or hear talks from guest speakers. Lowestoft College also has excellent success rates which puts it in the top 30 per cent of colleges in England.

13

GET THE CAREER YOU WANT BY CHOOSING AN APPRENTICESHIP. IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE WORLD OF WORK, GET PAID AND YET CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION, AN APPRENTICESHIP COULD BE THE IDEAL ROUTE FOR YOU. On-the-job, you’ll work as an employee, alongside

We offer a huge range of Apprenticeships including:

experienced staff members. Off-the-job, you’ll learn through a combination of learning methods that may

• Health and Social Care*

include: classroom attendance, online assessments and

• Business Administration

assessments in your workplace.

• Sales and Telesales • Customer Service

An Apprenticeship is available to anyone aged 16 years

• Team Leading

and over, plus each one involves a structured programme

• Management

of training, leading to a recognised qualification. They are

• Children and Young People’s Workforce (Childcare)*

available at different levels, letting you choose the speed

• Hospitality Services*

you wish to learn at.

• Retail Skills • Travel and Tourism

We have invested heavily in real-working environments to

• Warehousing and Storage

give you the best possible training, while you also benefit

• Construction*

from our well established links with local employers.

• Sport and Active Leisure* * Only delivered in certain locations

Call: 0330 123 1300 or visit: www.intraining.co.uk/apprenticeships

We like to keep you up to date with the latest goings-on of your local institutions, as well as providing you with case studies and stories from people who have been in your position and seen the light at the end of the tunnel; this is their forum for connecting with you.

Easton & Otley College Easton College based near Norwich in Norfolk joined forces with Otley College based near Ipswich in Suffolk in August 2012. Since coming together the college teaches over 5000 students and is the fifth largest land-based college in the UK. The college is always looking for new ways to give students a positive new experience in addition to the subjects that they are being taught.

For example, last year learners participated in two fashion shoots for a lifestyle magazine, a farming student met JLS, and a countryside management enthusiast got to see his hero, Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

One of the other key reasons for joining forces was to help improve the facilities that are available to students across the region. Apart from the fact that learners now have access to

campuses in both counties, an investment plan has seen new facilities open in both Easton and Otley.

At Easton, the TV vet, Steve Leonard, came along to celebrate the launch of a new animal studies centre. Similar facilities will be opened in March 2014 at the Otley campus by the director of Colchester Zoo, Anthony Tropeano. Additional land-based facilities will also be opened later in the year, and adult learning, construction and horticultural opportunities are developing at both campuses.

This aside, the college is always looking for ways to increase links with land-based communities in the region, work closely with industry, build links with higher educational establishments, support Apprenticeship qualifications, and invest in facilities.

Gain Experience: Industrial Placements Competition in the graduate job market has risen dramatically in recent years, and students are always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd. An excellent way of doing this is by choosing an industrial placement as part of your degree course.

This involves spending a year working in industry, normally between your second and third years of study, enhancing your CV and gaining highly sought-after skills. Employers not only like to see people who have developed the necessary theoretical skills, it’s also great if a student has used their initiative and sourced opportunities to develop their employability skills.

During your placement you will be paid by the employer and treated as a permanent member of staff. You will also gain practical experience that

For more details about the Easton campus call 01603 731200 For more details about the Otley campus call 01473 785543 Alternatively visit www.eastonotley.ac.uk or follow on Twitter @EastonOtley

www.careersworld.co.uk

can be invaluable both in your final-year project and when competing for jobs. Students with industrial experience tend to not only improve their final degree performance, but also develop clearer ideas about their future career path.

We are aware that finding an industrial placement can be a step into the unknown for many students and we are here to provide support for you. We maintain regular contact with you, even when you begin your placement If you are interested in an industrial or sandwich placement, or a graduate job in the life sciences, biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries, make sure you take a look at the Cogent Placements website for all the latest opportunities.

Web: www.cogent-placements.com

15

Oiling the wheels of success Three girls have been given a foot on the career ladder thanks to a local entrepreneur.

Paston Sixth Form College Paston Sixth Form College is North Norfolk’s top performing sixth form and has been for several years. The college is a vibrant young adult environment, so unlike school sixth forms all of our students are 16-19 and you can wear what you like.

You can choose from a large range of A-level and BTEC National Diploma subjects, which are taught by expert teachers who specialise in teaching students of your age.

We write the timetable around your course choices, with study periods and free time included.

Our students tell us ‘Paston provides a fantastic learning environment; the teachers really care, and it’s easy to make new friends’.

Choosing the rights subjects can be complicated and scary. We will help and advise you about course choices for a particular

career path and we provide many opportunities to get a ‘feel’ for Paston before joining us.

You will get specialist advice on higher education and employment and we also provide excellent enrichment opportunities, including trips abroad (as well as closer to home), exhibitions, fashion, art and media shows, sport, our own drama company, debates, volunteering, careers talks from people in the community, and so much more.

Paston is the highest ranking sixth form college in Norfolk for average points achieved per A-level entry and on average, students achieve at least one grade higher than predicted.

With the majority of jobs now being graduate entry, A-levels are the way forward.

Web: www.paston.ac.uk Email: findoutmore@paston.ac.uk Tel: 01692 402334

16

Nathan Pearson, owner and founder of Chester based oil recycling company Oil Monster, has recruited Kathryn Leonard (22), Yasmin Whiteley (19) and Kathren Matthews (21) to bring fresh young talent into the award winning organisation.

The trio were introduced to Oil Monster by national training provider Intraining. Kathryn and Yasmin are working towards an NVQ level 2 in Customer Service, while Kathren is studying for an NVQ level 2 in Business Administration.

Kathryn, from Pentre in Deeside, joined the company in March.

She left school with 10 GCSEs and then spent a year at college, followed by eight months on jobseekers allowance. “I knew I wanted to study for an NVQ in Customer Service,” she said, “and when I saw the position advertised via Intraining I applied.”

Nathan has been very impressed with Kathryn and is confident that there will be a permanent position for her once the Apprenticeship comes to an end. “Kathryn is definitely performing above and beyond my expectations,” he said. “It’s clear that following an Apprenticeship is the best career route for her. They teach young people how to add value to a business and learn how it operates, whilst also helping them study towards a recognised qualification.”

As well as assisting in the recruitment and continuing assessment of the three apprentices, Intraining is also delivering an NVQ level 3 in Management to Sales and Customer Service Manager Garrath Robins.

Nathan concluded: “There is no doubt that we wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for the dedicated team I have.

Winning the Start-up Business Award at the Flintshire Business Awards last year was testament to this.”

To find out more about Intraining, contact 0330 123 1300 or visit www.intraining.co.uk.

www.careersworld.co.uk

The Passport to your Dream Horsey Job Have you considered a career with horses? The British Horse Society can help make your horsey career aspirations a reality with their unique vocational qualifications system.

Written by industry experts, they are exactly what employers are looking for. Even if you are not thinking about working directly with horses, extra curricular qualifications will enhance your CV and demonstrate aptitude, dedication and a willingness to learn.

The Fab Four – BHS Stage Exams The BHS Stage exams are all round equestrian qualifications, split into horse care and riding units. The exams are really flexible so if riding isn’t your thing, you can concentrate on the management and welfare of horses with our Care exams.

Instructor’s Qualifications The BHS Instructors’ qualifications are awarded for a combination of a BHS Stage exam and the successful completion of a BHS coaching

How do I apply?

For further information on any of the qualifications above, please visit our website – www.bhs.org.uk or contact the BHS Education team on 02476 840508.

exam. They not only confirm your skills as a coach/teacher, but acknowledge that you have an industry standard qualification in horse care and riding too.

Work-Based Diplomas, Scottish Vocational Qualifications and Apprenticeships If the thought of a one day exam is a bit daunting and you prefer to have continual assessment whilst at a workplace, then a Work Based Diploma (WBD), Scottish Vocational Qualification, or an Apprenticeship may suit you better!

Equine Tourism Qualifications The equestrian tourism sector is a growing area with many horsey and non-horsey people turning to a riding holiday or trek for relaxation. If you love riding outdoors on long hacks, cantering through glorious countryside or galloping along a beach then qualifying as a ride leader may be the perfect career for you.

Ben Goss An Evesham A-Level student has turned his fitness hobby into a full-time career, after opting to not go to university, and completing a personal training course with The Training Room.

Ben Goss, 20, always had a flair for fitness, and was recommended The Training Room by his local gym following the completion of his A Levels, having decided that further education wasn’t for him.

The Training Room is a full service careers provider offering a range of fully accredited personal training courses, from full-time fast track courses to part-time and e-learning programmes. We equip students with industry-ready qualifications and skills for entry into a career in personal training.

Ben underwent a certification with The Training Room to gain a Level 3 personal trainer qualification. He chose to study via the e-learning course, which

allowed him to work at home for the majority of his course.

Ben said: “Personal training wasn’t presented to me as a career option when I was at school, but when my local gym told me about the courses available with The Training Room, I knew it was something that I wanted to pursue.”

Ben started work at Phoenix Fitness Solutions right after completing his e-learning course in September 2011, and qualified as a personal trainer in January 2012.

He continues: “I found that the home study option worked well for me as I was already used to independent study from my A-Level courses. Now that I’m qualified I’m doing a job I love, proving that personal training is a great option for those who have a passion for fitness and don’t want to go down the university route.”

For more information about courses at The Training Room, call 0800 028 4162 or visit thetrainingroom.com.

www.careersworld.co.uk

17

Start your aerospace career in the right

Direction.

AeroAcademy Want an exciting career in Aerospace?

Want to study at the UK’s leading independent Aerospace Company?

Want an appropriate mix of academic studies and hands-on training?

Give your career the best possible start with a Foundation Degree in Aerospace Engineering with Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.

T: 01223 294917

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0

www.marshalladg.com/careers/foundation-degree

THE REAL WORLD AeroAcademy We are part of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, the UK’s leading independent aerospace company. The company employs more than 1,900 people worldwide, and many of the students that have graduated through AeroAcademy have since joined Marshall ADG. Students are part of Kingston University, but receive their training at our Greenhouse Farm campus, opposite Cambridge Airport.

