Careers World South East SUMMER 2014 by Open Doors Media Ltd

SOUTH EAST 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

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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!

Elliot Gardner, Editor

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

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!

Creative, Media & The Arts

Manufacturing & Processing

Hair & Beauty

35 39

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

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!

Finance & Law

We cover... The Summer Term Confused about Clearing? Qualiﬁcations Explained Apprenticeships Vs A-Levels

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

Agriculture & Animal Care

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

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

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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: 2050-6597

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

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

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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

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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

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.

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.

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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!

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

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!

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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

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.

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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.

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

The University of Brighton is a really vibrant, innovative, and exciting place to study, live life and grow your skills. You can look forward to graduating with the skills, knowledge, and experience to help you make the most of the new opportunities and challenges facing you.

No, it is never too late to start thinking about your career and looking at the options available to you. Why not talk to us on the phone or come along to an open day? You can come and meet current students and staﬀ, and talk about your chosen subject. Although the main UCAS application deadline has passed, it’s not too late to apply. If there are spaces on your chosen course, you can still make an application for the current academic year.

Web: www.brighton.ac.uk

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

UKSA is a youth charity oﬀering maritime training courses that lead to careers in watersports and yachting. As a charitable organisation, it is proud to oﬀer transformational opportunities to around 9,000 young people a year.

It’s never too late really, as long as you end up making the right decision for you. At UKSA we have dozens of courses, many that have several start dates throughout the year, so it’s not all about starting in the ‘Autumn term’ here. The main thing is to choose the training path that is right for you, so we would encourage potential students to come along to one of our open days, spend some time on site talking to the experts, and book onto the right course. As long as we have availability, we can take bookings quite near to the start of the course.

Web: uksa.org

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

Brockenhurst College, located in the New Forest, oﬀers a range of courses for Sixth Form Students and Adult Learners. It also oﬀers bespoke services to businesses, Apprenticeship partnerships and other specialist courses and initiatives, encouraging people to develop their lives through learning. Web: www.brock.ac.u Tel: 01590 625555 Email: enquiries@brook.ac.uk

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No. Whilst we encourage students to consider their next steps right from the start of their time at College, if you haven’t thought about your higher education or career plans yet, our Student Services Team is available to offer useful advice about the range of options available. As well as running our own HE courses, which provide an excellent progression option, we work closely with local employers throughout the year, who highlight job opportunities in the area to current students. We also offer an Apprenticeship matching service which can help students to find an exciting workbased training programme.

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

We take a career-focused approach to learning. Most of our courses provide work placement opportunities with organisations such as Rolls Royce, Nike, British Airways, American Express, and Gatwick Airport. Many of our courses are also recognised and accredited by external organisations, giving you a qualiﬁcation in addition to your degree, a license to practice, or exemption from professional qualiﬁcations.

campuses in Eastbourne and Hastings. Wherever you’re based, you’ll be close to the beach and the countryside, with easy access to London and mainland Europe.

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

The ﬁrst month is a busy and exciting time. You will get to meet your lecturers, tutors, and fellow students – both during your studies and at the many social events arranged for you. You will learn how to present your work, how to work in groups, Brighton is one of the most diverse, how to use specialist equipment, how energetic, and popular cities in the UK. The to manage your time, how to undertake university is spread across the city, from the research, and how it all ﬁts together in your seafront to the South Downs, and also has

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

We are the largest purpose-built watersports and yachting campus for thousands of miles around! In fact, there‘s probably nowhere else on earth that offers everything that we offer, all from one training facility. We are the only yachting training establishment to have a UCAS accredited course (for our threeyear Superyacht Cadetship). Also, being a charity means we can offer above and beyond just training and certification – we provide our students with that extra special stuff like personal mentoring, Industry Guidance sessions, a career placement service, and funding options.

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

Brock’s reputation for academic excellence is endorsed by our consistently high pass rate and our outstanding Ofsted rating. However, the college is not just a place to study; it is a place to have new experiences, to make new friends, to take on new responsibilities, and to take new steps in life.

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

We offer a wide range of courses, all with their own content and syllabus, so aside from the training, which is very varied, our students can expect a warm welcome from our friendly staff, time to settle into the campus life and all the facilities we offer, plenty of chances to get wet out on the Solent, meet and greet opportunities with our in-house industry experts, and the camaraderie among fellow students that comes with living and learning together.

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

All new students attend an induction day, where you will meet fellow students on your chosen courses and spend some time getting to know your way around the campus. You’ll also meet with your Personal Tutor and select your enrichment options. As well as getting straight into your study timetable, you’ll have time to consider your progression after Brock with our Next Steps programme, where you can learn much more about careers and university options.

www.careersworld.co.uk

timetable. Students on some courses, such as nursing or teaching, will spend the ﬁrst few weeks preparing for their initial work placement.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Going to university is not just about getting your degree; it’s also about the experience that will shape the rest of your life. The Brighton experience is about you developing as a person and graduating with expertise in your chosen subject. Last year, 87% of our students were working, studying, or training within six months of graduating. From engineering to photography, from business to biomedical science, from broadcast media to geography… wherever you go, we will always be with you.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

You can find a wealth of rewarding and challenging careers in the growing maritime industry, and every year hundreds of students leave UKSA ready for all it has to offer. People come to UKSA for the training but they leave with many other benefits, and can often walk straight into a job. Find out more at www.uksa.org.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

With a unique location in the heart of the New Forest, Brock is dedicated to providing the highest quality education for all students; our staff offer keen expertise and in-depth knowledge of their subject areas, working together with experienced support teams to ensure excellent exam results and to prepare you for progression to university or the workplace. In addition to the wide range of A-level and vocational courses, Brock offers an extensive choice of enrichment opportunities designed to enhance your studies, including sports, community service, study trips, work experience, and creative arts projects.

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.

Superstar Saffron Peterson has turned her life around after waking up one day and thinking ‘there must be more to life than this.’ After a tough few years growing up, Saffron found herself stuck in a rut of missing school and hanging out with the wrong crowds. After missing all of her GSCE exams, Saffron left school with no qualifications and decided to join Military College.

apply for the prestigious Russell Group universities, hoping to qualify as a neurosurgeon. She is also studying for a Harvard Online certiﬁcate in Neuroscience, increasing her chances of getting a place at university.

After 6 weeks, Saffron decided Military College wasn’t for her, and applied for Art A-Level at Sussex Coast College Hastings. She didn’t think she would have a chance of getting in, but based on a small portfolio and a confident interview, she was given an opportunity. From here, Saffron has gone on to study Biology, Chemistry, and English Literature AS Levels, and is predicted A* grades at A Level. She has been told to

Saﬀron believes ‘with hard work and determination, you can be what you want to be. I love studying at Sussex Coast College, the staﬀ are a great support and the facilities are wonderful.’

Web: www.sussexcoast.ac.uk Tel: 01424 716 419 Email: info@sussexcoast.ac.uk

Jorden Allcock - Higher Apprentice “University wasn’t for me This is much better” What’s it really like to be… a Capgemini apprentice? Capgemini is one of the world’s biggest IT consultancy companies, helping its clients with technology problems and suggesting innovative solutions. At the moment, I’m working as a Software Engineer as part of the Microsoft team based in Sale. In a typical day, I get asked to ﬁx technical problems for the applications we’ve built and manage for clients. We rarely get the same problem twice – which is great because it means no two days are ever the same.

