Careers World East of England AUTUMN 2013 by Open Doors Media Ltd

EAST OF ENGLAND edition

AUTUMN 2013

JESSICA ENNIS-HILL “We all need to have a vision of what we might want to do as a career”

UCAS: THE GUIDE

Our ultimate guide for applying to Uni

RPA? TRAINEESHIPS? Our Editor gives you the lowdown...

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We’re Careers World funky new features, including Magazine, your one stop some frequently asked place for careers guidance! questions, some advice from careers advisors and This term brings some an interview with the lovely important choices for a lot of Jessica Ennis-Hill. people, so we’re here to help you make the choices that So, what are you still looking suit you best. at the contents page for? Turn this page over (actually, In this issue, we will provide maybe look at the contents you with some tips and tricks ﬁrst) and start your journey to help you make those towards your dream career! important decisions, as well as an in depth look at the biggest career sectors in your region. You’ll also ﬁnd some Tom Haymes, Editor

Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill tells us her inspirations for success in the ﬁrst of our new features.

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

Travel & Hospitality

27 39

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

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

Transport & Logistics

Business & Customer Service

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

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

Hair & Beauty

Some commonly asked questions about this time of year.

23 35

Creative, Media & The Arts

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

Applying to University: All You Need to Know! A handy guide to the many aspects of applying for university!

And now for something completely different...

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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 ©2013. ISSN: 2050-6570

As part of our shiny new look, we’ve decided on some new features. This section will feature interviews with famous people about their life and careers; don’t forget, they were all in your position once! First up is Olympic Heptathlon Gold Medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill. Jess grew up in Sheﬃeld, Yorkshire and was competing in track and ﬁeld from an early age. She talks to our editor about her experiences and provides some insight into what it’s like to be a professional athlete!

So, has the euphoria of the Olympics worn off, or do you still get goosebumps when you hold your medal? I still get a real buzz when I see the footage from London, or show my medal to people. I worked so hard over twelve years to win that medal so it’s such a satisfying feeling to simply hold it and remind myself I did it.

Studies have recently shown that a student that has completed an Apprenticeship is just as desirable to an employer as a university graduate because of the work experience gained. What are your thoughts on this? I think it’s really important to have some kind of qualification to fall back on and as an apprentice you usually come away with supporting qualifications. I think we all need Your affinity for athletics began at a young age; at what point did you decide to have a vision of what we might want to do as a career as this sets you up with a you wanted to be a full time athlete? I first tried running, jumping and throwing at foundation for working. the age of ten and when one of the coaches suggested I join a club, I started to focus People often cite their parents as an on specific disciplines. So I was roughly influence on their careers, how much 13 years old when I decided sport was the input did your family have on your career for me. career choice? My parents weren’t really an influence on me; they offered me support and advice It’s obviously a lot of people’s dream when I wanted it, but it was me who made to be a sports personality, what does it feel like to be living that dream? Do you the decisions in the end. still pinch yourself before you compete at big events? Away from the track, what do you do I don’t think you ever dream of being a to unwind between events? I hear you sports personality; you dream of being the are a Sheffield United fan… best athlete and for athletics the highest I do support Sheffield United, but I’m not a achievement is to win Olympic Gold. The huge football fan; I don’t have the time to rest of it is a by product of striving for that really follow a lot of sport as I train 6 days a goal. I do really enjoy all of the fun events, week. In my downtime I like nothing better glamorous parties and amazing shoots, but than curling up on the sofa with a good TV first and foremost I am an athlete. box-set to watch. I need my rest!

Determination is vital to being a professional athlete; would you say that same attribute could be applied to studying in school? I was always a focused student but I had to work hard to achieve really good grades – so yes if you apply yourself you will achieve your best.

Before making the choice to become a full time athlete, did you ever want to do anything else? At one time I did think I’d like to be a journalist, but really I took up athletics pretty young and was ambitious as a sportswoman from the outset.

When you decide to hang up your trainers, will you remain in some sort of sporting capacity or will you move into something else? I’m not really sure, but I deﬁnitely want to put something back into sport and help others with their careers. How that will look is something I am working on at the moment, but I still have a few years left on the track!

You studied Psychology at university, which is a bit different to athletics, what was your thinking there? I really enjoyed psychology and wanted to study something outside sport; I loved the course and I think if I was not an athlete I would have pursued a career in psychology.

Obviously Shefﬁeld has a huge manufacturing background; how much did your environment affect your choices growing up? Shefﬁeld has played a key role in shaping me; I was born there, discovered athletics there, I went to school and university there and I choose to still live and train there. People from Yorkshire are known to be pretty down to Earth and being surrounded by honest and kind people has been a real advantage. I also have a very close family network and I think the combination has meant I had no desire to go to university in the US or anywhere else. So yes, I can say it has affected my choices.

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Do you have any tips for young people who want to pursue a career in professional sports? Make sure you get the balance right between sport and education; you need a good education to get you through your whole life, whereas a sports career is relatively short. The heptathlon is your speciality, why did you choose this over other track and ﬁeld events? I tried out all disciplines when I was young and was guided by my current coach into heptathlon as I had the ability to do all 7 disciplines. How important do you feel careers advice is to young people? If you have no idea what you want to do, it is always good to look at all the options available. Careers advice can help you focus on what it is that you really want to do.

What’s next for you then? Has the preparation for the next Olympics begun? I’m taking each championship as it comes, and my long term goal will of course be the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

As a result of your successes, you must have met some interesting people? Who’s your favourite person you’ve met so far? It’s hard to say; there have been a lot of really interesting people, but I might have to say David Beckham who is incredibly nice and a great family man – principles I really like. Do professionals such as yourself have much involvement in training younger athletes who are just starting out? Not whilst you are an athlete yourself as you have to really focus on your own training. But when I can I share experiences through my work with Sky Sports ‘Living for Sport’ or through my website. You have travelled all over the world competing; which country have you enjoyed the most? I think it’s probably the commonwealth games in Melbourne, Australia; I loved the city and the people. Rome in Italy is a close second. Do the Olympians form a sort of social circle? Do you speak to any other athletes a lot outside of competitions? Not really, I tend to have close friends during competitions and training camps but when I am done at the track it’s key for me to switch off and be with my family and friends from school, they keep me real. Do you have any tips for people about to make those vital career choices? Take time to work out what you enjoy the most; work is full time and it’s much easier if you enjoy what you do and get satisfaction from doing it. If you don’t know, then don’t rush into something, you might regret it later in life.

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Each issue, we ask our editor to give you a roundup of the topics that are going to 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 go through pages of information to learn all this, but don’t worry; we’ve done all that for you! Without further ado, we’ll introduce our editor!

MEET THE EDITOR

My name is Tom and I’m the editor for Careers World magazine. As surprising as it may sound, it wasn’t too long ago that I had to make choices about what I wanted to do. I remember sitting in a stuffy classroom, being confronted with weird words like ‘Apprenticeship’, ‘Vocational’ and ‘Wikipedia’ (I’m not actually joking, life was tough back then...). I looked blankly at my careers advisor as they listed off what seemed like pages and pages of options, courses and colleges. I was in way over my head. Which path was the right one for me? What were these government programmes that I’d heard about? I know that the position I was in wasn’t unique to me; there were, are and always will be thousands of young people who aren’t really sure what they’re going to do after leaving school, or what’s really going on in the world of education. This article is here to discuss some of the hot topics in the world of education, so that you are aware of how they impact you and what you can do to make sure you fully beneﬁt from them. So then, let’s get started.

RAISING THE PARTICIPATION AGE Or RPA to you and me! It might sound like something you’d hear in a credit card advert, but RPA is very, very important to you.

WHAT IS RPA?

It essentially dictates the age that somebody is free to leave compulsory education, so it really has a bearing on the choices you’ll be making in the near future. Compulsory education was, until this year, completed at the end of Year 11 (at the age of 16) and then you were free to go out and do what you liked. With the participation age now moved to 17, it means those leaving school in Year 11 must continue in education (or other options – we’ll get to that). It doesn’t, as many worried young people thought, mean that they’re sticking another year into secondary school. You still do GCSEs in Year 11; the only difference is you now have to choose your next step in education. www.careersworld.co.uk

WHY CHANGE IT?

Many young people are a bit bafﬂed as to why the government has told them they have to spend another year in education or training. I can see why; at 16 you gain more independence and some of you will be keen to see what you can make of yourselves in the wider world. This is admirable, but the problem was that people were leaving school and then not doing anything at all. This not only puts a strain on our beneﬁts and welfare system, but it also means that many young people weren’t able to get jobs further down the line.

After a great deal of thought, the government decided that rather than risk young people’s talents going to waste, they’d implement a system which gave the younger generations a chance to be prepared for the working world. It shouldn’t be thought of as ‘making you stay in school’ because this isn’t the case at all; it’s simply a way of ensuring that young people have a better chance of employment in a very tough job market.

CHOICES, CHOICES...

As I said, you don’t have to stay in school if you don’t want to. Full time education doesn’t mean full time school. There are basically 3 options you can choose from, which are as follows: • •

•

Full -time study in a Sixth Form, college or with a training provider Full-time work or volunteering combined with part-time education or training An Apprenticeship

Many of you will already have made your decision and won’t really have noticed all of this going on. If you’ve already applied for a Sixth Form or College, then you’ve voluntarily applied for full time study without even thinking about it. If you haven’t made a choice yet, then don’t panic! If you don’t fancy the idea of continuing studying, then you can opt to get a job instead.

on your C.V.! Again, this has to be accompanied by training or education, but the education can be done part time while you work.

WHO IT AFFECTS

If you’re reading this and you’re in Year 11 or below, then you’ll be the ﬁrst crop of young people to experience the RPA. If this is the case, then chances are you’ve already made your decision on what it is you want to do next. The options will be explained to you in more detail by your careers advisors and teachers; remember, don’t worry if you don’t know what to do, there are plenty of people around you willing to help. As the year progresses, you’ll perhaps learn more about what it is you want to do.

Now that job, as part of the new RPA rules, must include training. The best way to do this is through an Apprenticeship. Why, you ask? Well, an Apprenticeship allows you to earn money while you train in a fully functioning, work environment. They’re available in pretty much every line of work you can think of; head to www.apprenticeships. org.uk, register and apply (you THE FUTURE can apply for up to ten at a time If you are just starting Year and registration is totally free!). 11, then you’ll have plenty of You can also volunteer or do time to choose your next step. intern work; you won’t get paid, With GCSEs coming up in the but the experience will look great summer, it’s probably an idea

to start thinking about it now. What you choose in the future will have a much larger bearing, because as of next summer, the participation age goes up again, to 18. The same rules apply; you’ll still do GCSEs in the Summer Term and ﬁnish Year 11, but you must then remain in education or training for two years, until you turn 18. If you’ve applied to study A-Levels, then you won’t notice as they take 2 years to complete anyway. If you’ve applied for an Apprenticeship, then once it’s completed, you’ll have to continue in something else; this could either be the next level up on the Apprenticeship, or it could be work based training in a job role you’ve found.

TRAINEESHIPS There’s a really annoying loop you can get into when looking for work. You’ll apply for a job, but you’ll be told that to get the position you need to have experience. But without working, how do you get that experience do you need? You need a job, which you can’t get because you don’t have experience. See how irritating that is? It’s a cycle that nearly everybody encounters when they start looking for work. In particular, this has become a common theme among young people applying for Apprenticeships. Apprenticeships have always been seen as the best way for people to gain experience and training while earning money. The problem now is that young people aren’t getting Apprenticeships because employers have deemed them ‘unsuitable’. The solution; the traineeship! A traineeship is part of the same family that the Apprenticeship scheme is in. Think of a traineeship as a practice Apprenticeship; there’s no qualiﬁcation at the end of it (unless you undertook an English or maths course during your traineeship), but that aside, you’ll often undertake everything you’ll encounter in a full Apprenticeship programme.

