Careers World East Midlands AUTUMN 2013 by Open Doors Media Ltd

EAST MIDLANDS 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...

m AFFILIATE MEMBER

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!

Construction

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!

Business & Customer Service

Sport & Fitness

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!

Agriculture & Animal Care

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!

Some commonly asked questions about this time of year.

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: 2050-6546

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.

APPLY L-Earn   

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

Employing over 80,000 people, across the East Midlands, the NHS is a very large employer able to offer various training and development schemes; where our nationally recognised Apprenticeship programmes are seen as beneficial in attracting new and young staff into the NHS; currently available in over 80 frameworks relevant to health, they provide on the job training and qualifications for anyone over the age of 16 and are a route for providing fully skilled and flexible employees that progress through the organisation and are motivated to make a career in the NHS.

Since 2010 over 1250 Apprentices have been supported within Health in the East Midlands, with over 60% of those recruited aged 16- 24 securing permanent positions within 12 months at a starting salary of £14,000+ Benefits of working in the NHS • • • •

Salary above National Minimum Wage for Apprentices 12 month contracts 27 days annual leave on commencement NHS discounts

Comments from our Managers “So glad we took an Apprentice on, she fits in really well and is now an invaluable part of the team. I really don’t think we could cope without her.” “Really surprised at the level of skills, maturity and enthusiasm our Apprentice already had when they came into the office environment, even though she had limited work experience previously” “It would be ideal for us to always have at least one Apprentice in our team so that we can support developing the skills of young people locally and develop skills in our team. Hopefully they will want to stay with us in our department and develop a career with us.”

Lincolnshire Pop: 1.1m Workforce: 10,187 4 CCGs 1 Acute Trust 1 Mental Health Trust 1 Community Trust 1 University 1 Health & Well-being Board

Derbyshire Pop: 770,000 Workforce: 12,422 5 CCGs 2 Acute Trusts 1 Mental Health Trust 1 Community Trust 1 University 2 Health & Well-being Boards

Nottinghamshire Pop: 1.1m Workforce: 24,195 5 CCGs 2 Acute Trusts 1 Mental Health Trust 1 Community Trust 2 Universities 2 Health & Well-being Boards

Leicestershire & Rutland Pop: 950,000 Workforce: 15,206 3 CCGs 1 Acute Trust 1 Partnership Trust (Community, MH & LD) 3 Universities 3 Health & Well-being Board

hee.enquiries@nhs.net www.hee.nhs.uk @NHS_HealthEdEng

Northamptonshire Pop: 680,000 Workforce: 13,509 5 CCGs 1 Independent Provider 2 Acute Trusts 1 Mental Health Trust 1 Community Trust 1 University 1 Health & Well-being Board Other key stakeholders: Further Education LMC LDC LPC Professional Bodies Voluntary and Community Sectors Trade Unions

Comments from our Apprentices “This gives me the opportunity to get the experience I need whilst also working for a good organisation” “The Apprenticeship is helping me to improve and expand my skills and giving me the confidence to tackle different projects” “I feel it will give me the opportunity to progress and learn more skills”

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 are the vehicle for providers and professionals, working as part of NHS Health Education England (HEE) to improve the quality of education and training outcomes so that they meet the needs of service providers, patients and the public. Web: em.hee.nhs.uk

We can offer the opportunity to work in the NHS and gain valuable experience in a healthcare workplace. The applicant would get a ﬁrst step on the career ladder and open doors for future careers in the NHS in departments many may not previously have known about. We also offer the same terms and conditions as other NHS employees; 27 days annual leave, sickness pay, access to training, both mandatory and for personal development..

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

We employ our Apprentices on a fixed term contract and would support them to complete their qualification, provide support and training and ensure they are ready for a substantive post within the NHS. We would offer them with applying for jobs, e.g. application filling and interview techniques, and time off to attend interviews.