What skills do you need? Team-working and collaborative skills are a must to build successful relationships with your clients, suppliers and colleagues. You also need communication, analytical and creative skills. And it’s good to be flexible about where you work, as you may have to travel to offices and client sites across the UK.” What happens at the end of your apprenticeship? That’s the best bit, a Capgemini apprenticeship isn’t just a training programme – it’s a full-time, permanent role from day one! At the moment I’m giving some thought to what I’ll do next. Working for a global company with offices around the world, means when you have completed the programme the opportunities are endless.

If you think an apprenticeship is for you, ﬁnd out more or apply by visiting www.uk.capgemini.com/careers

www.careersworld.co.uk

Joseph Charalambous, Merchant Navy Deck Officer Cadet “I am in my last year, training to be a deck officer in the merchant navy. I currently study at Warsash Maritime Academy on the officer cadet training scheme. I will soon gain my Officer of the Watch (OOW) unlimited ticket and an HND in nautical science.

Philippa Evans I started my Apprenticeship with West Sussex County Council in October 2012, as a Building Service Engineer. The past year and a bit has gone by really fast; as a higher apprentice I study one full day a week and work the other four days. My working week starts at quarter past five in the morning so I can catch the half six train to London to study! My lectures are nine until seven with few or no breaks, so we mostly eat in lectures. Like most apprentices my tuition fees are paid for by my employer; I also get my travel and any books I need for my studies paid for. Tuesdays to Fridays are spent in the office or out on site with the engineers. When in the office I work on projects for my apprentice log and for the council. On site I assist and learn from the engineers. The projects

I have worked on include a new program for the ﬁve yearly inspection and test, the replacement of a transformer, and a safety line for charging reels in ﬁre stations. Once a month I have an apprentice meeting. This allows me to talk to my managers about how I feel my Apprenticeship is going, and is also an opportunity for them to assess how I am doing. Within the meetings I am required to do a presentation on a subject chosen from the apprentice log; this might be emergency lighting, degree days, or pollution from building services. My Higher Apprenticeship has allowed me to develop both my theoretical and practical skills, I am fully supported in my role and the team are always willing to help me learn.

Web: www.westsussex.gov.uk/apprenticeships

To get onto the scheme you need to be sponsored by a shipping company so you can get some sea time. I found a list of sponsoring companies on the academy’s website and after several applications I was selected by Clyde Marine Training, who appoint cadets to shipping companies. I am sponsored by Zodiac Maritime Agencies, who run car carriers, container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers, amongst others. During my cadetship I worked on board three ships. On my ﬁrst trip away I had just turned 17 and joined the M/V Noble Ace, a 200 metre car carrier.

To ﬁnd out more about Oﬃcer Cadet Training Schemes Visit www.warsashacademy. co.uk/careers Email: wma@solent,ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

My second ship was the M/V YM Hamburg, a 260 metre container ship, and my third was CMA CGM Enfield, a 366 meter container ship. Through my training at sea I have seen Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. I have visited notable places like Tokyo, New York City, Singapore, Lagos, Shanghai, Malta, Dubai, California, Florida, South Korea and many more! A job as a ship’s officer really offers the full package: responsibility, excellent career opportunities, travel, competitive pay, the list goes on. I would definitely recommend this career to any aspiring young person. I am 19 and qualify this summer. I plan to get a job on board a cruise ship or superyacht as a 3rd Officer. I also have the opportunity to up my HND to a degree.”

Gain Experience: Industrial Placements

Chichester College turns 50 this year and we want to celebrate by embracing the achievements and successes of both past and current students. Meet Suzi Price, a former student from Brinsbury, the countryside campus of Chichester College. Before attending Chichester College to study a National Diploma Level 3 in Animal Management, Suzi knew that this was the course for her. During her time at school, Suzi had a taster week at Brinsbury campus on work experience. Once she had discovered the animal care unit and the facilities it had to oﬀer, the deal was sealed. Brinsbury allowed Suzi to learn new skills and gain experience such as general care for a variety of animals, along with using the most up-to-date equipment, which has heightened her IT skills. Suzi found the college helped in every way, shape, and form by supporting ideas and oﬀering constructive advice when and wherever it was needed.

Since attending Brinsbury, Suzi has created her own business, which started off as a dog walking service. The business expanded into canine services, along with boarding and day care facilities. The animal lover believes that all the practical skills she adapted at Brinsbury campus have helped her develop her dog walking business, and gave her the confidence to advise clients and fellow animal lovers. Suzi says: “These achievements wouldn’t have been possible without my time at Brinsbury. Having left school with average GCSE’s and being dyslexic, I was very much lacking in confidence. The college really helped me on my way to a bright and successful future!”

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.

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.

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 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.

So don’t be a stranger, get to know Chichester College and all that it has to oﬀer! For more information on the college please call 01243 786321 or check out our website: www.chichester.ac.uk.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Web: www.cogent-placements.com

HOw FAR DO yOU wANT TO gO IN BUSINESS? THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT. NO ONE’S BETTER QUALIFIED. london, shanghai, new york, singapore? icAew chartered Accountants have the work experience, financial intelligence and skills the business world demands.

Become ‘chartered’ and start your journey, visit icaew.com/betterqualified

A world leAder of the AccountAncy And finAnce profession

THE REAL WORLD Rosanna, ACA Student Accounts Assistant, CalcuttMatthews, Ashford My knowledge of accountancy was very limited before I looked into the ACA, but once I did, the breadth of the qualiﬁcation really impressed me! As I carry on with my ACA studies, I’m realising more and more how much the training prepares you for a huge range of jobs, and provides so many valuable transferable skills. I’ve also realised that accountancy is not just limited to number crunching and spreadsheets!

Finance & Law Making money; you’ve got to love it. But do you know how that money is made? Why some companies make more than others? Perhaps you want to defend somebody in court or play the other side and send somebody down? This sector will show you how you can get a career started doing just that.

You ask us...

Because I am training with a small firm, I get to experience lots of different aspects of accountancy. I am not limited to one department or area, which I might have been in a larger company. I assist my manager and partner with accounts preparation and gain audit experience. I also visit clients regularly and get involved in helping them to grow their businesses. For any school leavers wondering what to do, I would say don’t assume that university is the only option for progression. There are organisations offering this opportunity to those of us without degrees. If you are focused, determined, and willing to put in the time and effort to succeed, then the ACA is the premium qualification to choose. It allows you to gain essential practical experience, as well as technical knowledge, all whilst earning a competitive salary.