WHO THEY’RE FOR

Anybody between the ages of 16-24 (from August 2013) can undertake a traineeship; the program is available to young people with learning disabilities up to the age of 25. Traineeships are aimed at young people who aren’t in a job and have little work experience, but have a strong desire to find employment. It suits those who are between the ages of 16 and 19 and are qualified below Level 3, or those between 19 and 24 who have not achieved a Level 2 qualification. If you’re already in work then there’s no need to worry about it at the moment, but if for whatever reason you find yourself out of a job, a traineeship could help you get back out there!

www.careersworld.co.uk

WHAT YOU’LL GET OUT OF IT

Traineeships are designed, ﬁrst and foremost, to prepare young people for work. Therefore, the focus is on building up the traits employers look for in people. This could be something as simple as practising for interviews or learning what to wear, right up to having solid maths and English skills. Skills training is an important part of a traineeship, as employers value good numerical and literary skills. If you already have a GCSE A*-C in those subjects, then it’s not something you’ll have to worry about. If you don’t, then the traineeship can help build up your qualiﬁcations to a level that you require. This level can be entry, Level 1 or Level 2; whatever suits your needs. The core of the traineeship will be a high quality work placement. This will be at a workplace of your choice, therefore helping

FINAL THOUGHTS...

The aim of this is to ensure that the next generation of young people have the skills necessary to compete in today’s job market. By undertaking compulsory education, skills can be built up to a point where a young person feels confident when looking for work. It’s all about benefitting you. You might not realise these benefits straight away, but when it comes to applying for work, you’ll have an advantage if you’ve already had a job! Don’t think of it as having to spend 1 or 2 extra years in school, that’s a myth that’s completely wrong. The options you choose open up many gateways to your career, something which you and you alone will choose.

with the ‘lack of experience’ factor of job applications. Your work placement will be created to suit your needs and will last from anywhere between six weeks and ﬁve months. Employers will design a programme that gives you the best possible preparation for working in the job role full time. There’s even a chance that the company you do your placement at will offer you an Apprenticeship scheme!

GETTING ONTO A TRAINEESHIP SCHEME

You can apply for a traineeship by getting in contact with your local learning provider. It’s a very popular scheme, so be prepared to wait a little while to get a place. You can also call the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600; you’ll be put through to a friendly person who’ll take your details and help get you onto the scheme.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

Ready for this? Nothing. It will cost you absolutely nothing. This scheme is aimed at those who might have trouble paying for other qualiﬁcations they might need to get into work, so it’d be a bit pointless charging people for it!

FINISHING THE COURSE

FINAL THOUGHTS...

Your traineeship will be over when one of Traineeships have been brought in to shore three things happens: up a gap that has long needed filling. The age old ‘experience’ problem will become • You move into employment, a thing of the past. The traineeship scheme an apprenticeship or further has just started in the last few months and education/training has already received a huge number of • You’ve completed all the aspects applications. Don’t worry though; they can of the course, including the work be undertaken at any time of year, so if you placement ring up and get put on a waiting list then be • You’ve been in the programme for patient. You won’t be waiting long and it’ll more than six months really be worth it in the end, especially if the end result is a job or Apprenticeship. If it’s because of the first one, then congratulations! If it’s one of the others, then don’t worry. While you’re working, your local learning provider will be working with employers to organise an Apprenticeship for you to start. You’ll also be provided with support if there are any qualifications you need to complete to find work. At the end of the traineeship, you’ll receive certificates for any qualifications you took while on the course, such as maths and English awards. You’ll also receive a reference from your employer, highlighting your strengths and experiences. You can use this reference as part of your C.V. when applying for jobs and coupled with your experience, will give your application hopes a real boost!

www.careersworld.co.uk

APPLY L-Earn   

Section Heading

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 WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND BENEFITS CAN YOU OFFER POTENTIAL APPLICANTS?

We help our clients create the value they want, from public and private companies, to governments and charities. We help to measure, protect and enhance the things that matter most to them. Web: www.pwc.com/uk/employability

Join PwC and you’ll have the opportunity to be part of the world’s leading professional services network and enjoy the benefits that come with that. You’ll get to work with big name clients where you’ll get to grips with the value they’re looking for by getting into the detail. We’ll provide an environment where you’ll be able to explore new opportunities, to help you grow and find your niche. And we’ll also give you access to the best learning and development around. Everyone enjoys a structured career programme, including study towards a professional qualification.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

Your intellect, willingness to learn, ability to build relationships, put yourself in others’ shoes, while always making a positive impact with our clients and each other. For most of our programmes we take any degree subject

www.careersworld.co.uk

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

No matter which area of the business you choose to join, all routes offer the same deal. The opportunity to grow as an individual, to meet new people, and build lasting relationships that will stay with you for life. Your hard work will be rewarded with a competitive salary and a personally tailored beneﬁts package.

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

You might not know it, but there’s a good chance you’re already developing the skills we’re looking for. To support you, we’ve developed an employability guide, to help you identify situations where you might be building them. Visit www.pwc. com/uk/employability for tips on how you can draw on these areas. What’s important is that you reﬂect on your experiences and use well thought-out examples, both in your online application and when we meet you.

De Montfort University (DMU) is committed to giving its students an education that will propel them into successful careers, while equipping them with vital life skills.

WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND BENEFITS CAN YOU OFFER POTENTIAL APPLICANTS?

You will gain a deep insight into and understanding of your chosen subject area, plus an internationally recognised qualiﬁcation that will enable you to start working towards a successful career. At DMU we focus huge amounts of effort ensuring our graduates go onto fantastic jobs – we offer placement years with many of our degree courses and have industry links with leading UK and international employers such as Deloitte, Hewlett Packard and the BBC.

Web: www.dmu.ac.uk

Baltic Training Services provide real employment opportunities for young people who are looking to gain real life work experience, recognised qualiﬁcations and earn while they learn! We offer apprenticeships in; I.T. Professional Level 3 & 4, Software Development and Social Media and Digital Marketing across the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber and the Midlands.

WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND BENEFITS CAN YOU OFFER POTENTIAL APPLICANTS?

The ability to gain on the job training, receiving a guaranteed minimum salary of approximately £100 per week whilst gaining a nationally recognised qualiﬁcation, with the addition of free vendor qualiﬁcations including CISCO essentials, Microsoft Professional and CompTia depending on the apprenticeship completed.

Web: www.baltictraining.com

Great Yarmouth College ﬁrst opened its doors nearly 60 years ago and much has changed since then. However, our dedication to students and the pursuit of educational excellence remains the same. We are a specialist vocational college with a proven record of offering the right skills and training for both today and tomorrow’s workforce, on programmes delivered in and out of the College. Web: www.gyc.ac.uk Facebook: gycollege Twitter: @gycollege

WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AND BENEFITS CAN YOU OFFER POTENTIAL APPLICANTS?

We offer a personalised approach to planning your future; a high quality learning experience with committed, supportive and knowledgeable staff. Students are taught by people who have experience of the industry… they have done the jobs they are teaching; working as engineers, chefs, retail managers etc.

www.careersworld.co.uk

The University Let’s not forget that the student lifestyle is key in making the experience memorable. You gain independence, meet lots of new people and live somewhere new (if you choose to). With this in mind, DMU has fantastic facilities, night life, a new £8 million leisure centre, societies and clubs that truly enhance university life.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

All applicants need a combination of academic qualiﬁcations and relevant experience (which always looks positive on an application) to get onto their chosen degree course. The personal statement is a really important part of the process and

demonstrates your ability to ‘sell’ yourself working, as well as excellent interpersonal – we are looking for enthusiasm and a real skills which are all invaluable in helping you passion for and dedication to the chosen ﬁnd your perfect job. subject.

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

DMU graduates have gone on to work in a number of careers for employers such as Barclays and Warner Bros, have created stunning digital visualisations for NASA of the latest space discoveries and research, and set trends by designing clothes for Lady Gaga. All graduates show that they are capable of studying at a higher level; you will also develop many ‘transferrable’ skills such as project management and team

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

University offers fantastic opportunities that are hard to come by at any other time of life – make the most of it! You’ll meet academic experts, advance your skill set, complete placement years and start networking. You can also join lots of clubs and societies, committees and community projects and make lifelong friends.

The Training Provider WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

As our qualiﬁcations are a Level 3 standard, a good level of English and Maths is required, as well as a genuine interest in the role. However if a candidate shows a natural aptitude and ability we will consider any application.

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

80% of our candidates are employed by the Be yourself, research the position and know employer on completion of their qualiﬁcation, your employer! if not they are in receipt of a high skill set, knowledge and work experience to transfer to future employment.

The College WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

A keen willingness to learn and wanting to improve your life chances. Most courses have clear entry requirements and we love you to contact us so we can help on a one to one basis to ﬁnd how best to achieve the right qualiﬁcations for their futures.

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

We pride ourselves on preparing students Believe in yourself the world really is your for employment and also for further study, oyster. both at College and into Higher Education. We aim to make a difference to the The college is extremely involved in community and economy of the area by apprenticeships with over 500 students developing individuals aged 14+ to believe each year learning whilst they earn at GYC. in themselves and to achieve and succeed The college attends a number of events in their goals. in the community and schools and invites people to come in for a chat either at open days or we have a walk in’ information centre open daily throughout the year.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Where are you heading? We can help you… The National Careers Service offers millions of young people and adults the chance to develop their potential. We also support the experts who are there to help you. If you live in England and are aged 13 or older, then you can use our service. What’s more, it’s free. We can offer you plenty of information, advice and support to help you decide what’s best for your future development and help you make the most of your skills. Whether you’re interested in an Apprenticeship, taking a university degree or simply volunteering, we’re here to help you take that next step.

To find out more, search online for National Careers Service or call 0800 100 900

Great careers start at Cambridge Regional College

Chelmsford Training Services

A fantastic 96 per cent of students would recommend Cambridge Regional College to their friends - it has some of the best facilities in the country and is home to around 4,000 full-time students, all studying a great range of subjects.

Chelmsford Training Services delivers work-based learning through a variety of business solutions including Apprenticeships. We have offices and training facilities in Chelmsford City Centre, as well as a hair and beauty academy - Lee Stafford Academy.

Courses are taught by tutors who are experts in their field, so students learn the specialist skills employers want - giving them outstanding career prospects. Hands-on vocational training is a good start for jobs in a wide range of sectors, from health care and engineering to catering and IT.

Our training programmes range from Pre-Apprenticeship Employability courses to the Apprenticeship programme progressing to Advanced Apprenticeships. We offer a variety of programmes ranging from Business Administration, Warehousing and IT to Sport and Childcare.

Employability skills are an important part of all courses at CRC - a big advantage when it comes to job-hunting - and students have plenty of opportunity to show off their skills. The college encourages everyone to enter competitions, with very successful results. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking of going on to university, check out the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s higher education programmes - fees are much lower than at the average university, and are taught in small friendly groups, benefiting from the high value as well as low cost.

We look at upskilling the workforce to make organisations more effective, productive and competitive by addressing skills gaps and as a wholly owned subsidiary of Chelmsford College, learners will benefit from a range of professional services such as learning support, careers advice and guidance. We have experts to help identify organisation needs and training solutions. Our aim is to offer an excellent standard of training and support to make a positive difference to a business.