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Embrace the whole experience, work hard and you will see the opportunities open up before you. The NHS recruits WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN regularly and if you have proven yourself to APPLICANT? We look for someone who is enthusiastic be competent and the right kind of public sector employee you will be successful and is particularly interested in making a and then there are no limits. Apprentices difference to patients, be that through a clinical apprenticeship or providing good are paid training wages but the value of administration. There are no expectations the experience and opportunities you are given are immeasurable. around qualiﬁcations, more that we would check out someone’s values and beliefs around respect, dignity and having a vocation to work in healthcare.

www.careersworld.co.uk

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

We’ve always known that Bilborough Sixth Form College is special in what it offers to students, with a wide range of subjects to choose from, delivered in world class facilities by talented teachers. It’s a place where individuality is celebrated, where boundaries are pushed and where excellence is completely achievable. Web: www.bilborough.ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

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

Potential students need to appreciate that this is not school! Nor is it an FE college. We offer the best of both worlds, a friendly environment where students are treated as adults whilst being supported, guided and challenged towards their future aspirations – whether in employment or university. ANY combination of subjects is possible – no matter how unusual! The enrichment opportunities we offer are second to none and our sports programme and achievements are recognised both regionally and nationally.

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?

Unlike some post-16 providers, we require a minimum of 5 GCSE’s A*- C (including English and Maths) and for progression to year 13, students must gain at least DDD at AS level. Our students are serious and committed, whilst maintaining selfmotivation. Many students come with clear ambitions for their future whilst others are inspired during their time with us, taking advantage of the many opportunities we offer including our annual careers fair and talks given by professionals, many of whom are former Bilborough Sixth Form College students.

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

We’re proud of our students and their many success stories. The majority (85%) of our students will progress to higher education; others choose to pursue professional employment. Our many links with prestigious universities and employers offer opportunities that we feel are unique and exciting and help them towards achieving their “future less ordinary”

www.careersworld.co.uk

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Choose courses that interest you or those you enjoyed studying at GCSE. The step up from GCSE to A level is larger than many students appreciate. Choosing your subjects carefully will make the changeover easier for you. Work hard and do your research into the course content and teaching methods before making your ﬁnal choice. Attend inductions and open days as these will help you make an informed decision on the best place for your future.

Get hands-on, get ahead, get paid! Earn and learn with a choice of Apprenticeships

enquiries@stamford.ac.uk | stamford.ac.uk | 01780 484 311 MC

Ben Wray, BTEC Level 3 Agriculture

Success starts with Access Access Training have been successfully providing ‘on the job’ training in the East Midlands area for over 30 years, working with a variety of both large and small employers. Our team of committed staff have all been practitioners in their field and are all vocationally qualified so that you can be assured of a quality training experience. Our qualifications (including Apprenticeships), in Child Care, Health & Social Care, Teaching Assistants, Business Admin, Customer Service, and Animal Care are all available at a level to suit you. You might be a school leaver, college leaver or perhaps you have been out of education for a few years: whatever your situation we have a course for you. If you feel you need a little more support before you enter the world of work, then our Study Programme courses are designed with you in mind. These courses provide you with practical hands-on opportunities for work experience in a variety of vocational areas whilst building your confidence and earning you an industry recognised qualification. We offer small classes at our training centre in Nottingham and our specialist Construction Centre in Derby. Many of our students progress from Study Programmes to Apprenticeships and find full-time employment. Whatever course you choose, we make sure we provide a high level of guidance, training and support, helping you to achieve your potential at a pace to suit you.

Choose a course relevant to your career at Riseholme College Riseholme College of Further Education specialises in agriculture, horticulture and animal/equine training and education. Its programmes, both full-time and work-based, have been developed to meet the demands of the rapidly changing rural economy and focus on practical teaching and learning. Students benefit from the College’s strong links within industry by gaining real-world experience, while on campus they have access to a range of modern learning facilities and accommodation. Student Ben Wray is currently in the second year of his Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture. A keen Young Farmers member, Ben always knew what he wanted to do when he left school, after finishing his GCSEs, he picked Riseholme when a friend’s recommendation encouraged him to attend an open day. “Growing up on the family farm, it’s been my childhood dream to become a farmer and one day takeover from my dad. The course at Riseholme has been a perfect fit, I’ve benefitted from the variety of topics covered as my background is in arable farming but we’ve studied livestock management, which will improve my options for the future.” As part of his course he has gained his crop spraying certificate, an essential requirement in modern farming. Ben is confident that the industry focus of his qualification will improve his long term employability prospects. He intends to move into Higher Education when he finishes at Riseholme, before fulfilling his dream of working on the family farm.

Web: www.atem.co.uk Tel: 0115 958 7257 Email: info@atem.co.uk

Web: www.bishopburton.ac.uk/riseholmecollege Tel: 01522 895 490

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National Design Academy

Tresham College of Further and Higher Education

The National Design Academy are providers of online learning Interior Design and Design Courses from Diploma to Masters level. Our Diploma courses are accredited through AIM Awards and our degrees and masters award are validated and awarded by our partner Staffordshire University, so you can be confident of course quality, national and international recognition.