WHAT’S THE FINANCE AND LAW SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

posher. If you give financial advice, you might even find yourself working from home! In the Legal sector, you might be in Finance is all about cash. How it’s made, an office sorting case notes, or in the court who’s making it, who isn’t making enough room where the action is! and why. If a company isn’t making a profit, how can you improve their situation? On a HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO smaller scale, it’s about paying people their wages, working out expenses and giving OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY? out financial advice to people. Law is pretty This sector employs 1 million+ people in much as it says; it covers our legal system, the UK and takes on more than 70,000 new from legal secretaries and lawyers right the starters a year. It’s also one of the highest way up to the judges that deliver verdicts. paying; a fully qualified accountant could earn in excess of £50,000 a year! In the WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT Law sector, 250,000 people make up the work force, of which almost half is made up TO EARN? of solicitors and barristers! With regards to law, the starting salaries are quite high; usually between £14,000 and WHERE IS THE WORK MOST £17,000, Finance will be a bit lower to start with, between £10,500 and £13,000, but CONCENTRATED? progression can be fairly quick and people You will generally find both sectors are in the finance sector usually earn high based in the big cities. You might see a bonuses on top of their basic pay, which few private law firms in smaller villages is over £30,000 when you become fully and towns, but the bigger companies qualified in your field. prefer to be based in the main UK cities, such as London, Manchester, Leeds and WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD Birmingham. As Finance also covers banking, it’s worth pointing out that banks I BE WORKING IN? usually have branches in smaller places to In the Finance sector, you’ll probably be accommodate the town population. based in an office environment when you first start out. As you progress, you’ll find the building around you gets bigger and www.careersworld.co.uk

To ﬁnd out more about how to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant visit icaew.com/careers or ﬁnd us on Facebook at facebook.com/ icaewstartingpoint

Finance & Law

Careers Choices Finance and Law is a very important sector; it runs the numbers and makes the rules that we live by. From working out tax deductions for a company to passing sentence on a criminal, Finance and Law is a truly diverse area to be in. It covers a lot of different job roles, so we couldn’t possibly list them all! Here are all the main ones for your enjoyment…

ACCOUNTANCY

Accountancy is all about crunching numbers and keeping track of both companies and individual people’s ﬁnances. Every company has an accountant, no matter what trade it’s in and you might be tasked with anything from proﬁt forecasts (how much money the company is expected to make) to calculating how much tax is owed to the government (how much money the company is expected to pay in tax. Obviously.)

FINANCIAL ADVICE

Everybody needs ﬁnancial advice at some point; whether it’s getting a mortgage for a new house, making a big purchase (a new car or big holiday) or planning for a baby, people need to know how to manage the funds they have to get the most out of their money. You’ll be giving out advice to a whole host of clients, from individuals and families to multi-national corporations.

LEGAL ADMINISTRATION

A court of law isn’t just a judge, council and jury; there are lots of people working behind the scenes to make sure the legal process is as smooth as possible. You could be arranging evidence for a case, making sure reports and studies are all in order and even taking notes in the court room on a hearing.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

Salaries in the Finance sector vary depending on how qualified you are. Starting salaries are usually between £10,500 and £13,000, but in some sectors, such as banking, you receive yearly bonuses which increase as your salary goes up. Legal salaries tend to start a bit higher, somewhere around the £14,500 mark and then tend to go up based on your role and qualification. The average fully qualified legal administrator earns around £27,000.

BANKING

Banking is a broad term for everything to do with personal and corporate ﬁnances. It’s a huge sector that comprises 3 diﬀerent sectors; Commercial Banking (local banks such as HSBC, Lloyds and Natwest), Corporate Banking (for businesses) and wholesale banking (for the government and other international banks). You’ll be tasked with managing money, approving loans, exchanging foreign money and paying in/ cashing cheques.

www.careersworld.co.uk

MANAGERIAL ROLES ACCOUNT FOR

37%

OF THE WORKFORCE

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

There are a few Apprenticeships you can undertake to get you into this sector. Apprenticeships count as a Level 2 qualiﬁcation and you it will take the form of an NVQ, Diploma or BTEC. Accounting • Payroll • Marketing and Communications • Providing Financial 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. Accounting • Advising on Financial Products • Payroll • Providing Financial Services • Legal Services

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.

EMPLOYER FUNDED STUDY

If you don’t fancy going to uni but still want to be an accountant, you can train through organisations such as ICAEW and PwC. KMPG are ideal for school leavers and oﬀer a 6 year course which will result in an internationally recognised award instead of an honours degree.

47%

OF UK FIRMS EMPLOY 250 PEOPLE OR LESS

THE LEGAL SECTOR DEALS WITH OVER

500,000 CASES PER YEAR

Finance & Law

REGIONAL FOCUS The South East is home to one of the world’s most famous places to study legal and financial subjects, Oxford University, but also to plenty of other universities in the top 25 for law and finance e.g. Southampton, Reading and Surrey. The financial sector has taken a big hit in the past few years but recently the South East and London have seen a big recovery, with thousands of new jobs opening up in finance through both regions.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

You can also undertake short courses to boost your credentials and specialise in a certain area of the Finance and Law sector. For example, to work in investment banking you could gain a CISI Introduction to Investment award.

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: Maths • Economics • Business Studies • Law • Accounting • Statistics www.careersworld.co.uk

The Brinsbury Campus of Chichester College

Brinsbury &Country Show Fayre Sunday 18th May 2014 (11am - 4pm) There will be lots of “have-a-go” activities plus: Animal Handling Archery* Barbecue & Refreshments Blacksmithing & Forging Demos Brickwork Carpentry Companion Dog Show* Countryside & Heritage Crafts Craft & Farmers’ Market Dog Agility Dog Grooming Demos Equine Demos Farm Animals Fire Brigade Floristry Demos Furniture & Upholstery displays Hair & Beauty Demos Knockhundred Clog Morris Dancers Laser Clays* Live Music Plant Sale Terrier Racing Tractor & Trailer Rides Tree Climbing ...and more!

Come and enjoy a great day! ENTRY: £5 per person (under 14s free) * There is an additional charge for these activities

For more information please call (01243) 786321 or visit our website www.chichester.ac.uk Brinsbury Campus - Proud to be part of Chichester College Chichester College (Brinsbury Campus) | North Heath | Pulborough | West Sussex | RH20 1DL www.chichester.ac.uk

Agriculture & Animal Care The UK is blessed with some of the most beautiful countryside in the world; rolling hills, green ﬁelds and more breathtaking views than you can shake a stick at. It’s also an important part of our economy, with farming, landscaping, conservation and national parks all bringing in money in various ways. Animal care is all about caring for animals (duh…); making sure they are ﬁt and healthy, as well as grooming them for both domestic and professional use.

You ask us... WHAT’S THE AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL CARE SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

Agriculture is quite a broad term for land based industries such as farming, landscaping, environmental conservation and forestry. It also covers the manufacturing of machinery for various uses on farms, forests and foliage alike. Animal Care involves the treatment of animals in both a domestic and professional environment. Whether this is through veterinary means or if you are grooming the next Grand National winner, you’ll need to know everything about the animals you will be looking after.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

Because this is such a broad sector, we can’t list all the salaries for every single job, but as a rough guide, farm based job roles start at between £10,000 to £13,000 and increase as you progress up the career ladder. Specialist career paths such as farriery (making horseshoes) and park rangers (who look after our national parks) can start on around £18,000 and be on upwards of £30,000 after experience. In animal care, a veterinary nurse can expect to start out on about £13,000, whereas professional horse-groomers usually begin on about £12,000.

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

Just under half of the people that work in this sector are self employed, as most agricultural farms are family run businesses. On the animal care side of things, the demand for qualified veterinary staff is on the rise; the government predicts that from now until 2020, this sector will require at least 44,000 people with a minimum Level 3 qualification in their chosen field.