The benefits of studying in an industrial setting include receiving training from experienced aerospace engineers and participating in authentic real-life MRO scenarios.

Engineering You can engineer pretty much anything these days and it’s a sector that we rely on heavily to produce some important stuff! Aeroplanes, toxic chemicals, skyscrapers, cruise liners and tanks are all a result of an engineer’s thoughts. Read on to find out how you can get into this sector…

You ask us...

WHAT’S THE ENGINEERING SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

Well, it certainly covers a lot of ground.

Engineering is so diverse that pretty much everything you see around you is the product of engineering. It’s about creating technology to help us advance as people; engineers were behind the first aeroplane, the first cannon, the first microwave and even the first tin of beans. But it’s not just about creation, it’s also about improving; F1 teams use engineers to make their cars faster and lighter and car manufacturers always need new designs to keep ahead in the market.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Most engineers work in factories, but some fields such as chemical engineering might require you to work in a laboratory with complex equipment or in the case of Marine Engineers, on a boat in the middle of the ocean!

Kevul Patel, 20 is in the second year of the Foundation Degree programme: ‘I found the course when I was looking at university websites, this one appealed because of the link with the Marshall Company which gave added benefit.

‘My career plan is to work in civil aviation, in an area such as maintenance management.

The course has shown me how important safety and quality are for the sector and it has given me more understanding of civil industry and military requirements.‘ Anna Davanzo, 22, Design Engineer (Repairs Group) said: ‘I did A Levels at sixth form but didn’t know much about engineering opportunities. After the Foundation Degree I completed the final year top-up at Kingston University. I was offered a summer work placement with Marshall in 2012, which went really well, and then was offered a graduate position which I started in September 2013.

It was great studying at a company which is well known in the industry for training and aircraft engineering. I enjoyed being in small classes and having access to industry on site.’

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

As we’ve mentioned a billion times already, engineering is a huge part of the UK economy. In fact, it comprises one fifth of it.

Over half the people who work in Engineering are in managerial and professional roles, so there is an obvious route to progression in this sector.

This is a very big sector, so you can expect a very big salary as you become more WHERE IS THE WORK MOST qualified.

Starting salaries are around CONCENTRATED? £17,000 and the average, fully qualified engineer can expect to earn £43,000 a The North of England is one of the leading year. Of course, the more specialised you areas in the world for this sector; there’s aerospace, automotive, chemical and become, the more you will earn! marine engineering in that region, but speaking more locally, most factories and plants are where the action is. Naturally, most work is on industrial estates so be prepared to look around to find the type of engineering you would like to work with. www.careersworld.co.uk

Web: www.marshalladg.com/careers/ foundation-degree Tel: 01223 294917

19

Engineering

Careers Choices Engineering is behind the creation of pretty much everything in the world. That’s a bold statement, but everything you see around you was at some point in time a thought in the mind of an engineer. You need a logical thought process, patience and a willingness to improve on what you’ve already done. No project is ever quite finished and there is always a little more to tweak and make better, faster or stronger. Here are the main areas of the Engineering industry.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

This sounds pretty complicated and it kind of is, as it deals with combining complex chemicals to produce products. However, it’s behind the advancement of some of our best medical cures and vaccinations, as well as creating new materials that are used in other areas of Engineering.

METALS ENGINEERING

Everything you see that’s made from a metal was engineered by this industry.

Metal production is vitally important and it contributes £15 billion a year to our economy.

Plus with recycling on the increase, the industry will continue to grow and grow.

20

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Electrical Engineering covers everything from the smallest microchips to ensuring the national grid (responsible for the power flowing into our homes) is running smoothly.

It covers maintenance and creation, as well as evaluating systems for improvement.

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Did you know that the UK is the second largest manufacturer of space vehicles in the world? Aerospace covers satellites, commercial and military aircraft, space shuttles and all the bits that make them up.

www.careersworld.co.uk

MARINE ENGINEERING

Marine Engineering covers all things oceanic. You could be designing cruise liners, fishing boats and other aquatic vehicles. It also covers offshore oilrigs and wind farms. As the UK is an island, there’s plenty of business to be had in this sector!

DEFENCE ENGINEERING

Although most engineers that work in defence would probably fall into one of the above categories, there are projects (such as missiles, aircraft, satellites, advanced technology) that fall into a separate category. Some projects are kept top secret and require specialists to work on, so if you choose to follow this path, keep it on the low down…..

AN ESTIMATED

154,400

PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING

Where to begin If you think this is the sector for you, read on to learn more about how you can kick your career off…

APPRENTICESHIPS

As you can see, there are a lot of choices to make regarding this sector. It’s one of those careers where you specialise and stay on a particular path, so make sure you choose the right job for you. Here are the frameworks you can expect to see in this industry and all Apprenticeships result in a Level 2 BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Engineering • Engineering Construction • Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration • Industrial Applications • Marine Industry

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

These are the equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after completing the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship.

They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining valuable employment experience.

Engineers with Advanced Apprenticeships tend to progress to management a lot quicker than those without, as the skills they learn help them progress. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector and all of these will result in a Level 3 qualification such as a BTEC, a Diploma or an NVQ. Engineering • Engineering Construction • Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration • Marine Industry

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. Here are some of the relevant A-Levels for this sector: Biology • Chemistry • Design and Technology • Maths • Marine Science • Physics

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A Foundation Degree combines university lifestyle with practical, hands on work. It’s sort of like a cross between an Apprenticeship and an Honours Degree. They are often used as gateway qualifications to a full time Degree as they count towards the first two years of an Honours Degree. They usually take two years to complete and you’ll be both in the work place and on the university campus. They are available in a range of engineering subjects, including marine, aircraft and chemical.

COLLEGE COURSES

A NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE UK BASED PRODUCTION SITES

96%

OF THE WORKFORCE IS FULL-TIME

Engineering

REGIONAL FOCUS There are several great colleges in the East of England that offer qualifications in Engineering based subjects. These include the College of West Anglia, Great Yarmouth College, Lowestoft College, Dunstable College, and Peterborough Regional College. The best university in the region for Engineering is the University of East Anglia.

The East of England accounts for 9% of engineering employment in the UK and employs over 115,000 people.

The biggest engineering sub-sectors in the area are mechanical equipment, electronics, and metal products engineering.

College courses are also a great way to get into this sector. To check which colleges do courses relevant to you, head to www.careersworld.co.uk.

A higher Apprenticeship (NVQ Level 4) is also available in Engineering Technology. www.careersworld.co.uk

21

Final Open Day 14th May 2014

Your career in fashion retail starts here If you’re interested in:

Why study at the FRA?

Fashion Retail Business Buying Merchandising Visual Display & Retail Branding Store Management Garment Construction Garment Technology Graphic Design

Full-time and Short Courses are available at the FRA’s modern facilities in the centre of the West End. Learn in this inspirational environment and draw on the FRA’s extensive fashion industry contacts and business networks.

You will gain all the vital skills and experience needed to make you job ready for an exciting career in the retail industry.

www.fashionretailacademy.ac.uk

We’ve got courses to suit you.

COLOUR Black, white and red are the core colours that dominate this trend. Metallic gold and silver diffuse the colours and add more bite.

%ODFN & 3DQWRQH 6ROLG &RDWHG

& 3DQWRQH 6ROLG &RDWHG

3DQWRQH & 3DQWRQH 7&; 73; 6ROLG &RDWHG $QWKUDFLWH

& 3DQWRQH 6ROLG &RDWHG

& 3DQWRQH 6ROLG &RDWHG

& 3DQWRQH & 3DQWRQH 3DQWRQH 3OXV 0HWDOOLF 3OXV 0HWDOOLF 7&; 73; %ULJKW &RDWHG &RDWHG :KLWH

THE REAL WORLD Freya Hopkins Level 3 in Art & Design, Fashion Clothing I really wanted to come to the FRA, it was the only course I had seen in the area that offered exactly what I wanted: fashion design, creating garments, as well as retail and marketing.

I have learnt a wide variety of skills through my course. In retail terms, I am sure that having the FRA on my CV was the main reason that I secured a job at River Island as a Production Assistant.

I have had lots of great experiences during my time at the FRA, from visits to Selfridges, to exhibitions at the V&A and Somerset House. One of my most memorable experiences would have to be attending a focus group at Arcadia Head Office, discussing the X Factor with Sir Philip Green, Gary Barlow, and a handful of FRA students and Topshop employees.

Retail Shopping is awesome. We as a country always have an excuse to go and spend our money and this sector provides a varied range of career choices if you fancy turning your shopping experience into your career.

The Fashion Retail Academy is a real hub for creative minds which is situated in the centre of an inspiring and creative city. They give you the confidence to continue into a career in fashion after you finish the course.

You ask us...

WHAT IS RETAIL ALL ABOUT?

Retail is all about selling stuff to people – the better it looks, the more cash people will spend on it. It’s competitive and challenging and you can expect to be tested on a fair few levels, so make sure you have the ambition to succeed.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

You’ll start off on somewhere between £11,000 to £16,000, which might not sound a lot but you have to factor in staff discounts in-store and flexible working hours. You can also advance pretty quickly and managers of large stores earn over £40,000, plus bonuses such as company cars, holidays, travelling and all the other awesome stuff.

The facilities at the FRA were really good.

Our pattern cutting and sewing room included industrial sewing machines, overlockers, and steam irons. We had everything we needed to make professional standard garments.

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

Over 16% of the UK companies have an active apprenticeship program and most of these employers are shops and brands you will almost certainly have heard of. There are more than 1.8 million people employed in the retail industry so employability is very high compared to other sectors.

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

Right in the middle of a city or town. The number of retail outlets in the UK now exceeds 210,000, so you won’t have to look far for work. You probably walk past them every day, so do research into what the best place to work is for you.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

There will be people everywhere, so if you have good customer service skills you’ll be fine. If you don’t, get some, because it’s essential to the shopper’s experience.

You need to be adaptable as not everyone is a happy shopper, so learn to deal with everything thrown at you, both good and bad.

Web: www.fashionretailacademy.ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

23

Retail

Careers Choices These are some of the roles you can find in this sector. Obviously day-to-day tasks will vary depending on your employer, but these roles are found across the sector:

RETAIL BUYING

If you can’t get enough of shopping, this might be the job for you because is essentially buying products for a living.