Tresham College of Further and Higher Education is an established provider of post-16 education in Northamptonshire. The College offers a variety of vocational training, A-Levels, higher education and apprenticeships from campuses based in Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, as well as a specialist training centre for Motorsport based at the world famous Silverstone circuit.

Through online learning, our courses are completely flexible and are designed to fit around your existing work and home commitments. Study in your own time whenever you choose through our Virtual Learning Studio (VLS). The VLS is an online learning environment; easy to access and simple to use. Receive your course modules, submit your assignments and log on to discover your grade and tutor comments. More than just a learning environment, the VLS is a hub of student activity, with a dedicated student community area, meet, greet, discuss and help each other along the journey to graduation.

Tresham has over 10,000 part time and full time learners and focuses on teaching excellent academic and vocational courses to learners, combining a mature learning environment with a range of support to ensure each learner achieves their full potential.

Enrolling is simple and only takes a few minutes through our website. Once enrolled, you will be allocated your own personal tutor who will guide you through each module and help you when you need it. After completion of one course, many of our students have embarked upon further study with us or successfully opened their own business. You can find out more about us, any of our courses or our funding and finance options by contacting our enquiries team below.

The college opened the 6a Sixth Form Academy at its Kettering campus in September 2013 for A Level learners to follow a professional pathway of a level subjects to match individual talents, interests and career ambitions and provide the best possible chance of gaining a place at their chosen university. Tresham now has a brand new University Centre and offering a variety of degree level qualifications with Pearson Edexcel, The University of Northampton and the University of Bedfordshire including Business, Engineering and Photography. As well as offering fantastic courses, Tresham is also proud to be the award winning Delivery Partner for Northamptonshire’s Prince’s Trust Team programme. ‘Team’ is a 12 week, full time, personal development programme for young people aged 16-25 years old. For more information about what we have to offer please get in touch!

Web: www.nda.ac.uk Tel: 0115 912 3412 Email: enquiries@nda.ac.uk Web: www.tresham.ac.uk Tel: 0845 658 89 90 Facebook: treshamcollege Twitter: @TreshamCollege

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New College Stamford plumbing apprentice scoops award!

Traineeships

Plumbing Apprentice Joshua Ford was delighted to scoop the finalist award of ‘Construction Apprentice of the Year’ at the Lincolnshire and Rutland Skills Awards. This award recognises the hard work, dedication and achievement of Apprentices. Gary McPartland Director of Learning for Construction says “Since the commencement of his employment, Joshua has worked hard and his thirst for knowledge is outstanding. Joshua is highly motivated and eager to continue gaining more skills and is always available to put in the extra effort when required. His employer continually informs me that Joshua is an exceptional trainee and a credit to the company.” Joshua is just one of many Apprentices at New College Stamford benefiting from gaining industry related skills, working towards nationally recognised qualifications and earning a wage. Our current Apprenticeships include..

• • • • • • • • •

Advanced Apprenticeship in Children and Young People’s Workforce Advanced Level Apprenticeship in Business Apprenticeships in Bricklaying Apprenticeships in Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeships in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair L2 Apprenticeships in Plumbing Intermediate and Advanced Level Apprenticeship in Professional Cookery Intermediate Level Apprenticeship in Barbering Intermediate Level Apprenticeship in Hairdressing

To apply for one of these exciting opportunities or if you have any questions about our Apprenticeships, get in touch!

Traineeships are a new programme for young people aged 16-24 who want to work, but who need extra help to gain an apprenticeship or job. Traineeships will give these young people the opportunity to develop the skills and workplace experience that local employers require within their businesses. Traineeships will last a maximum of six months. The core content will be a high quality work placement, work preparation training with English and Maths. First College and a bank of local employers will have the freedom to bring these elements together in the best way to engage and support individual trainees. Employers will be at the very centre of traineeships, offering high quality work placements in partnership with First College. Traineeships offer employers the opportunity to shape young people’s training and experience, creating a larger pool of high quality applicants for their sector to draw on. Employers can influence the design of Traineeships in their local area to make sure they provide young people with the skills and attributes that will benefit their business. If you are a young person who thinks that you may need a little more support before entering into an Apprenticeship or if you would just like to find out more how a Traineeship could help you or alternatively, if you are a local employer who would like to be a part of this exciting new programme then please call Jude Ingram on 01507 601122.