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

It goes without saying that this sector is focused on working in the countryside, so don’t be looking to the big cities for work! Most farms are family run businesses, but you might find some that are willing to take on apprentices. You’ll also find veterinary surgeries in nearly all small towns and villages, but you’ll find it easier getting work in surgeries that have a larger catchment area.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Well, given that it’s land based and animals are mostly found outside, then you’ll be doing most of your work in the great outdoors! You could be in a ﬁeld harvesting crops, on a farm looking after the animals or in a forest keeping everything looking natural. In an animal care environment, you could be working in a veterinary surgery treating people’s pets, or going out and about in your community doing house calls. You could even be working at a race track helping horses prepare for their next big competition.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Agriculture & Animal Care

Careers Choices So, do you think you could thrive in an Agricultural environment? If you don’t like working outside but still like the idea of working with animals, then perhaps you would want to consider a career in veterinary sciences or as an animal trainer! This sector is truly massive, so massive in fact that the job roles we’ve listed below don’t really begin to scratch the surface of what you can do! These are the most popular job roles you can expect to ﬁnd:

HORTICULTURE & LANDSCAPING

Ever wondered what it is that makes our country that little bit more beautiful? From the city centre parks people stroll in to the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales, this sector is all about making the areas we visit look good. You might be arranging ﬂowers in a local community or maintaining our national parks; either way you’ll be getting plenty of satisfaction from people taking in your work. Your starting salary will be around £15,000, but could be more depending on what it is you’re working on.

FARM WORKER

It’s not just big beards and wellies (although you should probably get a pair for this; you might end up losing your trainers pretty quickly). Farming is hard work, but the rewards that come out of it, in terms of money and pride, are well known. You could be looking after animals such as sheep, cows and pigs, or working with hightech machinery cultivating and harvesting crops. You can expect to earn around £7,200 if you are aged 16 or over, while those who are 19 and over will expect to bring in around £10,000, rising to around £15,000 with experience.

RANGER

Rangers are responsible for keeping our national parks clean and tidy, while also making sure that the wildlife and plants are also kept healthy and safe. This is deﬁnitely a career for those who want to work outdoors but also for those who are avid about the environment and working with animals. Salaries start out at around £18,000, but Senior Rangers can earn in excess of £30,000.

VETERINARY NURSING

Animals get sick just like people do (and unlike people, they can’t drive themselves to the doctors; their feet can’t reach the pedals for one thing) and require treatment, checkups and if necessary, surgery. Veterinary nurses assist vets in treating domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, parrots and horses. You’ll learn all about the diﬀerent types of animal’s anatomies, as well as the kinds of treatments each animal needs in each situation. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a bit messy in this industry! Your starting salary will be around £14,000, but Senior Veterinary Nurses earn around £25,000.

www.careersworld.co.uk

LAND BASED ENGINEERING

As you can imagine, farm working involves a heck of a lot of complex machinery, such as threshers, harvesters, processors, tractors and many others. Land based engineers are responsible for building and maintaining these machines, so an eye for mechanics and systems will be handy here. Starting salaries in this sector are quite high and usually between £20,000 and £26,000.

78,000 PEOPLE WORK IN ANIMAL CARE

86% 3,350

OF ANIMAL CARE BUSINESSES EMPLOY 5 STAFF OR LESS

AGRICULTURE RELATED BUSINESSES IN THE UK

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: Game and Wildlife Management • Animal Care • Horticulture • Environmental Conservation • Land Based Engineering

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. Animal Care • Environmental Conservation • Game and Wildlife Management • Land Based Engineering • Veterinary Nursing

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. They are also useful for getting into more senior roles such as management and team leading. The following A-Levels will help you get into this sector: Biology • Chemistry • Maths • English • Geography • Geology

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 a gateway qualiﬁcation 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 Farm Management and Wildlife Conservation.

Agriculture & Animal Care

REGIONAL FOCUS The South East is one of the biggest regions of England in terms of landmass, meaning there’s a lot of open space for animal and crop farms. Kent is known by some as ‘the Garden of England’ because of the large amount of orchards and hop farms in the area, an example is the village of Lamberhurst, which is famous for its award winning vineyards. If you are looking for a career in agriculture, it might be worth getting in touch with the South of England Agricultural Society for more information!

COLLEGE COURSES

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

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

These can be undertaken instead of doing A-Levels and can be done at Level 2 and 3. They, like Apprenticeships, can result in a BTEC, NVQ or Diploma and are handy for getting into more speciﬁc job roles in this sector. www.careersworld.co.uk

Final Open Day 14th May 2014

Your career in fashion retail starts here If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 FRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern facilities in the centre of the West End. Learn in this inspirational environment and draw on the FRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got courses to suit you.

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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.

Creative, Media & The Arts Facebook, Emmerdale, The Mona Lisa, Call of Duty. All these things have one thing in common – they all fall into Creative, Media and Arts sector and they could be the basis of your future career!

You ask us... WHAT’S THE CREATIVE, MEDIA AND ARTS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

The Creative sector will soon become one of the most important in the country. As technology advances, people need to keep up to date and that’s where you come in. At present, the industry is worth £36 billion a year; in the time it takes you to read to the bottom of this section, the Creative sector have generated over £70,000. Around WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT will £1 in every £10 of our exports are in this TO EARN? sector, which means that other countries You’ll start off on somewhere in the region favour our approach to Media, Creativity of £10,000 to £18,000 depending on what and The Arts. you do. Some of the newer roles, such as interactive and digital media tend to pay WHERE IS THE WORK MOST more because they are more specialised, CONCENTRATED? but nearly all the career paths available will have room for advancement and as the It obviously depends on what you specialise market continues to expand new roles will in, but generally there is more work the further towards London you go. However, become available. the BBC has recently relocated a lot of its to Salford (near Manchester) WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD programming and there are of course independent I BE WORKING IN? publishing companies, newspapers and Most media companies work out of offices digital media companies all over the country. and studios; this isn’t anywhere near as It really is a case of moving to where the boring as it sounds as most creative offices work is, but once you become established, are bustling with ideas and tend to be more moving won’t be an issue. laid back than the bigger corporations. Of course TV and Film would have you working in various settings both indoor and outdoor and the fashion industry could take you from a cat walk to a high street shop. It’s everywhere. On your TV, on your computer, on your games consoles, in every newspaper, painting, t-shirt, magazine, book, website or newsletter, it’s a massive sector that covers the things we enjoy most at home.

www.careersworld.co.uk

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. 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. 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.

Web: www.fashionretailacademy.ac.uk

Creative, Media & The Arts

Careers Choices If you have the imagination to match your ambition and desire to succeed, then you will go far in this sector. From television to fashion, there’s a whole host of different career paths to be taken, but be aware that this is a very popular sector to get into, so it’s best to get some work experience behind you to make you more attractive to employers. Here are some of the biggest areas within this sector:

PUBLISHING

This magazine you are reading wouldn’t exist without publishing and it covers everything to do with written word. Most publishers are small and deal with specialist publications, such as career speciﬁc magazines or travel guides. Starting salaries are quite high, ranging from £15,000 to £20,000.