You will be responsible for selecting what merchandise your store will sell, so you will need to keep up to date on current fashions and trends. These are the people who decide what’s hot and what’s not from season to season. Salaries start out between £16,000 and £20,000 depending on your employer and you can expect to earn more as you gain more experience.

STORE OPERATIONS

You’ll be right in the action here; you’ll be serving customers and helping the store run smoothly. It’s down to you to make the overall shopping experience better for people so it helps to have good knowledge of what you are selling (you can’t just blag it, you will get found out.). You’re looking at a starting salary of £11,000 to £15,000 depending on your employer, but this is a sector where progression is matched by ambition and you will find yourself quickly climbing up the ladder.

24

VISUAL MERCHANDISING

If you have a knack for eye catching fashion displays then this will ‘suit’ you down to the ground (see what I did there?). You will be responsible for arranging the displays in windows so that passersby will be drawn into the store. But it doesn’t stop there; the mannequins and stand layouts inside will also be arranged according to your design, so that the customers are getting a good experience and therefore buying stuff.

Salaries start out at between £12,000 and £16,000 a year.

MANAGEMENT

If you have a talent for leadership and motivation then you would make for a great manager. It will be down to you to organise your staff so that everything runs smoothly, from the shop floor to the warehouse and deliveries. Store managers usually start out on £16,000 to £20,000, while area managers or managers of huge stores can earn in excess of £40,000 a year – this is usually accompanied with perks such as longer holidays and company cars.

www.careersworld.co.uk

1 IN 10 PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN RETAIL

Where to begin If you like the idea of working in this sector, read on to find out how you can get started.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Over 30,000 people started in Level 2 and 3 Retail Apprenticeships in 2012 and that number is expected to increase this year. In this sector in particular employers like to teach you while you work and you’ll find yourself taking in a lot very quickly.

The Level 2 award will take the form of a diploma, a BTEC or an NVQ. Some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks and associated roles you might see are: Retail (General) • Retail Specialist

A-LEVELS

A –levels are a good pathway to university, but they are also qualifications that employers like to see. There aren’t any A-levels that are directly linked to retail, but some that might help you are listed below.

Business Studies • Maths • IT • English

EMPLOYER FUNDED STUDY

A lot of the bigger chains such as Sainsbury’s, B&Q, Tesco and Marks and Spencer have special training schemes for their employees. These more often than not have an option for management so you ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS Just like a regular Apprenticeship, you will know there’s an opportunity to go far! Entry be learning and working at the same time. levels vary, so it’s best to check the brands The Retail Apprenticeship continues to website for more information.

Level 3, again resulting in a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Here are some of the job roles: Sales Professional • Visual Merchandising • Retail Management

JUST 10 RETAILERS EMPLOY AROUND

1/3

OF ALL THOSE WHO WORK IN RETAIL

UK RETAIL HAS AN ANNUAL TURNOVER OF

£321 BILLION

Retail

REGIONAL FOCUS About 20% of jobs in the East of England are involved in the retail sector, that’s the highest of any region in the UK! Out of everywhere in the region, Thurrock employs the most retail employees. This is because of the Lakeside Shopping centre, which is a fantastic place to look for a job in retail as it is one of the biggest shopping villages in the UK. Lakeside has its very own recruitment service, C&C Recruitment, which can help you find a career in one of over 250 stores!

FOUNDATION DEGREES

Foundation Degrees are a great way to get an employer respected qualification while still working in your job. They are university level qualifications and are the equivalent of the first two years of an honours degree.

These take two years to complete and if you want, you can extend your qualification to a full Honours degree when you finish. www.careersworld.co.uk

25

think social care “Knowing that I can make people happier is the most satisfying part of my job” There are a huge range of jobs available in adult social care, such as...

front line care workers, therapists, activity organisers, managers, administration…

How do I g adult soc et into ial care?

There’s more to social care than you might think – every day is different.

You might be helping people to socialise with friends, go shopping or even go on holiday.

One of th e best ways to get into t he sector is through an Apprenti ceship.

Earn whil e you lea rn.

Gain qua lifications .

Become a confide nt and skille d worker.

For more information about adult social care Apprenticeships:

www.skillsforcare.org.uk/apprenticeships or email: info@skillsforcare.org.uk

THE REAL WORLD Ollie, Oaklands Community Care Ollie left school at the age of sixteen and was unclear about which career path he wanted to take.

Health & Social Care

Then he heard about an Apprenticeship at Oaklands Community Care, who deliver care and support services to people with learning disabilities and mental health issues. Ollie felt this might be the career for him as he already had experience within his family of the positive impact supported care can have.

Everybody gets sick at some point, it’s just the way it goes. To help us get better, we need the very best in doctors, nurses, dentists and other medical staff. It could be a strong bout of man flu or a bump on the head from falling down the stairs; whatever it is, these guys have got you covered. If you want to be on the side that saves and improves lives, then you’ve chosen wisely!

You ask us...

WHAT’S THE HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

If you couldn’t have guessed by the name, it’s about helping people who have fallen ill, hurt themselves or have problems at home. The medical side of this industry is vast; doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists, dentists, psychiatrists and many more roles help keep this country in top working order. The Social Care side helps people with more domestic issues, like fostering children, working with people with learning disabilities and helping families deal with issues.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

The average starting salary in this sector is around £13,000, but will quickly increase as you become more experienced and qualified (this is especially the case with nurses). A fully qualified nurse will earn upwards of £27,000 and doctors can earn anywhere between £38,000 and £63,000 depending on their speciality. Social workers usually start on £19,000 but can easily be on £35,000 when they become fully qualified and experienced.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

responsibility are rather large, so you might need to travel a lot. A more of a medical environment awaits those in the Health sector; healthcare assistants can work anywhere from A&E to maternity, whereas doctors and nurses might be based in local surgeries or in hospitals.

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

As you can imagine, this is a huge sector in the UK. There are more than 1.52 million healthcare workers and over 1.56 million social care workers in this country, so it’ll come as no surprise that the UK National Health Service (NHS) is the largest employer in all of Europe!

At Oaklands he was treated like a member of the team from the outset. Initially he began shadowing project workers, getting to know service users and taking on his own responsibilities. All this support helped Ollie gain confidence.

Every day is different for Ollie. His tasks are varied and can include escorting service users to medical appointments, helping them to shop and cook, or just offering emotional support over a cup of tea.

Ollie works with a wide selection of adults with varying needs across a range of different age groups. He feels a sense of achievement every day, helping vulnerable adults back into the community and supporting their needs.

After school, Ollie didn’t think that he would be studying again, but it is clear to him now that being an apprentice is the ideal work-based route to a long term career, supported by on-going work training.

Ollie said: “I would definitely recommend the Apprenticeship programme to those who want to gain experience in care whilst training and studying. It’s a brilliant programme and the training is second to none.”

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

Every town or city has a hospital. If it didn’t, people would get very stuck very quickly.

Doctor’s surgeries can be found in smaller towns and villages, with some surgeries covering more than one village if the area isn’t particularly built up. Social Workers work closely with the local authorities helping people in that particular area, but you do also get private firms which cover larger areas of the UK.

Web: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/apprentice Email: info@skillsforcare.org.uk

This depends on which area of the health sector you go into. If you work in Social Care, you will be out and about helping people in your remit. Some areas of www.careersworld.co.uk

27

Health & Social Care

Careers Choices Keeping people healthy has never been more important; we’re always looking for ways to protect ourselves from disease, improve our wellbeing or just lose a couple of pounds for the summer season. This sector covers everything from physical medicine and therapies to more specialised areas like psychiatry, fostering and child care.

The Healthcare sector is huge; there are so many job roles that keep this industry ticking that we couldn’t possibly list them all. We just couldn’t. What we can do is show you the most popular areas that people go into and which job roles you might encounter when in that area.

ADULT SOCIAL CARE

Caring for adults is all about helping people who want to go out and live life, but for varying reasons couldn’t do it by themselves.

It’s not about being a form of babysitter; it’s about helping people live their lives with dignity and independence. Some people are full time carers for family members, or look after several people during the course of their week. Salaries vary depending on your role and, perhaps more poignantly, when in the week you work. Night shifts, bank holidays and weeks usually pay much more than regular working hours, but normal starting salaries are around £13,000.

ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS

This covers some of the more specialised career paths within the health sector; radiographers, therapists, dieticians, psychologists and optometrists all come under this section. Your average starting salary is around £17,000 – £21,000 and will increase as you progress in your field.

CHILDCARE

Children require plenty of care; if left unattended they can draw on themselves, drink paint, catch fire and fall victim to any number of problems. Childcare is all about making sure children are looked after in a safe, friendly and fun environment; the variables of this are dictated by the age of the children you are caring for. Your day might involve planning activities, providing meals, monitoring playtimes and leading basic educational sessions.

You can expect to start on around £10,000, but after experience you can earn more and push on for a managerial role, which can earn you upwards of £22,000.

28

DENTAL

Going to the dentist isn’t everybody’s favourite thing to do, but dental hygiene is very important to our overall health. The human mouth acts as a gateway to the rest of our body, so if it’s not working properly, then our body won’t act properly either.

The dental industry is a highly skilled trade to be in, so therefore you need to have good attention to detail and a good, reassuring nature (not to mention a steady hand!).

Dental nurse salaries start out at around £16,000, where as fully qualified dentists can earn upwards of £30,000 in their first year.

HEALTHCARE SCIENCE

Medicines, vaccines and other medical related chemicals are all created in a laboratory somewhere by our top healthcare scientists. This is less about surgery and patients and more about working in a lab with chemicals and data, which can be exciting if you enjoy chemistry. This also covers the pharmacists you get medicine from; they are responsible for choosing the right amounts of the right medicines that are prescribed by the doctors. Most starting salaries in this area are around £21,000 and will increase with experience.

HEALTH INFORMATION

Researchers, analysts, IT professionals… the list of people required to store the vast amount of health information is huge.