Web: www.ﬁrstcollegelincs.co.uk Tel: 0800 019 2722

Web: www.stamford.ac.uk Tel: 01780 484311 Email: enquiries@stamford.ac.uk

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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.

Are you 16-18? Are you thinking about getting a job? Are you thinking about your next steps? Turn imagination into reality.. Did you know that some of the most successful people in the country started their career with an Apprenticeship? The Tess Group are fresh, vibrant & one of the fastest growing training providers in the UK; so you’re in safe hands with us. We listen, we care and we help support you into the role you’re looking for. Some Apprenticeship options available to you today: Customer Service, Business Admin, Leadership & Management, IT, Sales & Marketing Danielle, pictured, completed a Customer Service Apprenticeship. Danielle says: “I really enjoyed doing my Customer Service Apprenticeship because it has helped my confidence in dealing with Customers in different ways and also confidence within the working industry. The biggest benefit I’ve found with doing an Apprenticeship is that I have gained a qualification whilst getting real life work experience; and also qualifications for Maths & English.” If you’re aged between 16 and 18, get in touch today to find out how The Tess Group can help support you into work - or even for just help & guidance. Phone: 01604 210 500 Web: www.thetessgroup.com Email: info@thetessgroup.com Facebook: thetessgroup

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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

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 • Business Studies • IT

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. Nearly all universities provide Foundation and full Honours degrees in Business related fields.

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 With large cities such as Leicester, Nottingham and Derby, business is an ideal career path for those living in the East Midlands. Capital One, the credit card company, have their headquarters in Nottingham, while banking giants Santander have a main office in Leicester, having bought out Alliance and Leicester. Many other large companies, such as holiday retreat company Centre Parcs and tractor magnate John Deere also have large offices in the East Midlands, so your first step on the business ladder could be with any of these major names!

Earn While You Learn MAKE US YOUR FIRST CHOICE Riseholme College apprenticeships are designed for people who know what they want to do and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get into work. They can be started at any time of the year and can be completed at your own pace.

RISEHOLME

College a part of Bishop Burton College

Level 2/Level 3 apprenticeships available in: * Agriculture * Animal Management * Arboriculture * Equine * Horticulture * Land-Based Engineering

Secure your place today

Call 01522 895359 www.bishopburton.ac.uk/riseholmecollege

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

WHAT’S THE AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL CARE SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

outdoors! You could be in a ﬁeld harvesting crops, on a farm looking after the animals or in a forest keeping everything natural looking. In an animal care environment, you could be working in a veterinary surgery treating people’s pets, or going out and about in your community doing house calls. You could even be working at a race track helping horses prepare for their next big competition.

Agriculture is quite a broad term for land based industries such as farming, landscaping, environmental conservation and forestry. It also covers the manufacturing of machinery for various uses on farms, forests and foliage alike. Animal Care involves the treatment of animals in both a domestic and professional environment. HOW DOES THIS SECTOR Whether this is through COMPARE TO OTHERS veterinary means or if you ACROSS THE COUNTRY? are grooming the next Grand National winner, you’ll need Just under half of the people to know everything about the that work in this sector are self animals you will be looking after. employed, as most agricultural farms are family run businesses. the animal care side of WHAT KIND OF SALARY On things, the demand for qualified CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? veterinary staff is on the rise; Because this is such a broad the government predicts that sector, we can’t list all the from now until 2020, this sector salaries for every single job, but will require at least 44,000 as a rough guide, farm based people with a minimum Level job roles start at between 3 qualification in their chosen £10,000 and £13,000 and field. increase as you progress up the career ladder. Specialist career WHERE IS THE WORK paths such as farriery (making MOST CONCENTRATED? horseshoes) and park rangers (who look after our national It goes without saying that this parks) can start on around sector is focused on working £18,000 and be on upwards in the countryside, so don’t of £30,000 after experience. In be looking to the big cities for animal care, a veterinary nurse work! Most farms are family run can expect to start out on about businesses, but you might find £13,000, whereas professional some that are willing to take horse-groomers usually begin on apprentices. You’ll also find veterinary surgeries in nearly all on about £12,000. small towns and villages, but you’ll find it easier getting work WHAT KIND OF in surgeries that have a larger ENVIRONMENT WOULD I catchment area.

BE WORKING IN?