INTERACTIVE MEDIA

Also known as New Media, everything from Facebook and Youtube to apps and websites is covered here. You’ll have to move with the times, as in this industry something could go from popular to forgotten in just a few seconds. Remember Bebo? No, me neither. Starting salaries are pretty high because it’s a specialist subject; expect to earn between £16,000 and FILM & TELEVISION Fancy yourself as the next Phillip Seymour £20,000 with more to come as you become Hoffman? What do you mean who?! Well, more experienced. it’s not all about the actors; all those names that scroll at the end of the credits (that you FASHION probably leave the cinema half way through) If you know what’s hot and what’s not, are roles that make film and television work. what’s in and what’s out, then this could Cameramen, sound and lighting operators, be right up your alley. Fashion covers makeup artists, special effects specialists designing new clothes, patterns and styles and directors are just some of the roles as well as buying stock for high street shops available. Salaries usually start out fairly to sell. You can expect to start on between low (about £12,000) but will grow as your £12,000 and £15,000. experience does.

PERFORMANCE ARTS

All the world’s a stage. Not only does this cover the performers, but also the supporting crew; you could be in wardrobe, stage management or directing the whole show! Starting salaries are usually between £12,000 and £16,000 depending on your role.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

PR is all about networking – you might be representing a small company looking to expand or a high proﬁle celebrity in search of that next big blockbuster. Starting salaries in PR are usually higher than others in this sector; you’re looking at £19,000 to start out with, but experienced PR people at the top of the ladder can earn upwards of £100,000! That’s a lot of chicken dinners…

www.careersworld.co.uk

ANIMATION

Finding Nemo, Toy Story and Shrek; all are huge animated ﬁlms that started life on a drawing board. Animators work on bringing still images to life. Animation isn’t just limited to ﬁlm; it appears in TV, on websites, adverts and video games. Starting salaries are between £16,000 and £20,000 and can increase with experience.

CURATORS/CONSERVATORS

Museums, heritage sites and art galleries all require experts to look after the exhibits that guests come to see. Whether it’s bringing new exhibits in or restoring old ones to display quality, it’s a varied job that will give you a lot of gratiﬁcation. There is a minimum salary (by law) of £20,895, which you can expect to rise as you gain experience.

55,900

PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED WITHIN TV - 11% OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY MORE THAN

1/3

OF PEOPLE WORKING IN MEDIA ARE FREELANCE

50%

OF THE TV WORKFORCE HAS UNDERTAKEN UNPAID WORK

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 are 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. Design • Games Testing • Performing Arts (Theatre) • Fashion and Textiles • Music Business • Creative

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. 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. Creative • Creative and Digital Media • Design • Performing Arts • Photography • Photo Imaging

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: Art and Design • Dance • Drama • Fine Art • Graphic Design • Media Studies • Music Technology • Photography

FOUNDATION DEGREES

Creative, Media & The Arts

REGIONAL FOCUS Brighton is seen as a hotspot for creativity and artistic talent, with many artists showcased at Brighton Festival every year, as well as all year round in the many artistic venues spread across the town. Because of the location of the region, there are many diﬀerent media outlets that you can get involved in depending on where you are based. BBC South is found in Southampton, while BBC South East is in Kent. ITV News Meridian is based in Whiteley and broadcasts throughout the south and south-east of the country.

COLLEGE COURSES

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

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Manufacturing & Processing Nearly every product we use in our lives is a product of manufacturing; food, toasters, toilet seats, TV’s, cars, t-shirts, perfume and even satellites are a result of this industry! If the thought of the creation process fascinates you, then you won’t ﬁnd a career in a better industry than Manufacturing!

You ask us... WHAT’S THE MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

It’s all about making stuff. Or more precisely, the process of how that stuff is made. This could start way back in research and development, or it could be on the factory floor actually making products. Because so many things come from manufacturing, it’s a highly important industry that many other sectors rely on. The industry is generally broken down into seven sectors; Automotive, Electronics, Aerospace, Defence, Metals, Chemical and Building.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

It’s tricky to say; because of the sheer size of this industry, it’s easier to talk about the job roles that you ﬁnd in all areas of manufacturing. Jobs on the assembly line usually start out at around £13,000, while more specialised positions like engineers and technicians start on a higher salary, usually around the £16,000 mark. Because of the size of this industry, advancement to supervisory positions is encouraged and training is usually provided by employers.

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

In case you hadn’t noticed, manufacturing is incredibly important to the UK economy; the industry is worth £131 billion to our economy! There are close to 132,000 manufacturing business in the UK, employing 2.5 million people. As Ron Burgundy would say, it’s kind of a big deal!

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

Because of the diverse nature of this industry, it’s pretty much spread across the country. Historically speaking, manufacturing tended to be based in the North of England; Sheﬃeld has a rich steel manufacturing history, while major cities such as Liverpool and Newcastle were famous for ship building. Of course, if you live in the south you won’t have to head north to ﬁnd work; most manufacturing sites are located on the outskirts of major towns and cities where there is access to major transport means, such as motorways and ports.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Much like the construction sector, it really does depend which area of manufacturing you go into. Those working in chemical, aerospace and pharmaceutical roles might find themselves in a laboratory, testing materials in a variety of different conditions. If you were to work in the process part of manufacturing, you’d be in a factory, working in a team assembling and sorting parts and products. The defence sector obviously has a lot of military applications, so don’t be surprised to find yourself having to travel to a base of some kind to meet with potential contracts.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Manufacturing & Processing

Careers Choices Manufacturing is all about mass production. Whether it’s building a luxury cruise liner or designing a state of the art computer, you’ll be working with a mix of traditional methods and state of the art machinery. Although a lot of manufacturing companies are now based abroad, the UK is still the sixth largest country in the world for this industry and this is recognised by the fact that a lot of foreign companies such as Toyota, Tata (a steel company) and Reebok (sports goods) now have established production bases here. Here are some of the areas you could work in:

AEROSPACE

Aerospace engineering is split into two sections; aeronautics (anything that flies in our atmosphere) and astronautics (anything that goes into space, such as shuttles and satellites). Within both of these disciplines, you’ll be looking at the different factors that affect these aircraft, such as aerodynamics, control surfaces and propulsion systems.

AUTOMOTIVE

This area of Manufacturing relates to anything vehicle related; cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, campervans, ﬁre engines and anything else that goes on the road originates from this sector. The UK is so renowned for its vehicle manufacture that companies from other countries, such as Honda, Nissan and Toyota have set up factories here! You could be working in a whole range of areas, from developing a new petrol cap to actually constructing a whole vehicle.

METALS

Metals manufacturing in this country has always been an important industry to the UK economy. Metal has a million uses and therefore, it has plenty of diﬀerent job roles associated with it. Not only that, but with recycling becoming big business, a greater number of jobs are becoming available in this sector. As well as recycling plants, you could ﬁnd yourself working at a foundry (where metal moulds are made for other industries), an ore extraction facility (where metals are dug up and processed in their raw forms) or even as a blacksmith, making items such as specialist tools, garden gates or horseshoes.