The college has a very successful apprenticeship programme, with more than 3,500 apprentices currently in training, so if you want to earn while you learn then an apprenticeship could be perfect for you. Web: www.chelmsfordtraining.com Tel: 01245 29 30 31

Web: www.camre.ac.uk Tel: 01223 226 315

www.careersworld.co.uk

Broadland Council Training Services

Norfolk Skills

Broadland Council Training services (BCTS) based in Norwich, provide training courses and work experience to school leavers. A wide range of courses is on offer. Through BCTS you can gain qualifications, valuable experience and a route to further education and training or a job.

Norfolk Training Services Ltd (NTS) started life in 1969 and has grown to one of the largest work-based learning providers in the East of England with training centres at Norwich, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth. NTS provides government-funded training in a wide range of skills: motor vehicle engineering, construction, health and social care, hospitality, retail, business administration and logistics.

BCTS offer a variety of foundation learning and skills for life programmes designed to help young people raise their confidence and skills. From September 2013 our teaching programme will include vocational subjects such as:

• • • • • • •

Child Care Sports and Healthy Lifestyle Music Public Services Activity Leadership Customer Service and Business Administration Equine and Animal Care

Learners will also have the opportunity to gain functional skills literacy and numeracy qualifications to level 2. plus: Social and Personal Development Skills, Community Engagement and Citizenship, Job Search and Employability Skills. A job with training is a good option for school leavers wanting to get onto the first rung of their career ladder. At BCTS we help young people to develop the skills that employers want. We offer a variety of apprenticeship & management training programmes. All of our Apprentices have employed status and BCTS staff help to match you to a suitable employer.

Through NTS, skills training is available to people of all ages: Year 10 and Year 11 school pupils attend our training centres on one day per week; unemployed young people between 16 and 18 working towards the right qualifications for an Apprenticeship or Further Education can come to NTS on a Study Programme; Apprenticeships are real paid jobs with training towards a nationally-recognised qualification. NTS tutors and assessors are industry-qualified and have teachertraining qualifications. Although we train a lot of people at NTS we maintain small training groups with 1 instructor for each 10 learners because we believe that this allows learners to receive the best attention and the best opportunity to gain their qualification. Specialist tutors are also employed by NTS to work with young people who missed out on vital literacy and numeracy skills at school. Advice and Guidance staff at NTS hold an IAG level 4 qualification, which means they are able to providing information, advice and guidance services of the highest quality and expertise. As a skills and training provider, NTS is regularly inspected by Ofsted. The last inspection was in 2011, when NTS was awarded at Grade 2 overall. This means the Ofsted inspectors judged the services provided by NTS as good. NTS also holds an Investors in People Award.

As a successful Work Based Learning (WBL) provider, we regularly have over 250 learners working in a range of vocational apprenticeships, in Norfolk companies and organisations as diverse as tourism businesses, retailers, stables, accountancy firms and manufacturing units. Courses for learners aged 16 to 19 and some for the 19+ age group are funded by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and are free to participants. If you are interested in any of these programmes please call us for an informal chat.

Web: www.norfolktrainingservices.co.uk Tel: 01603 259900 Ext 255 Email: apprenticeships@norfolktrainingservices.co.uk

Web: www.broadland.gov.uk/bcts Tel: 01603 785841

www.careersworld.co.uk

Eden Training

A bright spark

Eden Training is an exciting work based training service delivering training for all ages at levels 1 to 5 across Essex.

Jack didn’t really enjoy academic study and quickly realised that he was gifted with practical skills and wanted to pursue a career in the electrical trade. He attended an interview at the College of West Anglia and secured an apprenticeship with a Wisbech based company.

An award winning company, Eden Training delivers Child Care, Business & Administration, Customer Service, Team Leading, Management and other accredited courses. Training that is recognised by awarding bodies is important as it tells employers the qualification is valued and meets high standards. If you are 16-18 you can leave school and undertake a fully funded Apprenticeship � and earn while you learn. Eden Training can access co-funding for 19-24 year olds undertaking an apprenticeship. Most learners over 24, studying at level 3 or 4, will qualify for the new 24+ Advanced Learning Loans for any of the courses Eden Training delivers.

Jack’s journey through the four year apprenticeship gave him a huge variety of electrical tasks to learn on-site whilst challenging him academically in college. Being able to relate the practical aspect of work with his academic study gave Jack the knowledge to pass the majority of his electrical based exams with credit or distinction grades. Completing his apprenticeship allowed Jack to progress in to working with several other local electrical companies, which covered further varieties of electrical installation and gave him an insight to running a company.

Whatever course is right for you Eden Training will offer knowledge and support that is accessible and designed around your individual needs to provide a positive training experience. All the staff are occupationally qualified with practical experience in a variety of workplaces, ensuring all training is delivered to a high standard.

Aged 25, Jack took the decision to start his own business. Once again he had to focus on learning new skills. Shortly after starting “Jack Oughton Electrical” the electrical regulations changed and he found himself having to return to college to pass the upgrades, he sailed through the exams.

Ofsted has praised Eden Training’s outstanding practice. Learner experiences reflect this:

Successfully trading for three years Jack continues to expand his client database by ensuring his work is first class. The business has now become so successful that Jack appointed his first electrical apprentice in August 2012.

“The course and training at Eden Training was excellent and the help from the staff was exceptional�also the course was fun” AR (July 2013) “I really enjoyed Eden College. The learning was broken up into bite size chunks so it was not too much work in one go” SC (July 2013)

Web: www.cwa.ac.uk Tel: 01553 761144

Web: www.edentraining.co.uk Tel: 01702 680068 Email: info@edentraining.co.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

Norfolk Training Services Ltd By now, all students have had their A Level or GCSE Results What’s the next move: more ed educati ucation, ucation, skills training or get a job? There’ possibilities ilities There’s a lot of choice, choice, lots of possib and students should explore all opportunities. Norfolk Training Services

has the lot:

• Apprenticeships • Study Programme • Traineeships You can only make your choice with the best advice. So, So, for a confidential chat, come and visit us. We’re at Norwich, King’ King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth Contact Information Tel Gillian Brown on (01603) 259900 ext 313 to arrange an appointment Or email apprenticeships@norfolktrainingservices.co.uk

web: www.norfolktrainingservices.co.uk www.norfolktrainingservices.co.uk

Transport & Logistics Imagine sending a letter to the USA; what happens after you pop it in the post box? That letter could travel by rail, sea, road or air – or all of them! Transport and logistics is all about the movement of goods and people from one place to another. The man who delivers your mail in the morning isn’t just a postman, he’s a logistics technician. His work involves planning, organising, troubleshooting, communicating and management. Whether it’s somebody’s order from eBay, a freighter full of oil or a plane full of passengers, the process of transporting goods and people is much more complex than what we see as customers.

WHAT’S THE TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

With more transactions taking place online, retailers are relying more on logistics companies to deliver the products to the customers, instead of the customer having to come and collect it (in fact, we can buy just about everything we need without leaving our homes! However, the process of delivering that product involves packaging, storing, sorting, loading, transport, unloading, ﬁling, recording and a whole host of jobs that you wouldn’t even think of!

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

There’s a large range of salaries in this sector; you can progress quickly if you can move into a management or supervisory role. A starting salary is usually between £10,000 and £17,500, but you’ll ﬁnd progression just as easy in smaller companies as you would in larger, better known ones, such as Network Rail or Royal Mail.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Because this industry involves transporting goods and people, you could be in a variety of different locations. The ﬁrst thing to consider is how the transportation is going to take place; it could be by road, rail, sea or air. Storage, packaging and sorting takes place in a warehouse, which could be at a business park if the delivery is by road, a port if it’s by the sea or an airport/airstrip if it’s by air. If you’re working as part of a

passenger transport company, you could ﬁnd yourself working on a train, plane or even a ferry to different countries!

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

The logistics sector currently employs over 2.3 million people across the UK, contributing £96 billion to our economy. This makes it the 5th largest sector in the UK. Because logistics is relied so heavily upon by other sectors, there’s an ever increasing demand for skilled workers – by 2020 900,000 new starters will be needed.

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

Again, this depends on which part of the industry you work in. Transport by air will probably see you based at a major airport, many of which are found in the London area. Marine based logistics will see you based at a port, such as Southampton, Portsmouth, Liverpool or Dover. Land based logistics companies are scattered across the country, but you’ll tend to ﬁnd them closer to major motorways such as the M1 and the M25 because it’s quicker to get the goods out across the country. Many logistics companies are international, so there’s a range of opportunities and travel to work abroad.

Kat Horsley, Operations Director, Easy as HGV After a few years searching for her vocation - working as a travel agent, a retail manager, and a promoter of rock and metal club nights - word of mouth led Kat to her career in logistics. A friend tipped her off about a job as trainee operations manager at Easy As HGV. “I started off here licking envelopes and look where I am today four years later!” Kat joined a company with only four employees, but with her help, Easy As HGV has gone from strength to strength and is outgrowing its office. Specialising in nationwide HGV training, the company now employs 40 people in a range of roles from training to marketing and sales. Kat is keen to encourage women and young people into the industry. In the last four years, the number of women employed at Easy As HGV has grown from 1 to 11. Her advice? “Don’t be afraid to think creatively - if something doesn’t work, pool resources with others to change it for the better. That’s the spirit of this industry. And get a good pair of flat shoes - you’re going to need them!” Delivering your future: The deﬁnitive guide to careers in logistics. www.deliveringyourfuture.co.uk

The Logistics Guild: Work placements for military leavers. www.logisticsguild.net

Logistics Skills Calculator: Find out what YOU could earn. www.skillscalculator.org

Professional Development Stairway: Plot your way up the logistics career ladder. www.thestairway.org

Made in China: Test your enterprise and Maths skills! www.madeinchinaresources. co.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices It’s probably fair to say that logistics is one of the most important sectors in the country; without it business couldn’t get their products out to their customers, clients couldn’t travel to important meetings and the country as a whole wouldn’t function. The 2012 London Olympics was one of the biggest logistics operations the UK has ever seen; 17,800 athletes from 205 countries competed, with more than 590,000 people coming to the UK to cheer them on! Everything from rail networks and delivery companies to commercial airlines are covered in this sector, so if you want to a career that’s going places, look no further!

RAIL SERVICES & OPERATIONS

Rail Services covers passenger and freight transport, as well as the maintenance of the tracks they run on. Trains can carry any number of things, from people to plutonium and running the network so that the two don’t collide is a difﬁcult task. You could be working on the trains themselves, or repairing the tracks and signals that they rely on. Starters in this line of work can expect to start out on around £13,000 for passenger rail services, while you can expect to start on between £10,000 and £14,000 in rail freight job roles. With advancement in both industries you could be on double that in no time.