Well, given that it’s land based and animals are mostly found outside, then you’ll be doing most of your work in the great

Lauren Page Twenty-one-year-old Lauren Page works as an advanced apprentice in the equine industry. “I decided on a career with horses at quite an early age” says Lauren, who has spent much of her life around horses. Lauren began her working life with no qualifications, so at first she found it challenging to evidence her knowledge of horses: “It was hard to get a job as everyone wanted proof of what I could do and I only had the words of family and friends, so I decided to look into NVQs.” Lauren joined a Gloucestershire-based training centre and went on to achieve an Apprenticeship in Work-Based Horse Care Level 2. She also undertook a Riding and Road Safety Course and is now working towards her Advanced Apprenticeship Diploma Level 3. A typical day for Lauren includes activities such as feeding and mucking out the horses, riding lessons, sweeping, sorting out bedding and undergoing stable management training. One aspect Lauren really enjoys in her role is teaching and “seeing clients improve their abilities” as well as improving her own riding skills. For Lauren, patience and initiative are two key skills in her role. She highlights teaching as part of the role that can sometimes prove challenging: “You need to find different styles to suit different clients of different abilities.” Lauren’s plans for the immediate future include completing her Advanced Apprenticeship Diploma Level 3 and going on to study further qualifications. In the long term, she would like to work on a competition yard, exercising horses and ensuring they are in good condition for shows and events. Web: www.lantra.co.uk

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

HORTICULTURE & LANDSCAPING

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

VETERINARY NURSING

Animals get sick just like people do (and unlike people, they can’t drive themselves to the doctors; their feet can’t reach the pedals for one thing) and require treatment, checkups and if necessary, surgery. Veterinary nurses assist vets in treating various different types of domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, parrots and horses. You’ll learn all about the different types of animal anatomies, as well as the kinds of treatments each animal needs in each situation. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a bit messy in this industry! Your starting salary will be around £14,000, FARM WORKER It’s not all big beards and wellies (although but Senior Veterinary Nurses earn around you should probably get a pair for this; £25,000. you might end up losing your trainers pretty quickly). Farming is hard work, but LAND BASED ENGINEERING the rewards that come out of it, in terms As you can imagine, farm working involves a of money and pride, are well known. You heck of a lot of complex machinery, such as could be looking after animals such as threshers, harvesters, processors, tractors sheep, cows and pigs, or working with high- and many others. Land based engineers tech machinery cultivating and harvesting are responsible for building and maintaining crops. You can expect to earn around these machines, so an eye for mechanics £7,200 if you are aged 16 or over, while and systems will be handy here. Starting those who are 19 and over will expect to salaries in this sector are quite high and bring in around £10,000, rising to around usually between £20,000 and £26,000. £15,000 with experience.

RANGER

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

78,000 PEOPLE WORK IN ANIMAL CARE

86% 3,350

OF ANIMAL CARE BUSINESSES EMPLOY 5 STAFF OR LESS

AGRICULTURE RELATED BUSINESSES IN THE UK

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

If you are aged 16 and over you could enter an Apprenticeship, which would teach you the skills you need while you work and earn a salary. You’ll spend half your time in the classroom and half out on the job. Listed below are the apprenticeship frameworks for this sector, which when completed will give you a Level 2 qualiﬁcation in the form of a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ: Game and Wildlife Management • Animal Care • Horticulture • Environmental Conservation • Land Based Engineering

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

These are the equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after completing the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining valuable employment experience. People with Advanced Apprenticeships tend to progress up the ladder a lot quicker than those without, as the skills they learn are more suited to management and supervisory roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector and all of these will result in a Level 3 qualiﬁcation such as a BTEC, a Diploma or an NVQ. Animal Care • Environmental Conservation • Game and Wildlife Management • Land Based Engineering • Veterinary Nursing

A-LEVELS

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

FOUNDATION DEGREES

COLLEGE COURSES

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

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS The East Midlands has some fantastic countryside, including the Peak District, Sherwood Forest and Rutland Water. More than 46,000 people in the East Midlands work in the Agricultural industry which, considering that 96% of farming businesses in the region have ten staff or fewer, means that there are plenty of opportunities for employment in these parts! There are also just under 3,000 people working in Veterinary Nursing positions across the region, in 275 businesses.

4950

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

WHAT’S THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

Construction is a broad term for all things building related. It doesn’t just cover bricks, tiles and pipes; you’ll ﬁnd a whole host of job roles that use skills such as problem solving, design and leadership. You could be planning a development project for a rundown area, installing plumbing systems or even supervising a team working on a skyscraper!

up driving a cement mixer onto the motorway. Or accidentally building an ofﬁce block on top of a graveyard.