CHEMICAL

Chemical manufacturing is all about taking raw materials and turning them into useful things. This has a whole range of applications across various industries, such as pharmaceuticals, food and drink, textiles and synthetic products. You could be working in a laboratory researching ELECTRONICS The UK electronics products industry is the and experimenting, or on the factory floor fifth largest in the world and we produce maintaining the machines that mix the all sorts of things; from laptop computers chemicals. to microwave ovens. Not only that, but we also manufacture a lot of electrical BUILDING PRODUCTS components, such as circuit boards, semi Those materials that builders use don’t just conductors and microchips. Working in this appear out of nowhere; bricks, pipes, grills area demands a skilful eye; you might find and glass are all made in manufacturing yourself developing parts that can only be environments. There are so many different seen under a microscope! job roles involved in creating building materials, so there’s a need for skilled young people (that’s you! ) to start. You could be working with a kiln making bricks, or using plastic moulds to make piping for gas and water networks!

www.careersworld.co.uk

EXAMPLE JOB ROLES

We couldn’t possibly list all the job roles for this sector (well we could, but you’d be reading something as thick as a phonebook), but here are some job roles that you’ll find in most aspects for Manufacturing: • Assembly Line Worker Using the components provided, you will be assembling the products ready to be shipped out across the world. This could be fitting a microchip to a device, or packing a TV remote in with a home media system. The starting salaries are usually around £13,000. • Materials Technician These guys are responsible for testing out how well products perform under certain conditions, such as cold, heat and water. Salaries usually start out between £14,000 and £17,000 a year. • Supervisor Supervisory roles are always needed in this industry to monitor the various parts of the manufacturing process. Salaries start out at around £16,000 for apprentices, but fully qualified supervisors can easily earn in excess of £32,000.

THERE ARE ALMOST

132,000 MANUFACTURERS IN THE UK

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

This is the most popular route into this sector, because of the hands on nature of the learning. An apprenticeship allows you to learn your trade while also being paid a salary. There are many employers and colleges out there who provide apprenticeship schemes. 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. Ceramics Manufacturing • Combined Manufacturing Processes • Engineering Construction • Extractives and Mineral Processing Occupations • Food and Drink • Glass Industry • Jewellery, Silversmithing and Allied Trades • Polymer Processing Operations • Process Manufacturing

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. Here are some examples of A-Levels you could study to gain entry to this industry. Maths • Physics • Chemistry • Biology • Design and Technology • Textiles

FOUNDATION DEGREES

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. They are available in a whole host of subjects, such as Modern Manufacturing, Mechanical ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS This is the equivalent of two A levels, but and Manufacturing Engineering and without sitting in a classroom studying. Electrical Systems. Like a regular Apprenticeship, it’s suited to more practical ﬁelds of work. Advanced COLLEGE COURSES Apprenticeships in construction only take a A college course is another way into this year and on completion you will receive a sector. To see if there are any colleges near Level 3 Qualiﬁcation, either a BTEC, an NVQ you with relevant courses check out or a Diploma. www.careersworld.co.uk. Combined Manufacturing Processes • Engineering Manufacture (Craft and Technician) • Extractives and Mineral Processing Occupations • Food and Drink • Glass Industry • Jewellery, Silversmithing and Allied Trades • Polymer Processing Operations • Process Manufacturing www.careersworld.co.uk

OVER

2.5 MILLION PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN THIS SECTOR

THIS SECTOR CONTRIBUTES OVER

£130 BILLION

TO THE UK ECONOMY

Manufacturing & Processing

REGIONAL FOCUS The South East is a hub for many large manufacturing companies and worldwide brands because of its location next-door to London! There are many car manufacturers found in the South East, including Caterham Cars in Dartford, who manufacture light-weight sports cars, and the BMW plant in Oxford that builds the Mini! There’s also Magal Engineering in Berkshire, who make clutches and power steering systems, and McLaren in Surrey, producers of the McLaren Mercedes Formula One cars.

At Aylesbury College we have courses for everyone • 6th Form & A Levels • Vocational Courses • Apprenticeship Programmes • Higher Education Degrees

Upcoming Open Days: 10th May 2014 26th June 2014

Taster Sessions available during and March. Visit our website for more information.

www.aylesbury.ac.uk tel: 01296 588588

THE REAL WORLD Hairdressing Apprentice Sarah Lynn I am in the final year of my Level 3 Hairdressing Apprenticeship at Aylesbury College and I have really enjoyed my time here. I am currently working in The Cutting Room, a hair salon in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, and come into the college one day a week to study. I decided to do an Apprenticeship because I wanted to gain a qualification that will let me contribute more to the salon. For me an Apprenticeship was preferable to full-time study as it meant that I could get more hands-on hairdressing experience, become more confident, and gain a better qualification when I finish my placement. As well as helping me to gain more practical hairdressing experience, my Apprenticeship gives me loads of opportunities that I wouldn’t have had access to if I was just working at the salon. Last year I got to go to the World Skills event in Birmingham, which is a national showcase event for vocational training and gives young people the opportunity to see what can be achieved within their industry. It was a very inspiring event to be a part of!

Hair & Beauty From mullets to Mohawks, hair and beauty is something that we as people take very seriously. Everybody enjoys looking and feeling good and this sector is all about doing just that…

Currently my plans are to stay on at the salon I am working in and gain more knowledge and experience in hairdressing. This Apprenticeship has helped me get more experience in the industry I love, and has given me the opportunity to become better qualiﬁed and more conﬁdent.

You ask us... WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE HAIR AND BEAUTY SECTOR?

Plenty of old ladies wanting perms. No, only joking, there’s so much more to this career path and when you get conﬁdent enough to create your own styles and treatments it’s very rewarding to see them elsewhere.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Unsurprisingly, this job is favoured more by women. I haven’t seen many men giving me advice on which eye shadow would compliment my complexion (not that I’ve asked…), however the number of male hairdressers is increasing. Whatever your you’ll be working with customers WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT gender, on a day to day basis so make sure your TO EARN? customer service skills are top notch. For The starting salaries in this sector are therapists, the environment could be a nice relatively low, starting somewhere between relaxing spa area or if you go down the £10,000 and £12,000 a year, but you will makeup line, you could ﬁnd yourself in a earn more as you gain experience. department store or even in a TV studio!

WHERE WOULD I FIND THIS LINE OF WORK IN MY AREA?

Hair salons usually have link ups with local colleges and training providers and nearly all towns have at least two or three hairdressers, while high street employers such as Toni & Guy tend to be found in the bigger cities. www.careersworld.co.uk

Web: www.aylesbury.ac.uk

Hair & Beauty

135,640

PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN THE HAIRDRESSING & BEAUTY TREATMENT INDUSTRY

THIS INDUSTRY HAS AN ANNUAL REVENUE OF AROUND

£4 BILLION

HAIRDRESSING SALONS MAKE UP

75%

OF TOTAL REVENUE IN THE SECTOR

Careers Choices Here are the main careers in this job sector; obviously you can specialise but the four main Hair and Beauty areas are as follows:

HAIRDRESSING

It’s all about the hair here; you’ll be cutting, styling, colouring, washing, perming and making people’s hair look exactly how they want it to. You will begin as an apprentice working in a salon before gradually taking on more and more responsibility as you complete your training. Many professionals move on to setting up their own businesses or even go into the ﬁlm and television industry as part of the make-up department – the ambitious will always be rewarded in this role. Salaries begin at around £10,000, but rise to £16,000 with experience and qualiﬁcations.

SPA THERAPY

“Ahhh that’s better” – a phrase you’ll hear constantly in this career. Spa tourism contributes £1.4 billion a year to the UK economy and is growing all the time (everybody is so stressed these days). Spa Therapists oﬀer a range of treatments that help improve somebody’s well being, such as facials, massages, aromatherapy and saunas. You can specialize in a particular area, such as holistic treatment, or have a general knowledge of all areas. Starting salary is between £12,000 and £14,000 a year.