GOODS TRANSPORTATION

We’ve all seen lorries on the motorway, probably without giving much thought as to what they’re carrying. Drivers travel all over the country delivering loads and carrying products from one area to another and if you’re a fan of travelling you’ll really get a kick out of this career. You could also find yourself behind the wheel of a van, or delivering by bike or motorcycle. If you’re in a truck, there’s also a strong possibility that you’ll have to drive to somewhere in Europe, such as Holland, Belgium and France, as the UK relies on international logistics to import its goods from elsewhere. You can expect to earn around £11,000 when starting out, but the salary for a fully qualified HGV tanker driver PASSENGER SERVICES We probably take public transport for is £35,000. granted, but without it millions wouldn’t be able to get around. Driving buses MAIL SERVICES and coaches isn’t easy; it takes plenty of This isn’t just being a postman (sorry, training to be able to manoeuvre a vehicle logistics technician). While the delivery of that size. It’s certainly a job that gets you of products is an important part of this satisfaction and it you’re a people person, industry, it’s not the only part. Mail has to be then you’ll really enjoy it! Starting salaries sorted, processed, and security checked are usually around the £13,000 mark, but before it is delivered and there are job roles overtime or extra shifts will give you more. from the sorting floor to right up to your front door (see what I did there?)! Salaries usually start out between £10,000 and WAREHOUSE & STORAGE When you order something off the internet, £15,000, but jobs in the sorting office tend chances are it’s coming from a warehouse to offer a little bit more (around £14,000 to somewhere in the world. Warehouses £15,500) and have better prospects for are used to store goods before they are advancements. shipped out to customers. They’re found all over the place, but mostly near areas that have access to various forms of transport, such as ports, motorways and airports. The staff in warehouses require training to use machinery, such as forklifts, and there are also admin and management roles available. Starting salaries are usually around £10,000 to £14,000 for floor staff, but with training and experience can expect to earn well over £20,000.

www.careersworld.co.uk

AIR FREIGHT & TRANSPORT

Everybody always thinks of pilots when they think of airlines, but cabin crews are just one cog in the smoothly oiled machine that is an airline company. Ground support staff, baggage handlers, air traffic controllers and customer service staff all work in unison to make sure passengers (and their luggage!) get to their destination on time safely. Moving freight by air is also a huge part of logistics, especially for high value goods such as fine art, machinery or even animals! Salaries start out between £10,000 and £15,000, rising to between £15,000 and £24,000 when you’re fully qualified.

SEA FREIGHT & TRANSPORT

As well as air, road and rail, goods can be moved by sea, both across the UK and around the world. People working in these industries will work closely with port authorities to make sure the valuable loads keep moving and arrive on time. You could work as a crane operator moving heavy containers or as a port operative helping with the movement of passengers and cargo. Salaries start at around £12,000, but experienced operatives can earn in excess of £20,000 a year.

REMOVALS & MOVING HOUSE

When the time comes to make a big move, you’ll be hard pressed to get everything in the back of a Ford Fiesta. This is why we have the removals service, who load up our possessions carefully and transport them to a new location. Salaries usually start out around the £12,000 mark, but increases with experience.

OVER 90,000 WORK IN THE COURIER INDUSTRY (5% OF THE UK LOGISTICS WORKFORCE)

5,600

STORAGE & WAREHOUSING WORKPLACES IN THE UK

41%

OF THE WORKFORCE IS UNDER 35 YRS OLD

Where to begin Fancy a career in this sector? Well read on to ﬁnd out how you can get started...

APPRENTICESHIPS

If you are 16 or over then you can enter an Apprenticeship, which would teach you the skills that you need while you work, you’ll also earn a salary. On your Apprenticeship, your time will be split between doing the job and learning in the classroom. 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: International Trade and Logistics Operations • Warehousing and Storage • Logistics Operations • Rail Services • Rail Engineering (Track) • Rail Infrastructure Engineering • Driving Goods Vehicles • Bus and Coach Engineering and Maintenance • Commercial Moving • Mail and Package Distribution • Port Operations • Traffic Office

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular route into University and are sought after by most employers. The following A-levels provide a great path into this sector: English Language • Maths • IT • Geography • Business Studies • Foreign Languages • Chemistry • Physics • Technology

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A foundation degree combines the University lifestyle with practical, hands on work. It’s basically a cross between an Apprenticeship and an Honours Degree. They are both used as gateway qualifications to a full time Degree because they count towards the first two years of your Honours Degree. Foundation Degrees normally take about two years to complete and you will be in both the work place and on the university site. There are some very specialized degrees available, such as Air ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS These are equivalent to A-Levels and can Transport Management. usually be joined after you complete the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. COLLEGE COURSES Advanced Apprenticeships are perfect for A College course is another good way to those who want a practical role as they get into the Transport and Logistics sector. learn while gaining relevant employment To find out more about these courses, have experience. People with Advanced a look at www.careersworld.co.uk. Apprenticeships often progress up the career ladder faster than those without, because the skills that they learn are more suited to management or supervisory roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector, completing any of these will result in a Level 3 qualification such as a BTEC, NVQ or Diploma. Warehousing and Storage • Logistics Operations • Rail Services • Driving Goods Vehicles • Bus and Coach Engineering and Maintenance • Rail Traction and Rolling Stock • Purchasing and Supply Management www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS This sector employs over 186,000 people in our region, across 20,000 work places. With the Thameslink programme due to be completed in 2015, there’s a growing demand for work in the transport sector. We also have plenty of logistics opportunities; the Felixstowe port is the largest container port in the United Kingdom! We also have 3 commercial airports and a major freight route that runs from Felixstowe to London!

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…

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 SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

The starting salaries in this sector are relatively low, starting somewhere between £10,000 and £12,000 a year, but you will earn more as you gain experience.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Unsurprisingly, this job is favoured more towards 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 gender, you’ll be working with customers on a day to day basis so make sure your customer service skills are top notch. For therapists, the environment could be a nice relaxing spa area or if you go down the makeup line, you could ﬁnd yourself in a 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.

Katie Wright represents UK at Worldskills Talented young beautician Katie Wright, who trained at Cambridge Regional College, is the best in the UK and one of the very best in the world - coming fourth at WorldSkills 2013 and winning a Medallion for Excellence. Katie, 21, was chosen from among the country’s most talented young beauticians to represent the UK in the Olympics of the skills world, joining 33 other members of Team UK in a tough four days of competition. She studied beauty therapy at CRC and won gold when she represented the college in the WorldSkills UK national final, setting her on the road to competition success at the highest level. After leaving college, she worked at Harrods Urban Retreat - using her skills on a host of celebrity clients - and now works at Salon No 5 in Cambridge. College principal Anne Constantine said: “Cambridge Regional College has an excellent record of high achievement in skills competitions and Katie’s success will be an inspiration to all our students and apprentices. She was an outstanding learner at CRC and a very talented beautician, and we wish her all the best for the future.”

Web: www.camre.ac.uk Tel: 01223 226 315

www.careersworld.co.uk

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 sauna. 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 part of your dream career, then consider the following courses to help you on your way….

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

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

REGIONAL FOCUS Over 11% of the total employees for the hair and beauty sector can be found in our region, meaning hair and beauty is an important employer in our area! Almost 10% of businesses in this sector are found in the East of England, which include beauty salons, barber shops and hairdressers. Champney’s are a big employer for those who wish to work in spa therapies, while the Norfolk Hair and Beauty Training Academy is perfect for those who want to kick start a career in this sector.

ND SEE U EA S M O

OPEN DATYH ND

R YOUR F UTU

OCT 19

APPLY NOW

GET READY

FOR WORK More than 300 courses, endless opportunities Find out how we can take you to work at our Open Day on October 19th 10am-2pm www.gyc.ac.uk I 01493 655261 I myfuture@gyc.ac.uk

Travel & Hospitality Imagine waking up in London, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Sydney all in the same week. No, it’s not a TV show, it’s a career in Travel. If you like to keep your feet on the ground and enjoy working face to face with new people every day, then perhaps Hospitality is for you. Let’s have a closer look…

WHAT KINDS OF CAREERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THIS SECTOR?

It’s all down to what you enjoy doing most; if travel is your thing, then you will ﬁnd work on cruise liners, ferries, trains and airline companies all over the world. If you prefer the home comforts, then you can work in the hospitality sector in a bar, restaurant, hotel, café or even festivals and events. Over 200,000 people from this sector worked at the 2012 Olympics, highlighting the importance of Hospitality in the UK.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR?

You can expect a varied, busy day in this sector; the majority of jobs in Travel and Hospitality involve being face to face with new people every day so customer service is very important. Of course, good hospitality brings tips, which means money in your pocket on top of your salary!

WHAT KIND OF MONEY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

In the Travel sector, salaries vary slightly depending on the company you work for; the major airlines and travel agents obviously offer more but there is more competition for jobs. The average starting salary is around £11,000 for travel agents and £14,000 for cabin crew. In the hospitality sector, a low basic salary is boosted by the tips factor; the starting salary is usually between £10,000 and £11,000 depending on your area of work.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

Again this varies on which sector you choose. Travel kind of speaks for itself; it’s for those who enjoy living out a suitcase and travelling the world. Travel agents tend to spend their time in an ofﬁce helping customers, but do sometimes get out and about. Hospitality is divided into front and back of house; the front of house are your receptionists, bar and waiting staff, porters and supervisors, while back of house staff work in the kitchens and look after the hotel via cleaning, gardening and maintenance.

IS THIS A POPULAR SECTOR TO WORK IN?

Almost certainly. 9% of the UK workforce makes up this sector and it tends to be a bit more laid back because of the customer service aspect. Hospitality also one for the young people; more than half the workers in this sector are between the ages of 16-28 and more than half of them work part time, combining work with their education and other interests. Travel is also popular, as everybody wants to go on holiday for a living! This whole sector is the ﬁfth biggest contributor to the UK workforce.

WHERE IS WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

This particular sector is found all over the country – wherever you see a hotel, pub, restaurant, café, travel agents or airport you are looking at the Travel and Hospitality industry. You will obviously ﬁnd more work in the bigger city centres, where as airlines are based all over the world – don’t be afraid to branch out and discover new places!

Hannah scoops Student of the Year Award An exciting future has opened up for Hannah who is set to become a Tourism Management student with Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. Hannah joined the College’s City and Guilds Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism as the unusual subject interested her and she had heard about the excellent success rates with Lowestoft consistently appearing in the top five colleges in the country for City and Guilds travel courses. Many of the courses at Lowestoft College offer students a realistic idea of what it’s like to work in the industry and, for travel and tourism students, this means they are able to go on visits - something which appealed to Hannah. Hannah said: “The units were interesting and varied and I liked the way you could put your own take on the work produced. The tutors were all enthusiastic and taught in unusual ways to make the lessons fun, practical and easy to understand. They were very helpful and supported their students.” Throughout the course Hannah showed dedication and commitment to gaining the right qualifications for the future she wanted. Her determination won her recognition at Lowestoft College’s annual awards where she picked up the Travel and Tourism Student of the Year Award, sponsored by Hoseasons. During the course, Hannah was inspired to apply to university and, although she had not gone down the conventional A-Level route, found the course gave her the right qualifications to apply through UCAS. After finishing university, Hannah hopes to spend some time travelling to gain direct experience of the industry before starting a career in Events Management. Web: www.lowestoft.ac.uk Tel: 0800 854695 Email: info@lowestoft.ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices Everybody needs a holiday at some point. Whether it’s a far away tropical island, or a caravan in the Lake District, it’s always nice to forget about everything and put your feet up. Whilst you are on holiday, you’ll probably eat out at nice restaurants and your parents will enjoy a drink at the bar. Perhaps you ﬂew to your destination and were served food and drink on the plane by a smiling cabin crew member. All these things that you enjoy are available as careers in the Travel and Hospitality industry. It’s by no means easy; you’ll be challenged every day and will have to keep up to date with an ever changing industry. Not everybody takes to travelling or going out with a positive frame of mind (as I’m sure anybody whose sat near a baby on a plane will tell you) and complaints, questions and problems can present themselves at any time, so you will have to be prepared to adapt and troubleshoot to make sure your customers are happy. If you are a determined, focused, sociable person with great personnel skills and an eye for the creative then you won’t have trouble ﬁnding a career in this sector; have a look below at some of the roles:

TRAVEL AGENT

All holidays have to start somewhere and it would be up to you help customers choose their perfect holiday. You will have to have a good knowledge of the world and the ever changing travel industry so that you can plan and book exactly what the customer wants. The starting salary varies between £11,000 and £14,000.