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

Construction is one of the country’s largest sectors; it employs over 2.35 million people, which equates to around 8% of the UK workforce. Due to the self employed nature of this industry, a whopping 92% of organisations employ WHAT KIND OF SALARY less than 10 people, meaning in private CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? employment companies is becoming harder The starting salaries in to find. construction are pretty high; most practical job roles start WHERE IS THE WORK out at around £16,000. Jobs in things like civil engineering and MOST CONCENTRATED? surveying tend to start out with Unlike other industries, a salary of around £15,000, but construction isn’t usually fixed fully qualified professionals can to one place; you’ll have to earn in excess of £40,000. It’s go where the work is. The also worth noting that almost company you work for will have a third of this industry is self a catchment area which you employed; this means you set will work in; obviously larger your own schedule and prices. companies will be able to cover It could also mean getting up larger geographical areas. on a Monday morning would Domestic construction, which just be for a slice of toast and a is improvements, repairs and cup of tea. the building of housing, usually takes place wherever the client lives. New housing projects WHAT KIND OF spring up on the ENVIRONMENT WOULD I usually outskirts of towns and villages, BE WORKING IN? whereas larger buildings such A construction environment as office blocks and commercial isn’t always just a building site; retail areas are usually built on you could be in a design studio out of town business and retail planning out the structure parks. of the building, or working underground checking on the maintenance of the gas and water pipes. Heck, you could be operating a crane at 150ft! Most of these job roles require working with heavy machinery so you’ll need some specialist training, just in case you end

Competition win for Derby apprentice Derby College Construction apprentice Matt Gregory has won the junior section of the regional finals of Guild of Bricklayers annual competition. Matt, 18, from Littleover, attends the College’s Roundhouse campus on day release from his job as an apprentice bricklayer with Birminghambased construction company N Turner Brickwork. He was chosen by College tutors to enter the competition last week, held in Swadlincote, and had six hours to showcase his brickwork skills which were judged by industry professionals. He said: “It was an honour to be chosen for the competition and I am glad I did well as apprentices at the College have won the junior section of this competition several times over the years. “Although you have got loads of people watching your every move, it is no more pressurised than being at work as everything obviously has to be spot on there as well.” Tel: 0800 028 0289 Web: www.derby-college.ac.uk Email: enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices Were you a dab hand with Lego as a kid? Every structure you see, from your local corner shop to towering skyscrapers in the big cities, is a result of the Construction industry. This sector generates billions of pounds a year for the economy and has a diverse range of careers and roles to choose from. Whether you prefer working with tools outdoors on a site, in an ofﬁce designing buildings or installing facilities in people’s homes, there’s a career for everyone in this industry. There is an emphasis on teamwork, so if you enjoy working with others then this could be the career for you. And if not, you can work in your own ofﬁce giving plans and directions to others! Here are some of the more popular trades you can choose; we couldn’t possibly print them all, there are far too many!

PAINTING & DECORATING

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

PLUMBING

Remember Super Mario? This is how he got started. You might not end up having a day like him, but your work will be just as varied; you could be repairing a broken pipeline, or installing a completely new system to your own design. Don’t be afraid to get a little wet in this line of work! Salaries usually range from £17,000 for newly qualified plumbers to £35,000 with BRICKLAYING A popular choice for people who like to progression. work with their hands, Bricklaying involves building, repairing and demolishing walls SCAFFOLDING using a variety of techniques. You can be Creating a safe working environment is as adventurous as you want; it isn’t just a priority in any career and scaffolders staring at a brick wall. Salaries usually provide this on a range of projects, from start at around £17,000, but rise with simple building sites to towering office experience. blocks. You will be building platforms for the construction crew to work on and can expect to earn between £17,000 and CIVIL ENGINEERING Civil Engineers design a whole range of £26,000. structures, such as bridges, pipelines and railways as well as drawing up plans for new buildings. You will work both in an office and on site so be prepared for a varied day! Salaries can be upwards of £36,000 with progression.

CARPENTRY & JOINERY

Wood. It’s all over the place. It’s the job of Carpenters and Joiners to take it and turn it into a useful product for widespread use. You could be carving an ornate staircase in a hotel, or building a roof support for a mansion. With experience you can expect to earn more than £30,000. www.careersworld.co.uk

PLASTERING

Plastering is now considered a specialist skill within this trade; from simple walls to extravagant statues, you will be creating something important wherever you work. You can expect to earn between £17,000 and £28,000 in this line of work.