These individuals are responsible for keeping a record of literally everything that goes on in the hospital, from prescriptions and surgeries to patient records and medical histories. A hospital without health information would be absolute chaos; this is for those who want to work in a medical environment but don’t want to do anything science related. Your salary depends on your role, but it will usually start at around £15,000, at the top end of the ladder you could expect to earn over double that.

www.careersworld.co.uk

NURSING & MIDWIFERY

Nurses assist doctors with complicated procedures, while also tending to the needs of the patients. In some situations, patients will be referred to nurses for simple surgical procedures or for blood sample collection.

So it goes without saying that with all this patient interaction you’ll need to be smiley and approachable so that people feel safe letting you poke and prod them. Midwives are responsible for patients who are about to have (or have just had) babies. This involves both the patient’s and the baby’s well being, so if you love being around babies, this is definitely the career for you. Salaries usually start between £15,000 and £20,000, but can rise to £30,000 and beyond.

SOCIAL CARE

Social workers work closely with young people and families helping with various issues such as behaviour, parenting, education and fostering. They also work with people just released from prison, helping them integrate into society. You might be working in hospitals, prisons or anywhere in the local community. Salaries can range from £19,000 to £22,000 when you start out, but most qualified social workers are on £32,000 and over.

WIDER HEALTHCARE

As with the Health Information team, the hospital wouldn’t run without the various caterers, porters, maintenance staff, gardeners and cleaners. Hospitals have to be kept clean to avoid infection spreading; many cleaning staff undertake courses to become sterilising specialists who clean down rooms and equipment. Salaries start out at around £12,000 and will increase with experience and added responsibility.

THIS SECTOR EMPLOYS OVER

2 MILLION PEOPLE

THE HEALTH SECTOR IS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE UK

OVER

1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WORK FOR THE NHS

Where to begin If you think this is the sector for you, read on to learn more about how you can kick your career off…

APPRENTICESHIPS

If you are aged 16 and over you could enter an Apprenticeship, which would teach you the skills you need while you work and earn a salary. You’ll spend half your time in the classroom and half out on the job. Listed below are the apprenticeship frameworks for this sector, which when completed will give you a Level 2 qualification in the form of a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ: Health and Social Care • Health (Pharmacy Services) • Health (Informatics) • Health (Healthcare Support Services)

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

These are the equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after completing the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship.

They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining valuable employment experience. People with Advanced Apprenticeships tend to progress up the ladder a lot quicker than those without, as the skills they learn are more suited to management and supervisory roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector and all of these will result in a Level 3 qualification such as a BTEC, a Diploma or an NVQ. Health and Social Care • Health (Allied Health Profession Support) • Health (Clinical Healthcare Support) • Health (Dental Nursing) • Health (Healthcare Support Services) • Health (Maternity and Paediatric Support)

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers.

They will be useful to getting into this sector, especially science based qualifications.

Here are the relevant A-Levels for this sector.

Physics • Biology • Chemistry • Health and Social Care • IT • English

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A Foundation Degree combines university lifestyle with practical, hands on work. It’s sort of like a cross between an Apprenticeship and an Honours Degree. They are often used as gateway qualifications to a full time Degree as they count towards the first two years of an Honours Degree. They usually take two years to complete and you’ll be both in the work place and on the university campus. There are a wide range of Foundation Degrees available for this sector, such as Health and Social Care and Nursing.

Health & Social Care

REGIONAL FOCUS Health and Social Care is one of the biggest areas of employment in the East of England. The mortality rates in the region are much lower than the UK average, and the life expectancy at birth for both girls and boys is higher than most other regions. This means that people live longer and are healthier. Because of the older population, there have to be provisions put in place for care for the elderly, which means there will be lots of work in care-homes and hospices in this region.

COLLEGE COURSES

A college course is another way to get into this sector. For more information, check out www.careersworld.co.uk

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Vocational qualifications, such as BTECS and NVQs, are a great way to get straight into the specific areas of this industry that wouldn’t be covered by other qualifications.

www.careersworld.co.uk

29

open day saturday 28 june 11am-3pm www.ca

Cambridge Regional College

to preregister m visit:

n -d a y

first for training & skills

It’s not too late to apply for this September!

great careers start here Cambridge Regional College, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2QT Tel: 01223 418200 l Email: enquiry@camre.ac.uk

www.camre.ac.uk

find us on...

pe

· great range of full-time courses · largest provider of Apprenticeship o re. / k ac.u programmes in the region · low cost, high value Higher Education programme

THE REAL WORLD Construction at Cambridge Regional College Cambridge Regional College is leading the way in training students for careers in construction and engineering, with a new £3 million construction centre and a multimillion pound development of industrystandard engineering facilities.

Construction Ever wondered how they built some of the most iconic buildings of our time? Perhaps you think Big Ben isn’t big enough, or that The Leaning Tower of Pisa is just a bit rubbish; if you think you can make a difference to the buildings we see, then the Construction industry is for you.

You ask us...

WHAT’S THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

crane at 150ft! Most of these job roles require working with heavy machinery so you’ll need some specialist training, just in Construction is a broad term for all things case you end up driving a cement mixer building related. It doesn’t just cover bricks, onto the motorway. Or accidentally building tiles and pipes; you’ll find a whole host of an office block on top of a graveyard. job roles that use skills such as problem solving, design and leadership. You could HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO be planning a development project for a rundown area, installing plumbing systems OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY? or even supervising a team working on a Construction is one of the country’s largest skyscraper! sectors; it employs over 2.35 million people, which equates to around 8% of the WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT UK workforce. Due to the self employed nature of this industry, a whopping 92% of TO EARN? organisations employ less than 10 people, The starting salaries in construction are meaning employment in private companies pretty high; most practical job roles start out is becoming harder to find. at around £16,000. Jobs in areas such as civil engineering and surveying tend to start WHERE IS THE WORK MOST out with a salary of around £15,000, but fully qualified professionals can earn in excess of CONCENTRATED? £40,000. It’s also worth noting that almost Unlike other industries, construction isn’t a third of this industry is self employed; this usually fixed to one place; you’ll have to go means you set your own schedule and where the work is. The company you work prices. It could also mean getting up on a for will have a catchment area which you Monday morning would just be for a slice of will work in; obviously larger companies will toast and a cup of tea. be able to cover larger geographical areas.

Domestic construction, which includes WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD improvements, repairs and the building of housing, usually takes place wherever the I BE WORKING IN? client lives. New housing projects usually A construction environment isn’t always spring up on the outskirts of towns and just a building site; you could be in a design villages, whereas larger buildings such as studio planning out the structure of the office blocks and commercial retail areas building, or working underground checking are usually built on out of town business and on the maintenance of the gas and water retail parks. pipes. Heck, you could be operating a www.careersworld.co.uk

With the UK’s construction sector reporting rapid growth, the college is investing in the best facilities possible to provide up to date training for students who are keen on finding a career in the industry, from plumbing and wood trades, to brickwork and plastering.

Purpose-built workshops fitted with the latest equipment, and lecturers who are specialists in their field allow students and apprentices to learn the essential skills for a great career, with an added emphasis on employability and entrepreneurial skills.

Mick Jones, deputy head of construction at Cambridge Regional College, said: “Our fantastic new facilities are giving students real industry-level experience as they train in some of the best-equipped workshops in the country. The standard of our lecturers and facilities gives students a head start when they take their first steps on the career ladder.

“We put a big emphasis on preparing learners for the future, and a large part of that is making sure they are trained to a high level and develop strong employability and communication skills – all the essentials that employers want.”

For more information on all courses at Cambridge Regional College, see www.camre.ac.uk or ring 01223 226315 to talk to an adviser.

31

Construction

Careers Choices Were you a dab hand with Lego as a kid? Every structure you see, from your local corner shop to towering skyscrapers in the big cities, is a result of the Construction industry. This sector generates billions of pounds a year for the economy and has a diverse range of careers and roles to choose from.

Whether you prefer working with tools outdoors on a site, in an office designing buildings or installing facilities in people’s homes, there’s a career for everyone in this industry. There is an emphasis on teamwork, so if you enjoy working with others then this could be the career for you. And if not, you can work in your own office giving plans and directions to others!

Here are some of the more popular trades you can choose; we couldn’t possibly print them all, there are far too many!

PAINTING & DECORATING

It’s not as difficult as your parents make it look! Painters and decorators can work in a variety of places on a wide range of projects, from wallpapering a bedroom to painting a hospital exterior. Salaries vary depending on experience, but senior supervisors can well over £30,000.

BRICKLAYING

A popular choice for people who like to work with their hands, Bricklaying involves building, repairing and demolishing walls using a variety of techniques, it isn’t just staring at a brick wall. Salaries usually start at around £17,000, but rise with experience.

PLUMBING

Remember Super Mario? This is how he got started. You might not end up having a day like him, but your work will be just as varied; you could be repairing a broken pipeline, or installing a completely new system to your own design. Don’t be afraid to get a little wet in this line of work! Salaries usually range from £17,000 for newly qualified plumbers to £35,000 with progression.

SCAFFOLDING

Creating a safe working environment is a priority in any career and scaffolders provide this on a range of projects, from simple building sites to towering office blocks. You will be building platforms for the construction crew to work on and can expect to earn CIVIL ENGINEERING Civil Engineers design a whole range of between £17,000 and £26,000. structures, such as bridges, pipelines and railways as well as drawing up plans for new CARPENTRY & JOINERY buildings. You will work both in an office Wood. It’s all over the place. It’s the job of and on site so be prepared for a varied day! Carpenters and Joiners to take it and turn Salaries can be upwards of £36,000 with it into a useful product for widespread use. progression.

You could be carving an ornate staircase in a hotel, or building a roof support for a mansion. With experience you can expect to earn more than £30,000.

32

www.careersworld.co.uk

PLASTERING

Plastering is now considered a specialist skill within this trade; from simple walls to extravagant statues, you will be creating something important wherever you work.

You can expect to earn between £17,000 and £28,000 in this line of work.

SURVEYING

Surveyors are like teachers; they point out flaws in work and then tell you how to improve it. Or, they tell you to destroy it completely.

There are so many roles in the field of Surveying, such as Cartography (that’s map making to you and me), improving run down areas of cities, developing land for future building work and so much more. Like the roles, the salary varies depending on what you specialise in, but a trainee surveyor can expect to start on £15,000 and earn up to £60,000+ in some fields.