NAIL TECHNICIAN

Manicures and pedicures are the order of the day in this career; you will be focusing on improving and maintaining the skin and nails on both hands and feet. This might be through treatments such as hot wax therapy and foot wraps, or more artistic work such as airbrushing designs onto nails. This is for those who like to combine art and practicality, as you will have to have an eye for the creative and a steady hand to make those designs look good. You can expect to earn between £12,000 and £17,000 a year in this ﬁeld, which is dependent on qualiﬁcations and experience.

BEAUTY THERAPY

Like Spa therapy, you will be tasked with enhancing the well-being of clients through a range of different methods, such as various different types of makeup (that’s mascara, lipstick, eye-shadow etc to you lads) or electronic treatments and hair removal methods. The salaries vary depending on whether you work for a department store or a private firm, but the average starting salary is between £12,000 and £17,000 a year.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Where to begin If beautifying and energising is your part of your dream career, then consider the following courses...

APPRENTICESHIPS

The majority of people aged 18-30 in this sector have an apprenticeship, so it’s always a good place to start. Half your learning will be on the job and half in the classroom and you can do them in a range of subjects from barbering to spa therapy. Here are some of the Apprenticeship frameworks relevant to this sector with the careers you will see and they will result in a level 2 qualiﬁcation such as an NVQ, BTEC or Diploma. Hairdressing • Beauty Therapy • Beauty Therapy (Make-up) • Nail Services

A-LEVELS

Unfortunately, there isn’t an A-level course in Hair and Beauty, but this sector is all about your customer service and personality rather than your academic qualiﬁcations. However, if you were interested in progressing into management or even taking on your own business, these courses may help you onto the right path: Business Studies • Economics • ICT

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A foundation degree is a great way to gain a higher education qualification while learning practical skills. They are designed by ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS Like an apprenticeship, these are great universities and employers to give you both for people who prefer to work while they a qualification and the experience to carry learn. Many people find that it’s a natural into the working world. progression to go onto Level 3 because of the experience they get from doing so. A Level They are the equivalent to the first two years 3 qualification is yours for upon completion, of an honours degree and many people such as an NVQ, BTEC or Diploma. Here take them having worked in the sector for are the relevant Apprenticeship Frameworks some time. There are various courses available, such as Salon and Business for your sector: Management. Hairdressing/Barbering • Beauty Therapy • Nail Services

Hair & Beauty

REGIONAL FOCUS There are more hair and beauty businesses in the South East than in any other region, which is reﬂected in the vast amount of people employed in the sector! Learning to be a hairdresser, beauty therapist or other beauty specialist is usually done through a college or training provider, and there are several fantastic places to learn throughout the region. North West Kent College and the South East Regional College have great beauty courses, and Aylesbury College has a fully equipped salon within the college itself!

COLLEGE COURSES

Colleges are also a good way to get into this sector; it is more learning based, but there is a fairly heavy practical element as well. To ﬁnd out which colleges have courses relevant to the Hair and Beauty sector, visit www.careersworld.co.uk. Alternatively, check your local council to see which colleges provide courses. www.careersworld.co.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.

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

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! www.careersworld.co.uk

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)

CONSTRUCTION

Building structures is something the human race has always prided itself in; from simple houses to the Empire State Building, every building requires a different method of planning and construction. Actually building the structure is just one part of the process; there are a whole host of job roles in this sector! Civil engineers and surveyors plan and design building projects, scaffolders construct safe platforms for others to use, plumbers fit pipes for various water outlets and painters make everything look eye catching. This is an industry that combines both practical and design orientated job roles.

Example Job Roles: Bricklayer • Plumber • Plasterer • Surveyor • Civil Engineer • Painter/Decorator • Joiner • Carpenter • Scaﬀolder Salaries: Civil Engineering starting salaries are around the £15,000 mark. Salaries around practical roles such as Joinery and Bricklaying tend to start at around £13,000. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3 - this is a popular route into this sector) • A-Levels • College Courses • Foundation Degree • HND

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.

ENGINEERING

Engineering is a vast sector which can be choose to work in, you can be sure that your broken down into seven main categories; work will be challenging and varied. chemicals, mechanical, metals, electrical, aerospace, marine and defence. Chemical Example Job Roles: Systems Engineer • engineers manufacture everyday products from Aerospace Engineer • Electrical Technician • raw materials such as crude oil. Mechanical Lab Technician engineers work with high-tech machinery, Salaries: Salaries start at around £14,000. while the metal engineering industry covers Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Levels 2 the creation of steel and other alloys. Electrical and 3) • A-Levels (Technology and Maths are engineers work with, you guessed it, electrical helpful here) • College Courses • Foundation systems and aerospace is all about creating and Degrees improving things that ﬂy. Defence is all about, er, defending the country. Whichever area you

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

Our healthcare system is renowned for being one of the best in the world, so what better sector to get into? Nearly 1.5m people work for the NHS, which is the main employer for healthcare in this country. But this sector also covers private companies and professions, such as therapists, dentists, social workers and support staﬀ. You could be working in a hospital helping to heal sick people, or going out visiting patients and clients in their own homes. Whatever you choose to do, you’ll ﬁnd this sector provides you with a rewarding and satisfying career.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Example Job Roles: Healthcare Assistant • Dental Nurse • Maternity Support Worker • Optical Care Assistant • Social Worker • Clincial Support Staﬀ Salaries: Starting salaries are between £11,000 and £18,000. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

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

RETAIL

Well, who doesn’t love shopping? Retail is big business in the UK and we spent £311 billion on shopping last year (when I say we, I mean the country, not me and the missus...), therefore there is a need for skilled retail staﬀ to cover the demand. Retail covers all forms of shopping, from high street clothing stores to giant supermarkets. Customer service and communication skills are vital to this industry, so if you are a helpful, happy person, then a career in retail could be right up your street. Get it? Street? Shopping? Ah, never mind.

Example Job Roles: Sales Assistant • Visual Merchandiser • Manager/Supervisor/ Team Leader • Retail Buyer Salaries: Starting salaries in the retail sector are usually around £11,500. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

SPORT & FITNESS

Getting fit and healthy has become a really important part of people’s lives. This sector is all about helping people improve through various forms of exercise; this might be in a gym using weights, or on a football pitch playing in a cup final. Either way, this sector is about making people feel good about themselves so you’ll need good interpersonal skills and a determined nature to help push people to achieve their goals. You could find yourself training somebody in a health club, or outside coaching athletes in a variety of sports.

Example Job Roles: Personal Trainer • Sports Coach • Fitness Instructor • Outdoor Activities Supervisor Salaries: Gym based job roles tend to start out at around £13,000, while coaches start on anywhere between £12,000 and £18,000. Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3, inc. a route into professional sports) • A-Levels (Sport Science and Biology will be of use) • College Courses • Foundation Degree • Industry Specific Qualifications

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

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

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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

Careers Hub

Confused about Clearing?

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!

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

YOU ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER A DIFFERENT COURSE

GO TO

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

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?

SEARCH FOR NEW COLLEGE OR UNI AND TRY AGAIN

GO TO

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

TAKE A LOOK AROUND THEIR CAMPUS OR WEBSITE/S

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

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE GOING TO COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY!