SURVEYING

Surveyors are like teachers; they point out flaws in work and then tell you how to improve it. Or, they tell you to destroy it completely. There are so many roles in the field of Surveying, such as Cartography (that’s map making to you and me), improving run down areas of cities, developing land for future building work and so much more. Like the roles, the salary varies depending on what you specialise in, but a trainee surveyor can expect to start on £15,000 and earn up to £60,000+ in some fields.

92%

OF ORGANISATIONS IN THIS SECTOR EMPLOY LESS THAN 10 PEOPLE

55%

ARE EMPLOYED IN MANUAL OCCUPATIONS

37% ARE SELFEMPLOYED

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

This where most people in the industry start out. An apprenticeship allows you to learn you trade while also being paid a salary. There are many employers out there who provide apprenticeship schemes; to get an idea of who’s out there, head to websites on our ‘Useful Links’ page. Below you will ﬁnd the Apprenticeships frameworks relevant to this industry, which will give you an idea of what you’ll be able to choose from. All these frameworks result in a Level 2 qualiﬁcation, such as NVQ’s BTEC’s or Diplomas, are the equivalent of 5 GCSE passes and takes two years to complete. Construction Building • Construction Technical, Supervision and Management • Construction Civil Engineering • Construction Specialist

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

This is the equivalent of two A levels, but without sitting in a classroom studying. Like a regular Apprenticeship, it’s suited to more practical ﬁelds of work. Advanced Apprenticeships in construction only take a year and on completion you will receive a Level 3 Qualiﬁcation, again either a BTEC, an NVQ or a Diploma. Construction Building • Construction Technical, Supervision and Management • Construction Civil Engineering • Construction Specialist

COLLEGE COURSES

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

A-LEVELS

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

FOUNDATION DEGREES

If you feel like you want to experience the university lifestyle and perhaps break away from those troublesome parents, then a Foundation Degree is a way of getting there. They usually last two years (this does tend to vary depending on your choice of course) and mix study with practical learning. These courses are available across the country and might give you the opportunity to live away from home and give you more independence – you’ll get to choose your own bed time and everything.

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS The East Midlands has a larger than average private housing sub-sector, meaning there’s a growing demand for skilled people to join the construction workforce. The job roles most in demand are those that involve physical labour, such as bricklaying. There’s also a call for more carpenters and the employers have reported that they’ve had less trouble recruiting skilled staff in our region.

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

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

WHAT’S THE SPORT AND FITNESS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

Sport and Fitness is a popular sector to work in and it employs 663,000 people across the country, which accounts for 2% of the total UK workforce. Over 4 million people are subscribed to some sort of fitness or gym program, so there will never be a shortage of people to help. The one downside to this is the and some people see it WHAT KIND OF SALARY cost as a luxury they cannot afford. CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? Perhaps this is something you The starting salaries vary can change for the better! according to the role you will play, but they tend to range from WHERE IS THE WORK £12,000 to £15,000 and can MOST CONCENTRATED? be upwards of £25,000 with experience. For example, a You’ll find gyms all over the fully qualified Fitness Instructor place although some of the private ones can be found can earn over £32,000 a year. attached to spas and hotels and can be in the middle of WHAT KIND OF nowhere. The bigger chains ENVIRONMENT WOULD I can be found in town and city centres along with council run BE WORKING IN? Again, this depends on your sports centres. Outdoor activity role. If you are working in centres are usually found in the fitness, then you are likely to countryside, but also look out be in a gym or sports centre. for places by the sea and in Outdoor activities can take you forested areas. to rivers, cliff faces, mountains, oceans and ski slopes, so be prepared to fill your wardrobe with clothing to suit the occasion! It’s more than just working out at the gym; this sector also includes coaching people in various sports, running outdoor activities such as kayaking, rock climbing and gliding and of course there are the roles that support sports centres, gyms and activity areas.