92%

OF ORGANISATIONS IN THIS SECTOR EMPLOY LESS THAN 10 PEOPLE

55%

ARE EMPLOYED IN MANUAL OCCUPATIONS

37% ARE SELFEMPLOYED

Where to begin If this is the field for you, then read on to find out how you can get started.

APPRENTICESHIPS

This where most people in the industry start out. An apprenticeship allows you to learn you trade while also being paid a salary.

There are many employers out there who provide apprenticeship schemes; to get an idea of who’s out there, head to websites on our ‘Useful Links’ page. Below you will find the Apprenticeships frameworks relevant to this industry, which will give you an idea of what you’ll be able to choose from. All these frameworks result in a Level 2 qualification, such as NVQ’s BTEC’s or Diplomas, are the equivalent of 5 GCSE passes and takes two years to complete.

Construction Building • Construction Technical, Supervision and Management • Construction Civil Engineering • Construction Specialist

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

This is the equivalent of two A levels, but without sitting in a classroom studying.

Like a regular Apprenticeship, it’s suited to more practical fields of work. Advanced Apprenticeships in construction only take a year and on completion you will receive a Level 3 Qualification, again either a BTEC, an NVQ or a Diploma.

Construction Building • Construction Technical, Supervision and Management • Construction Civil Engineering • Construction Specialist

COLLEGE COURSES

A college course is another way into this sector. To see if there are any colleges near you with relevant courses check out www.careersworld.co.uk

A-LEVELS

A-Levels might not sound relevant to this field of work, but employers and universities both like candidates with scientific and practical subjects. Examples of A-Levels you can study are listed below: Physics • Chemistry • Graphic Design • Technology • Electronics • Maths • Geography

FOUNDATION DEGREES

Construction

REGIONAL FOCUS The construction sector is not huge in the East of England, but it still contributes more than in other regions in the country, so there are definitely opportunities for a successful career. The East of England is one of only two regions in the UK that is expected to see a rise in employment levels every year until 2017, which is a big deal for school leavers looking for a construction career!

The sub-sector expected to be the most successful is construction for the industrial industry.

If you feel like you want to experience the university lifestyle and perhaps break away from those troublesome parents, then a Foundation Degree is a way of getting there.

They usually last two years (this does tend to vary depending on your choice of course) and mix study with practical learning. These courses are available across the country and might give you the opportunity to live away from home and give you more independence – you’ll get to choose your own bed time and everything.

www.careersworld.co.uk

33

TURN YOUR PASSION FOR SPORT INTO YOUR FUTURE Looking for a career in the sports industry?

We have a course for you!

Writtle College, a partner of the University of Essex, offers college-level and degree-level sports courses.

• BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Performance • Level 3 Extended National Diploma (Development, Coaching and Fitness) • Level 3 Extended National Diploma (Outdoor Adventure) • Level 2 Diploma in Sport • Work-based Diploma in Sport Come along to one of our Open Days or Information Events by going to www.writtle.ac.uk E: info@writtle.ac.uk T: 01245 424200

writtlecollege @WrittleCollege WrittleCollege1 +WrittleCollege

THE REAL WORLD New sports lab at Writtle College A new sports laboratory for practicals, research, and the testing of elite and recreational athletes has opened at Writtle College. The lab has been upgraded and moved to the Rural Business Centre on the Writtle College Lordship Campus.

The centre boasts two treadmills, three bike ergometers, a road bike fitted with a set of SRM power cranks, a rowing machine, and an arm crank ergometer.

Sport & Fitness Keeping fit is very important nowadays; the time of extra Yorkshire puddings and chips are gone! People are more keen to get and stay in shape and this sector is all about helping people do just that.

You ask us...

WHAT’S THE SPORT AND FITNESS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

It’s more than just working out at the gym; this sector also includes coaching people in various sports, running outdoor activities such as kayaking, rock climbing and gliding and of course there are the roles that support sports centres, gyms and activity areas.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

Sport and Fitness is a popular sector to work in and it employs 663,000 people across the country, which accounts for 2% of the total UK workforce. Over 4 million people are subscribed to some sort of fitness or gym program, so there will never be a shortage of people to help. The one downside to this is the cost and some people see it as a luxury they cannot afford.

Perhaps this is something you can change for the better!

The starting salaries vary according to the role you will play, but they tend to range from WHERE IS THE WORK MOST £12,000 to £15,000 and can be upwards CONCENTRATED? of £25,000 with experience. For example, a fully qualified Fitness Instructor can earn You’ll find gyms all over the place although some of the private ones can be found over £32,000 a year. attached to spas and hotels and can be in middle of nowhere. The bigger chains WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD the can be found in towns and city centres I BE WORKING IN? along with council run sports centres.

Again, this depends on your role. If you are Outdoor activity centres are usually found in working in fitness, then you are likely to be the countryside, but also look out for places in a gym or sports centre. Outdoor activities by the sea and in forested areas. can take you to rivers, cliff faces, mountains, oceans and ski slopes, so be prepared to fill your wardrobe with clothing to suit the occasion! www.careersworld.co.uk

Physiological assessments such as lactate analysis, oxygen consumption (VO2) and gaseous exchange, power output, electromyography (EMG), red blood cell count, heart rate, and hydration status can all be undertaken as can body compositional analysis including skinfold caliper measurements, bioelectrical impedance and somatotyping.

Greg Deacon, Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Performance, said: “The new sports lab provides a valued space for the teaching of full sports science practical sessions, for dissertation research, and for modular student-led practical-based assignments.

“This facility also opens up the possibility of testing elite and recreational athletes wishing to understand their fitness status, plan training more effectively, set heart rate zones and monitor improvements to their training. Elite coaches and athletes understand that training at the right intensity and monitoring performance is essential if they want to reach peak performance.

The new sports laboratory will provide the opportunity for professional performance testing conducted by experienced sports scientists to be undertaken on an extensive range of equipment in order to take the athlete to the next level.”

Find out about the sports courses available at Writtle College by going to www.writtle.ac.uk

35

Sport & Fitness

Careers Choices You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to work in this sector (but it probably helps to be a little fit) and there are many more roles than people think. This industry also covers outdoor activities, play work (with young children and toddlers), coaching in the community and the operation of gyms and sport centres. Here are some of the areas within this industry you could go into:

PERSONAL TRAINING

People hire Personal Trainers (or PT’s as they are commonly known) so they can have one on one training sessions tailored to suit their needs. You’ll need a wide knowledge of physiology and the body so that you can cover all possible areas that a person might ask for. As well as just training them, you will be giving them nutritional advice and therapies such as warm downs, stretches and massages to help the client relax after a workout.

COACHING

Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Martin Johnson and the like all started out as coaches before they became successful managers. Coaching is all about using your skills and knowledge to guide others as they start out their sports careers and this could be coaching at grassroots level with an U9’s basketball team, right up to working for the big sports clubs in England.

36

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

There are a whole host of outdoor pursuits that you can work with. Sports such as White Water Rafting, Paintballing, GoKarting, Zip-Lining, Abseiling and Caving all require instructors and supervisors to ensure everybody has a safe and enjoyable time. Instructors can also coach people who are interested in making a career out of their sport.

SPECTATOR SUPPORT

Every professional sports match requires stewards to maintain health and safety, help people with queries and act in case of an emergency. NVQs are available in spectator safety, where you’ll learn skills such as conflict management, first aid and dealing with emergencies.

www.careersworld.co.uk

OPERATIONS

The operations section of Sport and Fitness is important; it’s all about the day to day running of a centre, gym or facility.

Whether that’s maintaining the equipment, keeping everything clean and hygienic, taking bookings and sorting memberships or managing the whole place, this sector wouldn’t run without responsible, organised people behind the scenes.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

Salaries start out between £12,000 and can rise to £25,000 as you gain experience.

Gym Managers can earn upwards of £35,000.

51,500

PEOPLE WORK IN THE HEALTH & FITNESS INDUSTRY THERE ARE OVER 3,100 PRIVATE FITNESS FACILITIES IN THE UK WITH 4.4 MILLION MEMBERS THERE ARE JUST UNDER

2,600

PUBLIC HEALTH & FITNESS FACILITIES

Where to begin If you think this is the sector for you, read on to learn more about how you can kick your career off…

APPRENTICESHIPS

With over 48,000 different companies in this sector, an Apprenticeship might be the easier route to take to get into a very tough sector. Competition for places in this industry is super high, so having one foot in the door and earning as you learn could be a great way to go. Here are the frameworks you can expect to see in this industry and all Apprenticeships result in a Level 2 BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Leisure Operations • Coaching • Instructing Exercise and Fitness • Activity Leadership

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. Here are some of the relevant A-Levels for this sector: P.E. • Sports Studies • Biology

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A Foundation Degree combines university lifestyle with practical, hands on work. It’s sort of like a cross between an Apprenticeship and an Honours Degree. They are often used as gateway qualifications to a full time Degree as they count towards the first two years of an Honours Degree. They usually take two years to complete and you’ll be ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS These are the equivalent to A-Levels and both in the work place and on the university Example degrees include can usually be joined after completing the campus. associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. Physiology, Nutrition and Sports Studies.

They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining COLLEGE COURSES valuable employment experience. Here are College courses are also a great way to some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks get into this sector and many colleges do for this sector and all of these will result in sporting and fitness courses. To check a Level 3 qualification such as a BTEC, a which colleges do these courses, head to Diploma or an NVQ. www.careersworld.co.uk.

Sporting Excellence • Sports Development • Leisure Management www.careersworld.co.uk

Sport & Fitness

REGIONAL FOCUS The University of Cambridge is known for its excellent sporting heritage and has a fantastic sports scene.

The boat race between the Oxford and Cambridge university rowing teams is famed across the world. The University of East Anglia is in the top 20 universities in the country for Sports Science and can be a great place to start your sporting career.