CATERING

If you have a ﬂair for preparing delicious dishes and fantastic food, then this might be the career for you. The type of work you will be doing depends on where you are based; you could be in a pub, a hotel, a restaurant – anywhere you can see a menu. Jamie Oliver started out in an apprenticeship and he’s done alright for himself! You can expect to earn up to £13,000 as an apprentice, but once CABIN CREW With a uniform and a smile, you will be you qualify it can vary depending on your responsible for looking after the passengers location. travelling with you. This involves serving food and drinks, answering questions from BAR & WAITING STAFF the customers and giving advice and aid Behind every good pub, restaurant, bistro in tough situation. The perks speak for and hotel lounge you’ll ﬁnd staff working themselves, but as well as spending time in hard to produce high quality service and another country you can expect a starting products. This job is ideal for those who salary of £14,000 - £16,000. enjoy mingling and meeting new people and if you do well enough, expect good tips. This industry is ideal for young people as the average age for starters is between 15 and 18. The starting salary is quite low and does depend on your age, but the average for starters is around £10,000.

www.careersworld.co.uk

HOTELS & RESORTS

Do you ever wonder who puts the little mint on your pillow in a hotel? Or who decides which meals you eat for dinner? This line of work has a variety of roles, from Receptionists and Porters to Booking Assistants and Maintenance. Customer service is a priority here, so always make sure you have a smile on your face! Salaries vary depending on the role, but starter’s salaries range from £10,000 to £13,000.

90% OF THE INDUSTRY WORK FULL-TIME

MORE THAN

218 MILLION PEOPLE USE AIRLINES EVERY YEAR

332,700 PEOPLE WORK IN THE PUBS, BARS & NIGHTCLUBS INDUSTRY

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

This is probably the most popular route into this sector - It’s where it all began for Jamie Oliver. The government are keen to help both starters and the currently employed to up-skill to match the requirements of their job Last year, over 24,000 Level 2 starters began their apprenticeships, which at this level will result in either a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks you can expect to see: Hospitality Services • Food and Beverage Service • Housekeeping • Front of House • Travel Services

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

This is the equivalent of an A level, but without sitting in a classroom studying. Like a regular Apprenticeship, it’s suited to more practical ﬁelds of work and you earn as you complete your study. On completion you will receive a Level 3 award in the form of a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Hospitality Supervision and Leadership • Hospitality Retail Outlet Supervision • Travel Services (Head Ofﬁce, Field and Leisure & Business)

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are useful if you want to go on to university or study a foundation degree. Some A-levels you could take to get into this industry are listed below. English Language • Maths • Travel and Tourism • Business Studies • IT

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A Foundation Degree gives you both an academic and hands on experience and they are a great as either a gateway to university or into the working world. Usually, Foundation Degrees take two years to complete (although they can take up to four if you do them part time) and you will ﬁnd yourself learning at both the university campus and in the workplace. You can do a Foundation Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

COLLEGE COURSES

These are another opportunity to get into this sector and you can ﬁnd out which colleges provide the relevant courses at www.careersworld.co.uk.

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS With links to air, land and sea, the East of England is deﬁnitely a transport hub! The area has 4 public airports at Norwich, Luton, Southend and Stanstead, the latter of which ﬂew over 17 million passengers to various destinations last year. The region also has over 163,000 people working in the hospitality sector, with 72% of these working in bars, pubs, restaurants and night clubs.

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

We offer a huge range of Apprenticeships including:

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

• Health and Social Care*

include: classroom attendance, online assessments and

• Business Administration

assessments in your workplace.

• Sales and Telesales • Customer Service

An Apprenticeship is available to anyone aged 16 years

• Team Leading

and over, plus each one involves a structured programme

• Management

of training, leading to a recognised qualification. They are

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

available at different levels, letting you choose the speed

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

Business & Customer Service Business is all about getting stuﬀ done. Whether it’s launching and selling a product or starting up a company in your kitchen, business boils down to one thing; making money. If you have good business acumen, then you won’t be far from success. Every business is hinged on meeting and dealing with customers and for that you’ll need good customer service. A smile, a friendly demeanour and a professional but helpful attitude will help your customers feel at ease and in good hands.

WHAT’S THE BUSINESS & CUSTOMER SERVICE SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

It’s a huge sector that covers nearly every other industry out there. Everybody needs to make money to survive, from your local corner shop to the people who run the world’s largest companies. It goes hand in hand with customer service, which businesses rely on to not only attract new customers, but also keep hold of current ones. This sector covers everything from management to entrepreneurial ventures (that’s starting your own business to you and me!). With regards to customer service, you’ll ﬁnd roles in telesales, reception and more!

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

It depends on your role in a business and the type of company you work for. As a money orientated sector, you’ll be making plenty of cash if you keep hitting targets. The average salary for starters in business is around the £15,000 mark, but don’t be surprised to see this ﬁgure increase very quickly. Customer Service starts out at about £11,000, but is a career ladder that’s easy to climb with the right attitude and can in some cases lead to a career in PR.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

A business environment is competitive and fast paced; sales targets have to be met in order to satisfy customers and management alike. If you’re ambitious and enjoy a challenge then you’ll revel in it and go

far. Customer Service is a little more laid back, as you have to act as the face of the company and therefore require a more relaxed demeanour (you’ll still have to be professional; don’t be greeting top customers with ‘Yo dude, how’s it hanging?”!).

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

This country sees over 8000 new businesses started every week; some from current companies merging, others starting up with just one staff member in somebody’s house. Nearly a quarter of UK private enterprises are situated in the business services sector and recently new schemes have been brought in to help people aged 18-24 start up their own companies.

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that the largest concentration of work in the business sector can be found in the South of England, towards the London area. However, many new start up companies are found in the North, around major cities such as Manchester and Shefﬁeld. Leeds is also renowned for its business district, where the headquarters of supermarket giants Asda, hair product company GHD and video games developer Rockstar are located.

Apprentice Tom is on the crest of a wave Teenager Tom O’Keeffe is finding his sea legs after starting an Apprenticeship at DFDS Seaways. The bright 19-year-old left college with A Levels in maths, physics and chemistry, and an AS Level in business studies, and was keen to get into the work place to begin his career, rather than go to university. He was out of work for a time and was placed on the Work Programme with national training and recruitment provider Intraining, which helped prepare him for the world of work and introduced him to DFDS Seaways. Since beginning his Business Administration Apprenticeship within the Shipping Logistics Department, he has never looked back. “I’m loving my Apprenticeship and find it really rewarding,” said Tom. “I will be working in various departments to get a good grasp of the company, so it is very varied and interesting. I have learned so much already. “I think Apprenticeships are a great way to start your career. I’m working with an assessor from Intraining on my NVQ and am relishing the opportunity to gain new qualifications. I’m really excited about the future.” Shipping Logistics Manager Sean Marsden is Tom’s line manager at DFDS Seaways. He said as soon as Intraining provided him with Tom’s CV, he knew he would make a great apprentice. “Tom is the first apprentice we have had in this department, but it’s working great already,” said Sean. Web: www.intraining.co.uk Tel: 0330 123 1300

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices Business is vital to our economy; without it, there wouldn’t be any money. And without money, there’d be no society. So it’s imperative to make sure that businesses run to their best potential. To make these businesses work, there are many cogs in the machine, such as administration, human resources and management, all of which require a different set of skills.

ADMINISTRATION

Administration is the part of business that we as customers rarely see. Whenever we sign up for a contract on a phone or buy a house, that contract has to be processed, checked and ﬁled away for future reference. These aren’t skills to be taken lightly and the function of admin should never be underestimated. You can expect to earn between £15,000 and £20,000, with the possibility to earn more with progression.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer Service is all about making customers feel like they’re in safe hands when doing business with your company. Whether it’s a friendly telephone demeanor or a simple smile and a handshake, a company’s treatment of their clients goes a long way to doing future business. It also helps garner reputation to attract new customers that previously slipped through the net. Starting salaries are around £12,000, but progression can come quickly and with it comes a higher wage.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Somebody has to look after the employees in a company and this job falls to the human resources department. This is no easy task, especially when it’s a large company with hundreds of people in various job roles. Responsibilities for the HR department include hiring and recruiting, keeping employee records, dealing with complaints and providing staff training for development. Salaries start out at around £15,000, while managers can earn close to £50,000 a year.

ENTREPRENEURIAL

Ever wonder why there isn’t a product in the world that probably should exist but doesn’t? Then why not go for it and start up your own business? Perhaps you have a talent which you can showcase as a service to other people or know how to turn a struggling business into a successful one. The government is currently running a scheme for 18-24 year olds who want to start their own business, providing funding, training and help to make sure young people starting from scratch are on the right path.

www.careersworld.co.uk

4.7 MILLION

SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE UK

A FULLY QUALIFIED ACCOUNTANT CAN EARN OVER

£50,000 PA

BUSINESS SKILLS CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO ALMOST ANY OTHER SECTOR!

Where to begin Fancy a career in business? Well read on to ﬁnd out how you can get started...

APPRENTICESHIPS

If you are 16 or over then you can enter an Apprenticeship, which would teach you the skills that you need while you work, you’ll also earn a salary. On your Apprenticeship, half of your time will be spent doing the job and the other half will be spent learning in the classroom. 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: Business and Administration • Contact Centre Operations • Customer Service • Management • Sales and Telesales

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

These are equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after you complete the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. Advanced Apprenticeships are perfect for those who want a practical role as they learn while gaining relevant employment experience. People with Advanced Apprenticeships often progress up the career ladder faster than those without, because the skills that they learn are more suited to management or supervisory roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector, completing any of these will result in a Level 3 qualiﬁcation such as a BTEC, NVQ or Diploma. Business and Administration • Contact Centre Operations • Customer Service • Enterprise • Management • Sales and Telesales

A-LEVELS

FOUNDATION DEGREES

COLLEGE COURSES

A College course is another good way to get into the Business and Customer Service sector. To ﬁnd out more about these courses, have a look at www.careersworld.co.uk.

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS Our region has plenty to offer when it comes to business; with large towns and cities such as Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge and Peterborough, there’s plenty of opportunity to break into this sector. Companies such as the RAC, Virgin Money and Aviva are all based out of our area; the country’s bank notes are also printed here so it’s the place to be with regards to money!

Your career in fashion retail starts here If you’re interested in... Fashion Retail Business

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Buying Merchandising Visual Display & Retail Branding Store Management Garment Construction Garment Technology Graphic Design We’ve got courses for YOU...

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Why study at the FRA? Full-time, Short Courses and Apprenticeships are available at the FRA’s modern facilities in the centre of the West End. Learn in this inspirational environment and draw on the FRA’s extensive fashion industry contacts and business networks. You will gain all the skills and experience to make you “job ready” for an exciting career in the retail industry.

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!

WHAT’S THE CREATIVE, MEDIA AND ARTS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

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.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

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 will have generated over £70,000. Around £1 in every £10 of our exports are in this sector, which means that other countries favour our approach to Media, Creativity and The Arts.