Where are you heading? 44

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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

BTEC FIRSTS

LEVEL

NVQs

LEVEL

FOUNDATION LEVEL 3 DEGREES 4+

LEVEL

APPRENTICESHIPS

FOUNDATIONS 1

A LEVELS

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

SPECIALIST LEVEL 4+ 3 AWARDS

LEVEL

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!

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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

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

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Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

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National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

Image courtesy of Maersk

Want more than the usual 9-5? Why not consider a career at sea? The merchant navy offers the chance of an adventurous lifestyle packed with exciting and well-paid career prospects with challenges and responsibility for those who want more than the usual ‘nine to five’ routine. Come along to our open day at Warsash Maritime Academy to find out more about an exciting career as a ship’s officer in the merchant navy.

· Meet the sponsoring shipping companies · Operate our bridge and engine room simulators · Watch fire fighting demonstrations · Listen to talks about life as an officer on board · Talk to our lecturers and cadets

Careers Open Day Friday 27 June 2014 10am - 3pm

For more information and to register visit:

www.warsashacademy.co.uk/careers

You want to be inspired Working alongside subject experts on projects for some of the most exciting organisations in the UK, making a real difference?

You want be part of the Capgemini IT Apprentice Programme.

Capgemini’s apprentice programmes are accelerated learning positions that allow you to pursue your career and education ambitions at the same time. As an apprentice, you have a permanent, salaried role where you can develop your IT skills working on client projects under expert guidance. Along with career experience, you can earn industry-recognised qualifications: a sponsored degree through the Higher Apprentice Programme or a Level 3 ICT qualification on the Advanced Apprentice Programme Higher Apprentice

Find out more and apply now at www.uk.capgemini.com/you

UNIVERSITIES University of Brighton www.brighton.ac.uk 01273 600900 The University of Buckingham www.buckingham.ac.uk 01280 8814080 Buckinghamshire New University www.bucks.ac.uk 0800 0565 660 Canterbury Christ Church University www.canterbury.ac.uk 01227 782900 University of Chichester www.chiuni.ac.uk 01243 816000 University for the Creative Arts www.ucreative.ac.uk 01252 722411 The University of Kent www.kent.ac.uk 01227 827272 Oxford University www.admissions.ox.ac.uk 01865 270000

Oxford Brookes University www.brookes.ac.uk 01865 741111

UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES

University of Porstmouth www.port.ac.uk 023 9284 8484

Bluewater UTC www.utcolleges.org 01322 620426

University of Reading www.reading.ac.uk 0118 378 8619

Buckinghamshire UTC www.buckinghamshire utc.co.uk 01296 388451

Royal Holloway, University of London www.rhul.ac.uk 01784 434455

Elstree UTC www.utcolleges 01707 284458

University of Southampton www.southampton.ac.uk 023 8059 5000 Southampton Solent University www.solent.ac.uk 023 8031 9000 University of Surrey www.surrey.ac.uk 01483 300800 University of Sussex www.sussex.ac.uk 01273 606755 University of Winchester www.winchester.ac.uk 01962 827234

UTC Reading www.utcreading.co.uk 0118 955 4544

COLLEGES BERKSHIRE

Berkshire College of Agriculture www.bca.ac.uk 0800 0711 666 Bracknell and Wokingham College www.bracknell.ac.uk 0845 330 3343 East Berkshire College www.eastberks.ac.uk 0845 373 2500

Newbury College www.newbury-college. ac.uk 01635 845000 Reading College www.reading-college. ac.uk 0800 371 434

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Amersham and Wycombe College www.amersham.ac.uk 0800 614 016 Aylesbury College www.aylesbury.ac.uk 01296 588 588

HAMPSHIRE & ISLE OF WIGHT

Brockenhurst College www.brock.ac.uk 01590 625555 Eastleigh College www.eastleigh.ac.uk 023 8091 1000 Fareham College www.fareham.ac.uk 01329 815200 Farnborough College of Technology www.farn-ct.ac.uk 01252 407040 Havant College www.havant.ac.uk 023 9248 3856 Highbury College www.highbury.ac.uk 023 9238 3131

Alton College www.altoncollege.ac.uk 01420 592200

Isle of Wight College www.iwightc.ac.uk 01983 526631

Barton Peveril College www.barton-peveril.ac.uk 023 8036 7200

Itchen College www.itchen.ac.uk 023 8043 5636

Basingstoke College of Technology www.bcot.ac.uk 01256 306484

Peter Symonds College www.psc.ac.uk 01962 857500

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.

Careersworld advert - autumn 2013 v1IC.indd 1

www.careersworld.co.uk

Queen Mary’s College www.qmc.ac.uk 01256 417500 South Downs College www.southdowns.ac.uk 023 9279 7979 Southampton City College www.southampton-city. ac.uk 023 8048 4848 Sparsholt College www.sparsholt.ac.uk 01962 776441 St. Vincent College www.stvincent.ac.uk 023 9258 8311 Taunton’s College www.tauntons.ac.uk 023 8051 1181 The Sixth Form College Farnborough www.farnborough.ac.uk 01252 688 200

KENT & MIDWAY

OXFORDSHIRE

Canterbury College www.cant-col.ac.uk 01227 811111

Abingdon and Witney College www.abingdon-witney. ac.uk 01235 555 585

East Kent College www.thanet.ac.uk 01843 605040

Oxford and Cherwell Valley College www.ocvc.ac.uk 01865 550550

Hadlow College www.hadlow.ac.uk 0500 551 434

The Henley College www.henleycol.ac.uk 01491 579988

K College www.kcollege.ac.uk 0845 207 8220

City College, Brighton and Hove www.ccb.ac.uk 01273 667788

Reigate College www.reigate.ac.uk 01737 221118

Northbrook College www.northbrook.ac.uk 0845 155 60 60

Strode’s College www.strodes.ac.uk 01784 437506

Plumpton College www.plumpton.ac.uk 01273 890 454

Woking College www.woking.ac.uk 01483 761036

Sussex Coast College www.sussexcoast.ac.uk 01424 442222

SUSSEX

SURREY

Mid-Kent College www.midkent.ac.uk 01643 402020 North West Kent College www.nwkcollege.ac.uk 0800 074 1447

MILTON KEYNES Milton Keynes College www.mkcollege.ac.uk 01908 684444

Brooklands College www.brooklands.ac.uk 01932 797 700

Bexhill College www.bexhillcollege.ac.uk 01424 214545

East Surrey College www.esc.ac.uk 01737 772661

Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College www.bhasvic.ac.uk 01273 552200

Esher College www.esher.ac.uk 020 8398 0291 Godalming College www.godalming.ac.uk 01483 423526 Guilford College of Further and Higher Education www.guildford.ac.uk 01483 448500

Totton College www.totton.ac.uk 023 80 874 874

“

North East Surrey College of Technology www.nescot.ac.uk 020 8394 3038

Central Sussex College www.centralsussex.ac.uk 0845 1550043

Sussex Downs College www.sussexdowns.ac.uk 01273 483188 The College of Richard Collyer www.collyers.ac.uk 01403 210822 Varndean College www.varndean.ac.uk 01273 508011 Worthing College www.worthing.ac.uk 01903 243389

Chichester College www.chichester.ac.uk 01243 786321

“

Portsmouth College www.portsmouth-college. ac.uk 023 9266 7521

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

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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. • • • • •

• • • • •

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

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