Rugby is a big deal in the East of England, with Eastern Counties Rugby Union governing rugby throughout Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

37

HORTICULTU

LANDBASED TRAINING DID YOU KNOW? 87% OF FORMER STUDENTS SURVEYED ARE NOW IN HIGHER EDUCATION OR EMPLOYMENT (NOVEMBER 2013)

CAREERS

COURSES

VOCATIONAL

CH

STU

START

APPLY NOW FOR COURSES STARTING SEPTEMBER 2014

AGRIC

VISIT US AT OUR NEXT INFORMATION DAY

 

EASTON CAMPUS - Saturday 26th April 10am to 2pm OTLEY CAMPUS - Saturday 26th April 9am to 1pm

EASTON CAMPUS | EASTON | NORWICH | NORFOLK | NR9 5DX OTLEY CAMPUS | OTLEY | IPSWICH | SUFFOLK | IP6 9EY

 01603 731200 / 01473 785543 

INFO@EASTONOTLEY.AC.UK



WWW.EASTONOTLEY.AC.UK

Your Career,

Your Choice.

We couldn’t possibly print an article for every sector; we’d have to change the name to ‘Careers World Textbook’! But, we also understand that the five sectors covered on the previous pages might not be to your tastes. Not to worry! Below are the other sectors we cover, which we will detail more in upcoming issues.

You’ll also find some example job roles, expected starting salaries and the qualifications you can study to get into the sector to give you an idea of what to expect from each sector.

AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL CARE

We depend on this sector a lot more than most beautiful locations, or as a vet looking after most people think; most of our food comes household pets. from agriculture and with a growing number of people taking pets on, there is a demand for Example Job Roles: Ranger • Veterinary skilled veterinary staff to take care of them. Assistant • Farm Worker • Landscape Agriculture is a very broad term for working Technician outdoors. It’s commonly mistaken for farming, Salaries: Starting salaries are usually which while a large part of this sector, is not the around the £13,000 mark. be all and end all. Forests, rivers, mountains Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level and national parks all need looking after; not 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation to mention the animals that reside within them! Degrees (university is the best way into You might find yourself working as a park ranger, veterinary linked job roles) helping conserve the plants and animals in our

ARMED FORCES & EMERGENCY SERVICES

We rely on our emergency services when things go wrong and they are a vital part of our day to day lives. From the police who patrol our streets to the paramedics who save lives, this sector is all about helping people in the community.

Of course, serving in the armed forces means protecting the country and providing international aid to other nations. Whether you are based abroad or in the UK, you’ll be working as part of a team in a variety of situations, some of which will take place in hostile environments so a cool head is a good trait to have!

Example Job Roles: Paramedic • Police Officer • Fire Fighter • Coastguard • Soldier • Fighter Pilot • Navy Cadet • Royal Marine Salaries: Military salaries usually start at around £13,000, while emergency services salaries are usually around £19,000.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3 – HM Forces run their own apprenticeship schemes) • College Courses (such as police studies) • A-Levels (useful for officer training)

AUTOMOTIVE

If you know your spark plugs from your spare and problem solving mentality, but this sector is tyres, then you’ll probably have a future in the generally favoured by those who enjoy working automotive industry. This sector covers the with their hands. maintenance of any vehicle with an engine, from cars and motorcycles to more complex Example Job Roles: Mechanic • Vehicle systems such as combine harvesters and Service Technician • Panel/Paint Technician luxury coaches. You could find yourself working Salaries: Salaries in this sector tend to start in a garage fixing up customer’s vehicles, or at around £13,000 a year. in a workshop specialising in things like body Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 work, paint and windscreen repair. You could and 3 – this is the most popular route into also work in one of the main car dealerships, this sector) • College Courses • Foundation diagnosing and repairing cars and offering Degrees • HNDs advice to customers. You’ll need an analytical www.careersworld.co.uk

39

BUSINESS & CUSTOMER SERVICE

If you’ve got a good eye for making a bit of dough, then you might be a natural business guru! Business is all about the money; how to invest it wisely, how to hang onto the money you already have and of course, how to make more of it. Good customer service ensures that customers become regular users of the business and that new clients can be attracted. It’s not just answering the phone; there are jobs in areas such as public relations, networking and social media. If you’ve got a friendly demeanour, a nice smile and good conversational skills, you’d be well suited to a job in customer service!

Example Job Roles: PR Officer • Business Consultant • Personal Assistant • Human Resources Officer • Management/Team Leader Salaries: Starting salaries in business are generally quite high, usually starting around £17,000. Customer service salaries start at around £12,000.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees • A-Levels (Business Studies and IT are useful)

CREATIVE, MEDIA & THE ARTS

What do television, theatre, radio, the music business, cinema, cartoons, the internet and art galleries have in common? They all have related job roles within this sector! The underlying theme of this sector is obviously entertainment; from witty comedy panel shows to historic paintings, there are job roles to suit every type of creative out there! You could be doing makeup, scouting for locations, designing sets and graphics or even presenting your own show! If you have a bubbly, confident personality, then this sector could be for you!

Example Job Roles: Radio Broadcast Assistant • Wardrobe Assistant • Location Scout • Camera Crew • Lighting/Rigging • Animator • Curator • Art Restorer Salaries: Starting salaries in the creative sector tend to start out around the £13,000 mark.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (English, Art, Photography and Graphic Design are all good to have) • College Courses • Foundation Degree

EDUCATION & EARLY YEARS

As a person between the ages of 14-19, you’ve probably spent the better part of your life so far in school. So, why consider being a teacher?

Well, it’s a very rewarding career to have, as you’re helping the next generation of people through some important (and tricky) times. This sector also covers play work and early years, namely, working with toddlers and very young children. This could be through a nursery, preschool or a day care/activity centre. Whichever age group you choose to work with, you’ll need a caring, helpful and patient personality.

Example Job Roles: Teaching Assistant • Nursery Nurse • Playworker • Play Centre Assistant Salaries: Salaries usually start at around £12,000 a year.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (English is great for all job roles in this sector, but if you want to go into full time teaching, you’ll need to study the subject you want to teach!) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees (You’ll need a teaching qualification to teach full time)

ENERGY & RENEWABLES

Traditionally, our energy came from burning This sector offers job roles in a wide variety of fossil fuels, which were pretty harmful to the areas, such as plant maintenance, recycling atmosphere. But, being a smart, proactive operations and nuclear working. species, we’ve adapted our energy sources to make the most of our environment. Now, Example Job Roles: Recycling Operator • we can generate power via wind turbines, Plant Technician • Radiation Monitor geothermal reactors, tidal generators and solar Salaries: Starting salaries in this sector are panels. We also have nuclear power, which quite high, starting at around £17,000. might not sound environmentally friendly, but it Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 generates a lot of energy and is relatively cheap and 3) • A-Levels (Sciences are useful here) to run. The government has also invested a • College Courses • Foundation Degrees lot of money in recycling our household waste and goods, in a bid to keep our country clean.

FINANCE & LAW

Both of these are vital to how our country runs; finance is all about working with money, while law covers everything from the justice system to working in a courtroom. With finance, you might find yourself working in a bank serving customers, or working personally with people providing financial advice on areas such as mortgages, loans and savings. The legal sector also has plenty of job roles that require you to work with the public, such as court clerks, paralegals and admin staff.

40

www.careersworld.co.uk

Example Job Roles: Paralegal Assistant • Finance Assistant • Payroll Clerk • Finance Advisor • Legal Administration Assistant Salaries: Expect your salary to start at around £14,000 for the legal sector, while you’ll be starting on around £11,000 in a financial role.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

HAIR & BEAUTY

In an age where getting your hair and nails done is no longer considered girly (come on guys, don’t kid yourselves), making people look and feel good has become big business. And it doesn’t stop at feeling great on the outside; this sector also covers spa therapy, which is a growing industry in the UK. You could be working in a salon styling hair, recommending a nail design or in a country retreat providing seaweed wraps; whatever you choose to do, you can be satisfied that you’ve helped give somebody a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Example Job Roles: Spa Therapist • Hairdresser • Barber • Nail Technician • Beauty Therapist Salaries: Salaries in this sector tend to start at around £13,000.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses

IT, DIGITAL & TELECOMS

Pretty much every other industry relies on IT in some way or another, so the need for people working in IT has never been greater. Computers are constantly changing and being upgraded, so this sector requires a lot of adaptability as well as a logical, problem solving way of thinking.

You could be managing a network for a large company, or providing IT support at a school.

You might even find yourself working within another sector; industries such as Logistics and Creative Media rely heavily on IT to deliver their products and services.

Example Job Roles: IT Technician • Software Developer • IT Support Staff • Telecoms Technician Salaries: Salaries start out between £14,000 and £20,000.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING

This is a sector that is, to all intents and purposes, all about making things. What that is could be anything from a microwaveable chicken curry to a car windscreen. It’s literally that diverse. Food and drink, metals, ceramics, textiles, building materials, electronics are just some of the areas you could be working in. Manufacturing is split into so many different areas and job roles that we could probably dedicate a whole magazine to it! Your work could take you from an offshore oil rig in the North Sea to a production line in a factory on home soil!

Example Job Roles: Production Line Supervisor • Extraction Operative • Pipe Fitter • Welder • Refrigeration Technician • Jewellery Technician Salaries: You can expect to start out on around £12,000, but supervisory roles tend to pay more.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (Any technology or science subjects would be useful in this sector) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

Ever wondered how that present you ordered hundreds of people. A clean driver’s licence will online makes its way to your front door? Nearly be required for any full time driving jobs. every business makes use of Logistics at some point, whether it’s ordering new parts for a Example Job Roles: Railway Operative project, sending out a new product to stores • Airport Ground Staff • Mail Service or something as simple as sending a birthday Technician • Warehouse Operative • Bus/ card. You could find yourself working at a Coach Driver port or airport, or even working oversees on a Salaries: Starting salaries in this sector are freighter. It isn’t just deliveries; this sector also around £12,000 a year. covers the public transportation industry. The Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 vast network of railways and bus routes requires and 3) • A-Levels (Geography is useful for constant upkeep and maintenance and keeping transport related job roles) • College Courses everything running on time is a job that requires • Foundation Degree

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY

Everybody needs to let their hair down from time to time and this sector allows you to work in an area dedicated to helping people have a good time. That could be here in the UK working in bars, restaurants and hotels or abroad acting as a holiday representative or a travel agent.