You’ll start off on somewhere in the region of £10,000 to £18,000 depending on what you do. Some of the newer roles, such as interactive and digital media tend to pay more because they are more WHERE IS THE WORK specialised, but nearly all the MOST CONCENTRATED? career paths available will have room for advancement and as It obviously depends on what the market continues to expand you specialise in, but generally new roles will become available. there is more work the further towards London you go. However, the BBC has recently WHAT KIND OF relocated a lot of its stuff to ENVIRONMENT WOULD I Salford (near Manchester) and there are of course independent BE WORKING IN? companies, Most media companies work publishing out of ofﬁces and studios; this newspapers and digital media isn’t anywhere near as boring companies all over the country. as it sounds as most creative It really is a case of moving to ofﬁces are bustling with ideas where the work is, but once you and tend to be more laid back become established, moving than the bigger corporations. Of won’t be an issue. 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.

Jessica Hide, 2nd year student on the National Diploma in Art & Design (Graphic Design) at the Fashion Retail Academy “Fashion has always been a large interest of mine, so when I heard through a friend and student of the FRA about the Academy I was impressed by the variety of courses they offered within a fashion retail context. The vocational emphasis and links to the fashion industry led me to apply for the BTEC in Graphic Design as an alternative to A-Levels; keeping my options open for either work or higher education. Now in my second year, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course and at the Academy with it’s excellent resources and friendly atmosphere. Teachers offer great work support and help is always given if needed. The wide ranging course structure allowed me to develop as an independent learner and has also helped me to determine what area of design interested me most to pursue further. Having been intrigued by the history of art and fashion during contextual studies, next year I hope to continue my education and study for a BA in the History of Art at university.” The Fashion Retail Academy offers free full-time vocational courses for students aged 16-19 to develop the skills and experience required to make them ‘job ready’ for an exciting career in the world of fashion retail.

Web: www.fashionretailacademy.ac.uk Tel: 020 7307 2345

www.careersworld.co.uk

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 £20,000 with more to come as you FILM & TELEVISION Fancy yourself as the next Phillip Seymour become more experienced. Hoffman? What do you mean who?! Well, it’s not all about the actors; all those FASHION names that scroll at the end of the credits If you know what’s hot and what’s not, (that you probably leave the cinema half what’s in and what’s out, then this could way through) are roles that make ﬁlm and be right up your alley. Fashion covers television work. Cameramen, sound and designing new clothes, patterns and styles lighting operators, makeup artists, special as well as buying stock for high street effects specialists and directors are just shops to sell. You can expect to start on some of the roles available. Salaries usually between £12,000 and £15,000. start out fairly low (about £12,000) but will grow as your experience does. PUBLIC RELATIONS

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 thing! Starting salaries are usually between £12,000 and £16,000 depending on your role.

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 relatively 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 you’ll get a lot of gratiﬁcation from. 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

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. Example degrees include Creative Writing, Animation and Photography.

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

REGIONAL FOCUS Publishing is the name of the game in this sector for us; over 60% of people working in this sector are employed in publishing. A total of 7% of all the creative sector workforce live in our area and the East of England has played host to some pretty famous ﬁlms and TV programmes, such as ‘Kingdom’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and of course, ‘I’m Alan Partridge’. Despite being a relatively small sector in the region, there are a fair few vacancies in photo imaging, publishing and television production.

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Your Career,

Your Choice. We couldn’t possibly print an article for every sector; we’d have to change the name to ‘Careers World Textbook’! But, we also understand that the five sectors covered on the previous pages might not be to your tastes. Not to worry! Below are the other sectors we cover, which we will detail more in upcoming issues. You’ll also find some example job roles, expected starting salaries and the qualifications you can study to get into the sector to give you an idea of what to expect from each sector.

AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL CARE

We depend on this sector a lot more than most people think; most of our food comes from agriculture and with a growing number of people taking pets on, there is a demand for skilled veterinary staff to take care of them. Agriculture is a very broad term for working outdoors. It’s commonly mistaken for farming, which while a large part of this sector, is not the be all and end all. Forests, rivers, mountains and national parks all need looking after; not to mention the animals that reside within them! You might ﬁnd yourself working as a park ranger, helping conserve the plants and animals in our

ARMED FORCES & EMERGENCY SERVICES

We rely on our emergency services when things go wrong and they are a vital part of our day to day lives. From the police who patrol our streets to the paramedics who save lives, this sector is all about helping people in the community. Of course, serving in the armed forces means protecting the country and providing international aid to other nations. Whether you are based abroad or in the UK, you’ll be working as part of a team in a variety of situations, some which will take place in hostile environments so a cool head is a good trait to have!

AUTOMOTIVE

If you know your spark plugs from your spare tyres, then you’ll probably have a future in the automotive industry. This sector covers the maintenance of any vehicle with an engine, from cars and motorcycles to more complex systems such as combine harvesters and luxury coaches. You could ﬁnd yourself working in a garage ﬁxing up customer’s vehicles, or in a workshop specialising in things like body work, paint and windscreen repair. You could also work in one of the main car dealerships, diagnosing and repairing cars and offering advice to customers. You’ll need an analytical www.careersworld.co.uk

most beautiful locations, or as a vet looking after household pets. Example Job Roles: Ranger • Veterinary Assistant • Farm Worker • Landscape Technician Salaries: Starting salaries are usually around the £13,000 mark. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees (university is the best way into veterinary linked job roles)

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)

and problem solving mentality, but it this sector is generally favoured by those who enjoy working with their hands. Example Job Roles: Mechanic • Vehicle Service Technician • Panel/Paint Technician Salaries: Salaries in this sector tend to start at around £13,000 a year. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3 – this is the most popular route into this sector) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees • HNDs

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!

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 theoretical job roles.

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 teaching, namely, working with toddlers and very young children. This could be through a nursery, pre-school or a day care/activity centre. Whichever age group you choose to work with, you’ll need a caring, helpful and patient personality.

ENERGY & RENEWABLES

Traditionally, our energy came from burning fossil fuels, which were pretty harmful to the atmosphere. But, being a smart, proactive species, we’ve adapted our energy sources to make the most of our environment. Now, we can generate power via wind turbines, geothermal reactors, tidal generators and solar panels. We also have nuclear power, which might not sound environmentally friendly, but it generates a lot of energy and is relatively cheap to run. The government have also invested a 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 broken down into seven main categories; chemicals, mechanical, metals, electrical, aerospace, marine and defence. Chemical engineers manufacture everyday products from raw materials such as crude oil. Mechanical engineers work with high-tech machinery, while the metal engineering industry covers the creation of steel and other alloys. Electrical engineers work with, you guessed it, electrical systems and aerospace is all about creating and improving things that ﬂy. Defence is all about, er, defending the country. Whichever area you

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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)

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

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)

This sector offers job roles in a wide variety of areas, such as plant maintenance, recycling operations and nuclear working. Example Job Roles: Recycling Operator • Plant Technician • Radiation Monitor Salaries: Starting salaries in this sector are quite high, starting at around £17,000. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (Sciences are useful here) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

choose to work in, you can be sure that your work will be challenging and varied. Example Job Roles: Systems Engineer • Aerospace Engineer • Electrical Technician • Lab Technician Salaries: Salaries start at around £14,000. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Levels 2 and 3) • A-Levels (Technology and Maths are helpful here) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

FINANCE & LAW

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

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.

MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING

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

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.

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 various sports.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Example Job Roles: Paralegal Assistant • Finance Assistant • Payroll Clerk • Finance Advisor • Legal Administration Assistant Salaries: Expect your salary to start at around £14,000 for the legal sector, while you’ll be starting on around £11,000 in a ﬁnancial role. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

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

Example Job Roles: Production Line Supervisor • Extraction Operative • Pipe Fitter • Welder • Refrigeration Technician • Jewellery Technician Salaries: You can expect to start out on around £12,000, but supervisory roles tend to pay more. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (Any technology or science subjects would be useful in this sector) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

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

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, including a route into professional sports) • A-Levels (Sport Science and Biology will be of use) • College Courses • Foundation Degree • Industry Specific Qualifications

State-of-the-art campus There aren’t many colleges that can rival Welbeck’s campus. With an indoor swimming pool, state of the art sporting facilities and ensuite residential quarters, it’s a simply superb place to learn, develop and gain new skills. Rounded education As well as a technically-focused education, Welbeck offers a total approach to learning. The programme of personal, physical and intellectual development stretches the abilities, builds physical fitness and increases confidence. After two years at Welbeck, students are ready for anything. The fact that Welbeck is a boarding college also means students get all the benefits of mixing with likeminded individuals in an environment that’s geared to shaping their future career. Future prospects Welbeck leads to a degree at some of the UK’s leading universities (supported by £4,000 a year bursary through DTUS - the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme), then onto an engineering career in the Armed Forces or Civil Service. So Welbeck students couldn’t be better prepared - or supported - as they embark on their adult lives and careers.

Entry Requirements To apply for sponsorship to the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force you should be medically ﬁt, a UK, Commonwealth or Irish citizen and aged between 15 years and 17 years six months on 1st September in the year of entry to the College. Commonwealth citizens are required to have 5 years residency in the UK prior to application. Certain other single-service conditions may apply and will be outlined at the time of application. To join as a Ministry of Defence Civil Service candidate you must be a British citizen or hold dual nationality, one of which must be British. For RN, RAF, DESG: An ‘A Grade’ or better at GCSE (or equivalent) in Mathematics and a ‘B Grade’ or better in dual award Science or Physics, as well as a ‘C Grade’ or better in English Language. For Army: One ‘A grade’ or better at GCSE (or equivalent) in higher level Mathematics or dual award Science or Physics and at least a ‘B Grade’ in the other, as well as a ‘C Grade’ or better in English Language.

WELBECK DEFENCE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE

WHERE LEARNING MEETS ADVENTURE.

AND ENGINEERS MEET THEIR FUTURE.

Welbeck is the Defence Sixth Form College - and it’s one of the best A-level colleges in the country. For potential engineers with drive, ambition and ability, Welbeck is where potential turns into bright futures as Oﬃcers in the Armed Forces or Civil Service. The combination of state of the art facilities, excellent teaching and a constant drive for improvement, creates an environment that prepares young people for success in whatever role they take in their professional lives. • • • •

99% of students from Welbeck were oﬀered a place at university in 2012 Tuition funded by the MoD En-suite accommodation Annual technical bursary of £4,000 at University

If you’d like to turn your engineering or technical potential into a promising career, come and visit us at one of our Open Days. For more information visit www.dsfc.ac.uk or follow us on

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…

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.

You could be in a l home, out in your loca community, or working in someone’s house.

How do I g adult soc et into ial care?

One of th e into the s best ways to ge t an Appre ector is through nticeship . Earn whil e you lea rn. Gain qua lifications . Become a confide n and skille d worker. t

For more information about adult social care Apprenticeships:

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

c:\Careers Hub>_

So, it’s autumn term; everything is fresh and new and the students are taking the next steps, as well as making decisions that will hopefully feed and nurture their aspirations. Everybody, from year 10 through to year 13 has important choices to make which will aﬀect them in diﬀerent ways. Some people know exactly what they want to do; some people have absolutely no idea. We’ve asked our editor to provide you, the careers advisor, with some helpful advice to aid students with any choices or worries they might have. Over the next few pages, we will tackle some of the common problems, options and concerns students face during the autumn term.

The Autumn Term The ﬁrst term of the school year is always greeted with mixed feelings. For some, it’s a chance to see friends they haven’t seen all summer. For others, it means the end of the holidays and is greeted with a fair amount of disappointment. However people feel about it, it’s an important time of the year for everybody because it marks the start of the decision making process. Whether they’re making choices at the age of 14, or whether they’re in the ﬁnal year of Sixth Form, everybody has some important choices to make in the coming months. There’s no set pathway for anybody and there are options available to suit everyone. Let’s start by looking at the choices that are available at various levels and how you can help.