That’s right; you could actually go on holiday for a living! This sector is ideal for those with good people skills, as you’d be working with plenty of different people from all sorts of backgrounds.

Travel is also a great way to get out and see the world while also earning a salary!

www.careersworld.co.uk

Example Job Roles: Bar Staff • Front/Back of House Staff • Chef de Partie • Overseas Rep • Travel Representative • Cabin Crew Salaries: Starting salaries are between £11,000 and £16,000.

Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees • Industry Specific Qualifications

41

c:\Careers Hub>_

We appreciate more than anyone the importance of giving appropriate careers advice to students between the ages of 14 and 19. To help we have put together some aides, guides and FAQs to help you to make up your mind and make the changeover from pupil to employee that bit easier. Over the next few pages, we will tackle some of the common problems and concerns students face during the summer term.

The Summer Term This time of the year is arguably one of the most important for, and dreaded by, students of all ages. From 14 to 19, there are end of year reviews and final exams. Most older students will have by now decided on what route they want to take after school or college, but for others there may still be important decisions to be made.

There will no doubt be much excitement about the future, but there will inevitably be a fair amount of disappointment too, with grades not being to the required level, or not getting that dream University place. For this reason we’ve put together a guide to one of the most important processes for those who haven’t quite gotten on to the course they’ve dreamed of, Clearing. Also included is a ‘versus’ guide, to help students decide between Apprenticeships and A levels, as well as useful links for your area, to make it easier for you to get in touch with those important contacts.

CLEARING

If you haven’t got the university place that you were hoping for, and your reserves haven’t worked out either, then all is not lost. Clearing helps over 55,000 students every year find places in universities and colleges that they didn’t originally apply for.

The process is basically a way for higher education bodies to fill up any spaces that are left over from the initial application period.

It’s all done through your UCAS profile, so this is the first place to turn to if you didn’t get that much sought-after university place. There are several reasons you might need to use Clearing: You didn’t get the grades…If you didn’t meet the requirements of your conditional offers then the first thing you need to do is check UCAS. There’s often a bit of leeway and they may have still accepted you. If you are shown as conditional, then you might have to give the uni a bit of time to process you. If after a couple of days there isn’t any change then you can

Where are you heading?

109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

give them a call and they’ll let you know what’s what. You can always contact UCAS if the uni is taking too long! You will be provided with a Clearing number on your online profile if it ends up that they haven’t accepted you, and you should quote this to any universities with Clearing courses that you are interested in so they can look at your profile and decide if they want to interview or accept you.

convince you to stay, but at the end of the day they’re not going to force you to stay in a place that you don’t want to!

You applied late…Every year there are those that miss the UCAS application deadline.

Sometimes a university will tell you to apply anyway, but there’s no guarantee that you will get a place. If you applied after 15th January and you haven’t been successful in getting an offer, or you applied after 30th June, then you will be placed into Clearing automatically. You will have to complete the UCAS online application in the normal way, as well as paying the £22 fee for a degree application if you haven’t already. Your Clearing number won’t show up until after they have processed your application, but you can always do some research on what courses, unis and colleges you fancy going to while you wait.

You changed your mind…

Picking a course, as well as a university or college, is a very tough decision. You might get all the way through to the final stages of your application, even get accepted, but then decide that you were pressured into studying Maths, or you don’t fancy living in London. If you really don’t think you can cope with the course you have been accepted on then the first thing you need to do is ring up the university or college you applied to and ask them to release you. They might not be happy It’s important to keep your about it, and will probably try to mind open when you enter

Clearing. Options are limited, so making the choice to defer your application or to decline your offers should not be a quick and easy decision. There is a reason that applying to do a degree is a lengthy process and not just a free-for-all!

Everywhere you want to go may already be full up, or you might have to do a foundation course or different degree so you can go the university you want. The good news is that if you don’t have your mind set on a specific course then you are not limited to one degree. You could enquire about English with French at one university and Modern Foreign Languages at another, you won’t be penalized.

CONFUSED ABOUT CLEARING? WHICH QUALIFICATION? APPRENTICESHIPS VS A-LEVELS

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

43

Careers Hub

Confused about Clearing?

1

YOU HAVEN’T BEEN OFFERED A PLACE AT UNI - ARE YOU LISTED AS ‘CLEARING’?

NO WAIT A WHILE PROVIDER MAY STILL BE CONSIDERING YOU

RING THE UNI OR COLLEGE IF IT IS TAKING A LONG TIME TO GET AN UPDATE ON YOUR APPLICATION

YES

TALK TO SOMEONE - YOUR SCHOOL OR COLLEGE CAREERS ADVISOR WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION - FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN BE A BIG HELP TOO!

2

DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH CLEARING? YES

3 4

E N D

CHECK OUT WHO STILL HAS SPACES VIA UCAS ONLINE (THE SITE IS UPDATED REGULARLY) - THE TELEGRAPH ALSO PRINTS CLEARING COURSES

DO YOU STILL WANT TO STUDY THAT COURSE? YES

NO CHECK YOUR ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS SEE BOX RIGHT

NO

YOU ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER A DIFFERENT COURSE

GO TO

1

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

THERE ARE LOTS OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE: • RE-SIT A-LEVELS • TAKE NEW A-LEVELS • GAP YEAR • EMPLOYMENT YOU CAN ALWAYS APPLY AGAIN IN THE FUTURE

GO TO

4

THAT COURSE IS PERFECT FOR YOU AND YOU CAN’T THINK OF ANOTHER YOU WANT TO STUDY

CONTACT YOUR CHOSEN UNI OR COLLEGE FOR MORE INFORMATION DID THEY TELL YOU TO PROCEED?

NO

SEARCH FOR NEW COLLEGE OR UNI AND TRY AGAIN

GO TO

4

YES IF THEY LIKE YOU AND WANT YOU TO APPLY, THEN

TAKE A LOOK AROUND THEIR CAMPUS OR WEBSITE/S

5

ADD THEM AS YOUR CLEARING CHOICE ON THE UCAS WEBSITE - YOU CAN ONLY MAKE 1 CLEARING CHOICE AT A TIME

DID THEY SAY YES? YES

OR SEARCH FOR NEW COLLEGE OR UNI AND TRY AGAIN

GO TO

NO CHECK YOUR ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS SEE BOX ABOVE RIGHT

E N D

4

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE GOING TO COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY!

Where are you heading?

44

NO

109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

Careers Hub

Which Qualification?

There are tonnes of different types of qualifications at varying levels; for example, a Level 3 NVQ is the equivalent to an Advanced Diploma. This can be confusing and trying to figure out what is the same level as what can be mind boggling. Below is a handy chart, listing all the levels of study and the qualifications students can take, making it easier to tell your diplomas from your degrees!

LEVEL

5 GCSEs

LEVEL

SKILLS FOR LIFE

LEVEL

BTEC

LEVEL

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS

LEVEL

OCR NATIONALS

AWARDS, CERTIFICATES & DIPLOMAS

LEVEL

NVQs

FOUNDATION LEARNING

LEVEL

ENTRY LEVEL

CERTIFICATES

(GRADES D-G) 1

5 GCSEs

LEVEL

(GRADES A*-C) 2

INTERMEDIATE

HIGHER APPRENTICESHIPS

BTEC 2 NATIONALS

LEVEL

DIPLOMA OF

NVQs

LEVEL

NVQs

ADVANCED DIPLOMAS

LEVEL

BTEC HIGHER NATIONALS (HND, HNC)

OCR NATIONALS

LEVEL

LEVEL

LEVEL

BTEC FIRSTS

LEVEL

LEVEL

NVQs

LEVEL

1

1

FOUNDATION LEVEL 3 DEGREES 4+

LEVEL

3

APPRENTICESHIPS

FOUNDATIONS 1

A LEVELS

2

2

FOUNDATION LEVEL FOUNDATION LEVEL DIPLOMAS 1 DIPLOMAS 2 OCR LEVEL NATIONALS 2

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPs

GCE IN APPLIED

SUBJECTS

LEVEL

3 3 3

HIGHER EDUCATION

LEVEL

4+ LEVEL

4+ LEVEL

4+ LEVEL

4+

SPECIALIST LEVEL 4+ 3 AWARDS

LEVEL

3

Top Tip It’s tempting when revising for exams to think that you only need the grades to get into college or get onto the course you want. You end up setting yourself a low bar to make yourself believe that you don’t have to do as much work. You have to cut that out right now!

Your GCSEs are likely to be the first really important exams you take, and even those are taken into consideration by employers, universities, Apprenticeship providers, and more. You can go through the entire educational process and still be expected to give your school grades on a job application form, so that’s real incentive to try as hard as you can!

Where are you heading?

109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

45

Careers Hub

Apprenticeships Vs A-Levels Apprenticeships are becoming more and more popular for those looking for qualifications beyond GCSEs, but do they really stand up to the traditional after-school route of studying A-levels at college or sixth-form? We’ve given you the facts on both to help you figure out which direction you want to go in with your education.

APPRENTICESHIPS

A-LEVELS

Very different to the academic route, Apprenticeships are a form of ‘vocational’ education, which basically means you will be learning trade skills. You will be in a work environment instead of a classroom. You will specialise in a job role and learn all about the ins and outs of that occupation.

A-Levels are very academic and are, in many ways, similar to school. You will inevitably be taking exams and will probably have some form of coursework, though the environment is a bit more grown up this time around. The experience also differs between college and sixth form.

YOU’LL EARN A REAL WAGE, GET TRAINING & RECEIVE QUALIFICATIONS

FREE PERIODS TO STUDY OR SOCIALISE

A PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT, NOT A CLASSROOM

MEET LOADS OF NEW PEOPLE AT COLLEGE OR STICK WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT SIXTH FORM

FANTASTIC JOB PROSPECTS: YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE KEPT ON AFTER YOUR TRAINING

RECOGNISED QUALIFICATIONS THAT YOU CAN USE TO APPLY FOR A WIDE RANGE OF CAREER ROUTES

UCAS ACCEPT APPRENTICESHIPS: DON’T THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T DONE A-LEVELS THAT YOU CAN’T GO TO UNI!