GCSES

GCSEs are the qualifications taken at the end of Year 11. They’re mandatory to everybody in education and are the first set of qualifications young people receive on the path to their career. Given that the autumn term has already started, pupils in years 10 and 11 will have already chosen their options towards the end of Year 9. It doesn’t hurt to prepare the current Year 9 pupils for these choices, so it’s a good idea to have them think about what kind of career they want to pursue. If they already know, then guidance towards the further future is a good idea; you could discuss the eventual consequences of each option or which future educational choices are the best ways to kick start their careers. If they aren’t sure of what they want to do, then it might be a good idea to suggest subjects that the pupil excels in or enjoys, in the hope that it prompts a decision on a future career. There are two types of GCSEs: Compulsory subjects such as English, Maths and Science are mandatory. Employers value English and maths skills, as they provide a good indicator of the person’s abilities. Even in careers that don’t necessarily require writing or mathematics,

having solid English and maths skills can A-LEVELS & SIXTH FORM show a candidate’s confidence in both the A-Levels are qualifications that can be seen technical and communicatory aspects of as the next step from GCSEs. At one time, the job role. they were seen as the best pathway for those that wanted to go to university. This is Optional subjects, such as photography, no longer true, but they’re still recognised as sports studies and religious education valuable qualifications by both universities should be chosen for the purposes and employers. Your school might have a of specialisation, academic ability or Sixth Form attached to it; a lot of students enjoyment. The latter option might not wishing to study A-Levels choose to stay seem integral to the learning process, but if where they are for convenience. However, a student is engaged in the subject content, students need to be made aware of the then they’re more likely to excel. fact that A-Levels aren’t just limited to Sixth Forms; they can be studied at colleges, This will more than likely be a student’s dedicated institutions or in some rare cases, first experience with coursework, so it in the comfort of their own home. might also be a good idea to explain the fundamentals of working on a long term As with GCSEs, the important thing when project. Students that are in Year 11 will choosing A-Levels is to think one step be looking to complete their final pieces of ahead. If a student wants to study Medicine, coursework this year and will be making they’ll need to choose scientific subjects like their choices for their next step in education. Chemistry and Biology. If they’re looking to As with the Year 9s, it’s probably best to work in animation, they’d be better served talk to them about their future, especially studying art and IT based A-Levels. as there’s more chance of them knowing what it is they want to do (and how they’ll Students will enjoy this if...they enjoyed go about it). learning in a school environment. The topics they study will be ones they’ve chosen and will be able to combine an educational learning environment with subjects they’re passionate about. www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Hub COLLEGE

Studying at college is a great alternative to Sixth Form, as it offers a larger degree of freedom. Often students can plan their own schedules, workloads and social life to suit them. It’s worth pointing out to them that college is a lot more laid back than the school environment; perhaps suggest advantages over schools, such as the fact that the students can wear their own clothes and call teachers by their ﬁrst names.

when they start the course, their training especially as it’ll be the first time they’ve left home for a prolonged period of time. It’s fees will be paid by the government. a good idea to talk about what university While working as an Apprentice, they’ll will have in store for them; discuss positive receive all the benefits that the other aspects such as helpful tutors and the employees get, such as a wage, holiday social side of things as well as what a pay and any other perks that come with university degree means in the context of the company. The student will study a employment. structured course called a ‘framework’, which consists of mandatory and optional Applications for university can be from a units (which are used to specialise within wide variety of qualifications, from academic chosen fields). Apprenticeships take studies such as A-Levels to vocational around a year to complete and at the end courses and even Apprenticeships. To of it the apprentice receives a nationally apply, the student will need to go through recognised qualification, such as a BTEC UCAS application, which is a simple, online or NVQ. They’ll also have valuable work process. It’s also a good idea to point out experience, which is highly prized by an that the student shouldn’t feel obliged to go to university when they leave college or employer. sixth form, as universities accept people Students will enjoy this if...they want to from all ages and backgrounds. swap the classroom for the workplace and complete their learning while working and Students will enjoy this if...they fancy the idea of meeting new people, studying a earning a salary subject they love and being independent.

Colleges offer a wide range of courses at varying levels, from vocational courses in cookery and hairdressing to more technical subjects such as engineering and IT. Vocational courses are aimed at preparing students for employment and are found in subjects that require a large amount of practical work. Colleges also offer GCSEs, A-Levels and, in some cases, Higher Diplomas and Foundation Degrees. It’s also worth seeing if the student is eligible for funding for their chosen course, as well UNIVERSITY as the perks that come with them (such as There was a time, in the distant past, where reduced fees and grants). university was seen as a place for the elite. Of course, this hasn’t been the case for a Students will enjoy this if...they want long time and university is now a popular something a little different to school. It choice for further education. combines the academics of a Sixth Form with the independence of university. University offers people a chance to pursue independent study in a subject they feel passionate about. At the end of the APPRENTICESHIPS Apprenticeships are a way for people course, students receive an internationally to earn money while they learn a trade. recognised qualiﬁcation, highlighting them There are courses available in pretty much as an asset to their subject area. every industry you can think of, from bookkeeping to tennis coaching. They’re There is of course the small matter of paying a popular choice for those who don’t enjoy for it, but pretty much everybody is eligible studying in a classroom, or for people who for a student loan, which doesn’t need want to get straight out into the world of repaying until the student has graduated work. In the majority of cases, the student and is earning at least £21,000 a year. will have to visit college once a week, but Some people are also entitled to grants the rest of their training will take place in the and bursaries, which are non-repayable amounts of money (again, it’s a good idea workplace. to mention these beneﬁts and help the They’ll be paid a weekly wage (they are student check if they’re eligible). working there after all!); the average apprentice earns around £130 a week – it’s The vast majority of students live away a good idea to mention this as many young from home and learning takes place in a people want to know how much they’ll be social environment with other people in earning and when. On top of this, provided their age group. Leaving for university can they’re between the ages of 16 and 18 be a worrying time for many young people,

Top Tips

Travelling is the most popular use of a gap year and many people head to exotic locations such as Thailand or Peru. Some also travel around Europe using the Eurostar rail network, or work abroad in programmes that help young people in less fortunate areas. There are literally hundreds of destinations available and there are dedicated companies that will provide the student with all the help they need to go travelling. They say travel broadens the mind; with a year’s travelling on their C.V., they’ll certainly stand out to employers and be somewhat richer for the experience too! Students will enjoy this if...they just want a break from everyday life and want to try something different.

Here are some top tips for getting through the autumn term:

FOR THOSE IN YEAR 9...

GAP YEAR

Most people associate gap years with university. However, some people at 18 decide that they want to earn money or travel before heading off to uni or going into full time work. It’s unlikely that this will be the most popular option for this age group, but it’s something that students sometimes forget about.

FOR THOSE IN YEAR 11...

GCSE options are being chosen this year, be sure to;

It’s about taking the next step this year, make sure that;

Speak to the teachers of the subjects that are being considered; they’ll have a good idea of course suitability. Choose options that are enjoyable. GCSEs take two years to complete and once the choice is made it’s difﬁcult to switch to something else. Consider the future. While it might seem like a way off, it helps to have some idea what career choices lay ahead and which options are the most attractive.

All available options are fully explored and considered. The pros and cons of each option is understood, along with other consequences such as cost, enjoyment and future choices. A C.V. has been prepared for those applying for Apprenticeships. It would also be helpful to have a good interview technique and an idea of what to expect when it comes to meeting the employer. We’ll be covering C.Vs and applications in our next issue, so be sure to check out our Spring edition for tips!

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Hub

Qualifications There are many, many different types of award at varying levels; for example, a Level 3 NVQ is the equivalent to an Advanced Diploma. This can throw many people, especially those who have no experience of other qualifications. Below is a handy chart, listing all the levels of study and the qualifications students can take. This way, everyone can see which qualifications are the equivalents of others, which is handy when people applying for courses and jobs.

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

BTEC 2 NATIONALS

LEVEL

DIPLOMA OF

LEVEL

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

HIGHER APPRENTICESHIPS

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

FOR THOSE LEAVING SIXTH FORM, COLLEGE OR AN APPRENTICESHIP...

It’s another big step, so be sure that;

The search for universities has begun, if that’s the preferred choice. Applications should preferably be completed before the end of November. It’s a good idea to start collecting university prospectuses and checking out potential destinations. A C.V. has been prepared or updated for those wishing to undertake an Advanced (or Higher) Apprenticeship. Brushing up on interview skills couldn’t hurt either. If the preferred choice is a gap year, all destinations have been researched thoroughly, including all laws and medical advice (some countries require inoculations before entry is accepted). It’s also a good idea to ﬁrm up travel arrangements and accommodation, as well as getting currency sorted from a reputable source.

www.careersworld.co.uk

ArE you 16-18? not SurE wHAt to do in SEPtEMBEr?

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c:\Useful Links>_

UNIVERSITIES Anglia Ruskin University www.anglia.ac.uk 0845 271 3333 Norwich University of the Arts www.nuca.ac.uk 01603 610 561 University of Bedfordshire www.beds.ac.uk 01234 400400 University of Cambridge www.cam.ac.uk 01223 337 733 University of East Anglia www.uea.ac.uk 01603 591 515 The University of Essex www.essex.ac.uk 01206 873333 University of Hertfordshire www.herts.ac.uk 01707 284800 University Centre Peterborough www.anglia.ac.uk 0845 1965750 University Campus Suffolk www.ucs.ac.uk 01473 338000

UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Colchester Institute www.colchester.ac.uk 01206 712000

Oaklands College www.oaklands.ac.uk 01727 737080

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

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

Crown College www.crowncollege.co.uk 01702 341169 East Norfolk Sixth Form College www.enorf.ac.uk 01493 66 22 34 Easton College www.easton.ac.uk 01603 731200 Epping Forest College www.epping-forest.ac.uk 020 8508 8311

Palmers College www.palmers.ac.uk 01375 370121 Paston College www.paston.ac.uk 01692 402334 Peterborough Regional College www.peterborough.ac.uk 0845 8728722 SEEVIC College www.seevic-college.ac.uk 01268 756111

Cambridge UTC www.utcolleges.org 01223 418502

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

Central Bedfordshire UTC www.centralbedsutc.org 01582 867756

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

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

Harlow UTC www.utcolleges.org 01279 868150

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

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

Norfolk UTC www.norfolkutc.com 01603 773060

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

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

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

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

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

Writtle College www.writtle.ac.uk 01245 424200

COLLEGES Barnﬁeld College www.barnﬁeld.ac.uk 01582 569 569 Bedford College www.bedford.ac.uk 01234 291 000

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

Lowestoft College www.lowestoft.ac.uk 0800 854695

www.careersworld.co.uk

The autumn term is upon us! This means that for some of you, it’s time to think about applying for university. It may seem like a way oﬀ (it is, you won’t be going until next year), but the application process does take a bit of time. It’s not diﬃcult, but you’ll have to set aside some time to make sure it’s completed.

THE PROCESS

UCAS have made applying for university as easy as it could possibly be! The ﬁrst thing to do is to head to www.ucas.co.uk, ﬁnd the ‘Apply’ button and click it. There’s loads of online help to assist you with your application, but you can also call a UCAS advisor on 0871 468 0 468 (have your UCAS ID ready) and they’ll be able to help you with anything you get stuck with. You can also get in contact via social media, through both Facebook (www.facebook. com/ucasonline) or through Twitter, using the handle @ucas_online. If you’re applying from the UK or the EU, then the normal time to start your application is in mid-September and you should have your application completed by the 15th of January 2014. However, there are some exceptions to this rule; for those of you applying to medical, veterinary science, veterinary medicine, dentistry or Oxbridge (Oxford or Cambridge) courses, you need to submit your application by the 15th of October 2013. For those of you applying to art and design courses, be aware that some courses have deadlines on the 24th March, so be sure to check if this applies to you!

APPLYING

Whichever deadline you have to meet, it never hurts to start the application process early; this way, you’ll have plenty of time to go back and make any changes you need to make. You’ll need to register in the ‘Apply’ section; if you’re applying from school or college, then you’ll need to get hold of their buzzword. This lets the UCAS application system know where you’re applying from. You won’t be able to access your application without it, so don’t go forgetting it! Don’t worry if you don’t have the time to complete everything in one sitting; you can save your application at any time and come back to it later. Just remember your password and username and you’ll be ﬁne!

PERSONAL STATEMENT

A very important part of your application, the personal statement is your chance to talk about yourself to potential universities. It looks like you’ve got a lot of space to write in, but you only get 47 lines to ﬁt everything in, so you have to get straight to the point! Here are some tips for writing a great personal statement!

REFERENCES

For those of you applying from school or college, you’ll need to send your completed application to your referee. Unless you’re told otherwise, this will be your form tutor or a teacher in the subject you are applying to study. The referee will check your application and if they find any mistakes, they’ll send it back for you to amend. Once you’ve changed it, you need to send it • Try to be clear and concise; remember back to them. Once the referee adds their that universities have to read thousands reference, your application will be sent to of these, so you have to get across UCAS. what you’re trying to say without waffling on. If you are applying as an individual (rather • Be sure to use paragraphs to space than through school, sixth form or college), out your statement; if you change the you need to make sure your chosen subject or make a new point, start a referee are willing to provide a reference new paragraph. Be sure everything through the UCAS online method. Enter flows properly; don’t follow up a their contact details in the reference paragraph about travelling with one section and click ‘Ask referee to complete about your school subjects, it’ll come reference’. UCAS will then contact them across as disjointed and difficult to to request your reference. When they’ve follow. provided it, you’ll be notified that you can • Ask somebody else to read it for you. complete and submit your application. If If they can’t understand what you’re your referee is at a school, college or other talking about, then neither will the registered centre, you can request that university. Ask somebody you know they complete their part online. Go to the will tell you the truth; if they point out ‘Options’ section in Apply and click ‘Ask a some mistakes, don’t take it personally, registered school, college or organisation it’s important to get this right! to write your reference only’. If they agree, • You can’t list everything about yourself then the reference will be attached to your in this statement, so pick out your best application. Once every section (including strengths and skills. Talk about your the reference) is completed, you can then hobbies, your subjects and any teams send your application off to UCAS. or clubs you’re in, as well as why you really want to study your chosen COST subject. Once all the sections are completed, you’ll • Don’t just copy somebody else’s have to make a small payment. The fee is statement! UCAS use very strict £12 if you’ve only applied for one course plagiarism software that can tell when or £23 if you’ve applied for two or more statements are duplicated; feel free courses. to look at online examples of good statements, but never use the text and CLEARING claim it as your own. Results aren’t always what people expect, You don’t know who is going to be reading but it doesn’t mean the end of the road. your statement, so make sure you make Many universities will have spaces on their as good a job of this as you can. In many courses that you can apply to do and once cases applicants are not interviewed by you have your results, the application universities, so this is your one and only process becomes much simpler. If you wish chance to make your case for a place on to apply, then check the UCAS website for vacancies, then once you’ve found one, ring their course. the university and if they want to consider you, simply send them your application online and you could have a place confirmed that very day! www.careersworld.co.uk

Web: www.ucas.co.uk Tel: 0871 468 0 468

Web: www.ucasprogress.com

UCAS Progress is a great way for young people to find courses and training providers to help them make that next step in education. The search option allows you to find courses that interest you and save them to your own unique ‘favourites’ page, meaning you can sort and share them with later with family and advisers. The best way to find courses near you is to enter your postcode into the search option, select the subject you’d like to study and the distance from your home. UCAS Progress will then list all the educational institutions that match your search criteria, allowing you to easily explore all the options available to you (some of which you might not have even been aware of!). Applying is easy; in participating areas, you can use the ‘Apply’ section to track the stages of your application. Once it’s submitted, you can track your progress and use the communications tool to contact the course providers about interviews, start dates and any other queries you have. Visit www.ucasprogress.com to start taking that next step in education! www.careersworld.co.uk

You aren’t the only one in your position right now; thousands of others are facing the same choices you are and many of them will have no idea what it is they want to do. What we have here are some of the common questions we get asked at this time of year and the answers to those questions.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO AS A CAREER! HELP ME PLEASE?

Don’t panic! There are thousands of people in your position! Remember that a job is temporary, but a career is for life. A career should be in something you love doing, so it’s important to think about what you want to do in life. It’s a decision that takes some people minutes and others years to make; so don’t worry if you’re leaving education not knowing, it’s something that requires a great deal of thought!

I HAVE TO CHOOSE MY OPTIONS, WHICH ONES ARE THE BEST?

Erm. There isn’t really a right answer here. It sort of links into the “What do I want to do?” line of questioning. A GCSE or A-Level in Graphic Design is worth more to an employer in the publishing industry than a qualification in Physics; you have to choose your options to suit what it is you want to do. More creative lines of work, such as those in media, will favour theory based subjects such as English, Art and History. Practical careers, such as engineering and IT will be better served with qualifications in things like Maths and Science. It’s worth skipping ahead and finding out what universities and employers look for down the line, so you can choose your options to suit decisions you have to make in the future.

I’M LEAVING SCHOOL, WHAT CAN I DO NOW?

A number of things. At 16, you can leave school and go straight into employment. Some people already have work lined up, or they undertake an Apprenticeship, which is essentially a job with training. If you want to continue studying, then you can undertake A-Levels or a college course in any number of subjects. Leaving school at 18, you’re faced with pretty much the same choices, but no doubt you’ll have been told about university. Uni is one option and it’s certainly popular, but some people prefer to work (again Apprenticeships are available) or even take a year out from studying to do something else, such as earn money working or travelling.

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

Don’t forget, if you have any questions for us that aren’t printed below, you can head to www.facebook.com/careers.world and ask us a live question!

I’M NOT GREAT AT STUDYING AND MY GRADES AREN’T BRILLIANT, WILL THIS AFFECT GETTING A JOB?

In short, no, it won’t. If school isn’t for you, you probably aren’t going to spend your next few years studying; you’ll want to be going out into the world of work. Most employers look for people who have good English and Maths skills; this doesn’t mean they want somebody who can recite Shakespeare and do algebra, but rather they want somebody who can communicate clearly and problem solve. But even if your grades aren’t great, you can take something called Functional Skills, which provide you with employer standard levels of basic English and Maths.

Absolutely; it’s a common misconception that A-Levels are the only way into university. In the olden days this was probably the case, but as more people are now applying, the criteria for getting in has changed a lot. Universities use a points system to grade qualiﬁcations. Each university course has a points requirement that has to be met (special circumstances are usually allowed) to see if the student is suitable for the course. You can see a list of which qualiﬁcations are worth what here: www.ucas.com/how-itall-works/explore-your-options/entryrequirements/tariff-tables

I WANT TO START WORK NOW! HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT?

Well, for starters, it’s probably not a good idea to look for full time work until you are at least 16; the reason for this is that when you start work, your employer needs a NI number from you, something you don’t get until you turn 16. This makes applying for work when you’re under 16 very difﬁcult, but not impossible. If you’re leaving school with qualiﬁcations, you’ll have a better time of it. The best way into full time employment from school is an Apprenticeship (see earlier in the magazine) and you’ll need a C.V. (make sure you read our next issue for tips on C.V building!).

“ “

“

CAN I GO TO UNIVERSITY WITHOUT A-LEVELS?

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

“

Harry Day, Solihull College

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

0207 471 0520

info@pjea.org

29/08/2013 14:43:50

www.careersworld.co.uk

You’ve made it to the end of the magazine, congratulations! You will see below that this page isn’t like the others; in fact, it’s totally diﬀerent. Welcome to the randomness that is our Oﬀ Topic page.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Find us at facebook.com/careers. world and follow us on twitter using the handle @careers_world. If that wasn’t enough, 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! If that wasn’t enough, the prizes will continually get better as we get more likes! So our 10,000th liker might be getting a speedboat*!

SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE...

NASA uses the ﬁlm ‘Armageddon’ as part of its training program. A little worrying to say the least.

Each morning I appear, to lie at your feet, all day I will follow, no matter how fast you run, yet I nearly perish in the midday sun. Two in a corner, one in a room, none in a house but one in a shelter. What am I?

The width of your arm span stretched out (pretend you’re an aeroplane) is almost exactly the height of your own body.

What English word has three consecutive double letters? I’m full of holes, yet I’m full of water. What am I? In order to keep me, you have to give me. What am I?

Men’s shirts are made with buttons on the right, while women’s shirts have them on the left. I bet you just checked... Cows have best friends and they become very stressed and agitated if separated. A little bit like Jedward...

What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?

What word is the same written forward, backward and upside down?

Famous ice cream maker Ben and Jerry’s has its own private graveyard, in which is buried all of their discontinued ﬂavours.

*Erm. Or you know, not a speedboat. That would be far too expensive. But it would be equally awesome. We promise you that. www.careersworld.co.uk

The “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language. Not surprising really, it’s hard enough reading it. Answers: A penny, A shadow, The letter ‘r’, bookkeeper, A sponge, Your word, noon (in capitals)

A COUPLE OF BRAINTEASERS FOR YOU TO TRY OUT ON YOUR FRIENDS! (ANSWERS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE; THEY’RE UPSIDE DOWN SO THEY’RE HARD TO READ.)

Ok, so we said in the intro that this page would take your mind off school. Well, we bent the truth a little. Below are some genuine answers to exams; these aren’t made up by us, people actually answered like this.

An owl is the only bird in the entire world that can see the colour blue. Which is bad news for Smurfs.

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

Artist / Graphic Designer

Engineer

Resort Rep

Builder

Hairdresser

Seafarer / Deck Officer

Carer

Hotelier

Social Worker

Carpenter

Manager

Sports Therapist

Chef

Mechanic

Teaching Assistant

Complementary Therapist

Member of the Armed Forces

Travel Agent

Decorator

Nurse / Midwife

Welder / Fabricator

Electrician

Nursery Assistant

Wind / Gas / Oil Industries

Emergency Services

Plumber

Youth Worker

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

REASONS TO JOIN LOWESTOFT COLLEGE It’s a route to university Lecturers have experience of the industry they teach in Links with employers may lead to site visits, training sessions or industry talks A large choice of full and part-time courses and apprenticeships Continuing investment in the facilities and campus Opportunities to progress Degree levels available through UCS

OUR SUCCESS RATES ARE IN THE TOP 30% IN ENGLAND For more information ring 0800 854695, email info@lowestoft.ac.uk or visit www.lowestoft.ac.uk

OPEN EVENINGS

MONDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2013 & MONDAY 3 MARCH 2014 (TIMES FOR BOTH 5.15–8.15PM)

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

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

FIND OUT MORE!

Visit: www.ccn.ac.uk/apprenticeships Email employerpartnerships@ccn.ac.uk and quote â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Apprenticeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Call us on: 01603 294 660 part of the