MANY APPRENTICESHIPS ARE ACTUALLY HARDER TO OBTAIN THAN UNIVERSITY PLACES

APPRENTICES EARN ABOUT £100,000 MORE OVER THEIR LIVES THAN THOSE WHO CHOOSE OTHER ROUTES

NOT AS MUCH FOCUS ON SCHOOL UNIFORM. COLLEGES OFTEN DON’T HAVE ANY UNIFORM RULES AT ALL!

APPRENTICESHIP FRAMEWORKS ARE DESIGNED BY EMPLOYERS: THE MATERIAL IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY SEVERAL SUBJECTS. YOU COULD BE ACTING IN DRAMA ONE MINUTE, THEN DESIGNING A CAR IN CAD THE NEXT

Where are you heading?

46

109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

Ready to make some tough decisions about courses, careers and your future?

You don’t need to make your big career decisions alone. The National Careers Service can help you: • assess your skills • find the right course • choose the right uni • understand the job market • find out about careers • develop your CV Text your name and ‘advice’ to 07766 413 219 and a National Careers Service adviser will call you back for free.

You can also search online for National Careers Service, or call us on 0800 100 900.

UNIVERSITIES

UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES

COLLEGES

Anglia Ruskin University www.anglia.ac.uk 0845 271 3333

Cambridge UTC www.utcolleges.org 01223 418502

Barnfield College www.barnfield.ac.uk 01582 569 569

Norwich University of the Arts www.nuca.ac.uk 01603 610 561

Central Bedfordshire UTC www.centralbedsutc.org 01582 867756

Bedford College www.bedford.ac.uk 01234 291 000

University of Bedfordshire www.beds.ac.uk 01234 400400

Harlow UTC www.utcolleges.org 01279 868150

Cambridge Regional College www.camre.ac.uk 01223 418 200

University of Cambridge www.cam.ac.uk 01223 337 733

Norfolk UTC www.norfolkutc.com 01603 773060

Central Bedfordshire College www.centralbeds.ac.uk 0845 355 2525

University of East Anglia www.uea.ac.uk 01603 591 515

Chelmsford College www.chelmsford.ac.uk 01245 29 30 31

The University of Essex www.essex.ac.uk 01206 873333

City College Norwich www.ccn.ac.uk 01603 773311

University of Hertfordshire www.herts.ac.uk 01707 284800

Colchester Institute www.colchester.ac.uk 01206 712000

University Centre Peterborough www.anglia.ac.uk 0845 1965750

The College of West Anglia www.cwa.ac.uk 01553 761144

University Campus Suffolk www.ucs.ac.uk 01473 338000

Crown College www.crowncollege.co.uk 01702 341169 East Norfolk Sixth Form College www.enorf.ac.uk 01493 66 22 34

ENTREPRENEURS ARE NOT BORN, THEY’RE M DE! Founded by entrepreneur and star of Dragons’ Den, Peter Jones CBE, the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy offers unique courses in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship for those aged 16 and above.

Our pioneering business courses, which are being delivered in colleges across the country, ensure that our students achieve an accredited qualification and also gain the necessary experience and skills that are vital for employment or running their own business. There’s nothing quite like one of our Enterprise courses, each one embraces the Academy’s ethos of ‘learning by doing’ by combining innovative teaching methods with sessions from industry experts. We currently offer BTEC Levels 2 and 3 and our ‘Ignite’ Apprenticeship programme, which includes the Advanced Apprenticeship in Enterprise and the new Higher Apprenticeship in Innovation and Growth.

48

Careersworld advert - autumn 2013 v1IC.indd 1

www.careersworld.co.uk

Easton College www.easton.ac.uk 01603 731200

National Extension College www.nec.ac.uk 0800 389 2839

St. Elizabeth College www.stelizabeths.org.uk 01279 843451

Epping Forest College www.epping-forest.ac.uk 020 8508 8311

New College Stamford www.stamford.ac.uk 01780 484300

Suffolk New College www.suffolk.ac.uk 01473 382200

Great Yarmouth College of Further Education www.gyc.ac.uk 01493 655 261

North Hertfordshire College www.nhc.ac.uk 01462 424242

West Hertfordshire College www.westherts.ac.uk 01923 812000

Oaklands College www.oaklands.ac.uk 01727 737080

West Suffolk College www.westsuffolk.ac.uk 01284 701301

Hertford Regional College www.hrc.ac.uk 01992 411400

Otley College of Agriculture and Horticulture www.otleycollege.ac.uk 01473 785543

Writtle College www.writtle.ac.uk 01245 424200

Hills Road Sixth Form College www.hillsroad.ac.uk 01223 247251

Palmers College www.palmers.ac.uk 01375 370121

Huntingdonshire Regional College www.huntingdon.ac.uk 01480 379106

Paston College www.paston.ac.uk 01692 402334

Long Road Sixth Form College www.longroad.ac.uk 01223 507400

Peterborough Regional College www.peterborough.ac.uk 0845 8728722

Lowestoft College www.lowestoft.ac.uk 0800 854695

SEEVIC College www.seevic-college.ac.uk 01268 756111

Luton Sixth Form College www.lutonsfc.ac.uk 01582 877500

South Essex College www.southessex.ac.uk 0845 52 12345

“

“

“

Harlow College www.harlow-college.ac.uk 01279 868000

Choosing the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy instead of A-Levels was a perfect decision. I am now National Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 and running my own business!

“

Harry Day, Solihull College

To read more about the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy courses and to find an Academy near you, get in touch today! www.pjea.org

0207 471 0520

info@pjea.org

29/08/2013 14:43:50

www.careersworld.co.uk

49

Find us at www.facebook.com/careers.world and follow us on twitter using the handle @careers_world. We are currently running a competition which rewards all of our Facebook friends; every time we get another 500 likes on the Careers World page, we’ll choose one lucky winner to receive a prize! What’s even better is that the prizes will continually get bigger and more exciting as we get more likes!

COMPETITION WINNER! In our last issue, we asked you to send in an article with the title ‘What Not to do at an Interview’. Congratulations to Jessica Cameron of Baysgarth School in Humberside who will be receiving a £50 Amazon Voucher! You can read her fantastic article below:

K££P YOUR WALL£T W£IGHT£D Whether you’re off travelling after school, doing a placement abroad or away from home, or going to uni; one thing’s for certain, you’re going to have to start looking after your own cash. Here’s our advice. Don’t take it seriously.

• • • • •

• • • • •

50

You can get a good four uses out of pants by wearing them backwards and inside out.

Note: does not work with thongs Make friends with someone with a car. It’s the cheapest possible public transport Own-brand beans Go vegetarian. Have you seen how much meat costs? Eat like a rabbit and you can afford to have the heating on that week Sell everything you don’t need online.

People will buy anything on eBay. Lost one of your shoes? Flog the spare on the internet Freezers are your friends. I’ve made a loaf of bread last a year before now Own-brand beans Running is cheaper than the gym. You’re probably going to be mal-nourished from not eating anyway There’s a coupon for everything. Google it before you leave the house. …Own-brand beans

So, you’ve got an interview.

Possibly the most important of your career; you cannot risk losing out on this job, nothing can go wrong. You know exactly what you need to do; you’re confident, your CV is word perfect and your references are impeccable. But… have you thought about what not to do at an interview?

There’s the obvious, we all know you probably shouldn’t turn up late, insult your prospective boss or pick your nose, but have you ever thought about the less obvious? Not everybody does and it’s often these subtleties that are more significant and perfecting them could set you apart from your competitors. Bear in mind your posture; don’t slouch or look uninterested. Appear confident; don’t avoid eye contact or give yes/no answers. It’s the simple things like this that may very well get you the job you’ve been waiting for.

Never turn up in a creased shirt or with unwashed hair; be polite and courteous, be confident and be yourself; don’t leave wishing you’d never entered the room. Every interview is important, and could change your life. Remember though, picking your nose at an interview is still a definite no no.

There’s a species of jellyfish that regenerates its cells so well, it can never die if it is never hunted. It’s the time-lord of the sea When a rabbit is excited it makes a movement called a ‘binky’ A flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down Male puppies let female puppies win in play-fights, what gentlemen!

Polar bears are left-handed A giraffe can clean its ears with its tongue The Common Swift never lands, it flies for all its life, eating flying insects to stay alive You can housetrain an armadillo, but they’re smelly and nocturnal.

That’s not an excuse to call your brother an armadillo Gentoo penguins mate for life, and instead of a ring they propose using a pebble.

You can lead a cow upstairs…but not down again

www.careersworld.co.uk

THE PLACE TO START YOUR CAREER Lowestoft College offers full and part time courses and apprenticeships and is your passport to a wide range of exciting and rewarding job opportunities including:-

Administrator

Electrician

Plumber

Air Cabin Crew

Emergency Services

Resort Rep

Artist/Graphic Designer

Engineer

Seafarer / Deck Officer

Beauty Therapist

Hairdresser

Social Worker

Builder

Hotelier

Sports Therapist

Carer

Manager

Teaching Assistant

Carpenter

Mechanic

Travel Agent

Chef

Member of the Armed Forces

Welder / Fabricator

Complementary Therapist

Nurse / Midwife

Wind / Gas / Oil Industries

Decorator

Nursery Assistant

Youth Worker

We also offer a range of apprenticeships. If your chosen career is not listed here please contact us to find out how we can help you reach your career goal.

REASONS TO JOIN LOWESTOFT COLLEGE Our success rates are in the top 30% in England It’s a route to university Lecturers have experience of the industry they teach in Links with employers may lead to site visits, training sessions or industry talks A large choice of full and part-time courses and apprenticeships Continuing investment in the facilities and campus Opportunities to progress Degree levels available through UCS For more information ring 0800 854695, email info@lowestoft.ac.uk or visit www.lowestoft.ac.uk

APPLY NOW

FOR COURSES STARTING IN SEPTEMBER

N E OP

4 1 0 2 S Y DA

THIS IS SEEING IT FOR YOURSELF OPEN DAYS SATURDAY 5 JULY 2014 SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2014 SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER 2014 SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2014

A fantastic opportunity to explore our campus, experience our state-of-the-art facilities and meet current students and staff.

Campus open 9.30am - 3.00pm Registration from 9.00am

Book your place today at: dmu.ac.uk/opendays +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70