Paige Gunn Level 3 Subsidiary Sports Coaching student Paige Gunn couldn’t speak more highly of her course describing Loughborough as the ‘best College experience you can have’. “My course is very good - I enjoy it a lot. It gives me loads of extra opportunities and events I can volunteer at and get involved with. It also offers extra qualifications and courses that you can do to add extra things to your CV,” she says. “I have gained confidence since I started and the tutors give you all the help you need. We have progress check weeks and on-to-ones which help us to see where we are at and what needs improving. If you are stuck on anything, they will always help. They also know how to have a laugh and a joke so you always have fun during their lessons.” Highlighting Sport’s recent ‘Double Outstanding’ rating by Ofsted, Paige describes the facilities for her course as ‘amazing’ and emphasises the importance of getting involved. “Loughborough College has the best facilities and we can use the University facilities too. We have comfy classrooms with sofas for when we have lectures and we have a fantastic rubber crumb pitch so we can do practical sessions whatever the weather. My advice is to get involved in as many extra things as you can as it gives you great experience and improves your skills. Because I am getting on so well here, I plan to get onto the second year of the Level 3 Extended in Sports Coaching.”

Web: www.loucoll.ac.uk Tel: 01509 618 375 Email: info@loucoll.ac.uk www.careersworld.co.uk

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

PERSONAL TRAINING

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

COACHING

SPECTATOR SUPPORT

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

OPERATIONS

The operations section of Sport and Fitness is important; it’s all about the day to day running of a centre, gym or facility. Whether that’s maintaining the equipment, keeping everything clean and hygienic, taking bookings and sorting memberships or managing the whole place, this sector wouldn’t run without responsible, organised people behind the scenes.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Martin Johnson and the like all started out as coaches before they became successful managers. Coaching is all about using your skills and knowledge to guide others as they start out their sports careers and this could be coaching at grassroots level with an U9’s WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? basketball team, right up to working for the Salaries start out between £12,000 and big sports clubs in England. can rise to £25,000 as you gain experience. Gym Managers can earn upwards of £35,000. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES There are a whole host of outdoor pursuits that you can work with. Sports such as White Water Rafting, Paintballing, GoKarting, Zip-Lining, Abseiling and Caving all require instructors and supervisors to ensure everybody has a safe and enjoyable time. Instructors can also coach people who are interested in making a career out of their sport.

www.careersworld.co.uk

51,500

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

2,600

PUBLIC HEALTH & FITNESS FACILITIES

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

With over 48,000 different companies in this sector, an Apprenticeship might be the easier route to take to get into a very tough sector. Competition for places in this industry 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. Leisure Operations • Coaching • Instructing Exercise and Fitness • Activity Leadership

A-LEVELS

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

FOUNDATION DEGREES

A Foundation Degree combines university lifestyle with practical, hands on work. It’s sort of like a cross between an Apprenticeship and an Honours Degree. They are often used as gateway qualifications to a full time Degree as they count towards the first two years of an Honours Degree. They usually take two years to complete and you’ll be ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS These are the equivalent to A-Levels and both in the work place and on the university Example degrees include can usually be joined after completing the campus. associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. Physiology, Nutrition and Sports Studies. They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining COLLEGE COURSES valuable employment experience. Here are College courses are also a great way to some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks get into this sector and many colleges do for this sector and all of these will result in Creative courses. To check which colleges a Level 3 qualification such as a BTEC, a do these courses, head to Diploma or an NVQ. www.careersworld.co.uk. Sporting Excellence • Sports Development • Leisure Management www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS We’re big on our sports aren’t we? We’re lucky to have one of the best sporting universities in the country in Loughborough University, as well as some top (depending on who you support!) professional sports teams such as Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Leicester Tigers, as well as various county cricket teams and loads of other sports! Over 44,000 people are employed in Sport and Fitness across our region, while 14% of employers are reporting vacancies in a variety of job roles.

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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.

National Design Academy The National Design Academy love hearing success stories from our students and we try to keep in touch and follow everyone on their professional journey after graduation. We recently received a very lovely success story from a previous student, Monika De Silva. Here’s what Monika had to say; “From a very early age I have always been fascinated by fabrics and sewing. My parents bought me a sewing machine when I was 10 and since then I have self taught myself everything about sewing. For a long time I didn’t see it as a way of earning a living. The Academy runs a Diploma Course in Professional Curtain Making and Soft Furnishing. I just fell in love with the subject and found exactly what I was destined to do, so I started my first business venture by offering tailor made curtains and soft furnishings. At the Academy I found great tutors who helped me to find my voice and learnt a lot about the importance of creating an image and how to market my business. This year I have created my first complete collection of tassels. I have received enquiries from boutique hotels as well as very high end design studios who are keen to use my tassels in their designs. Later this year I am attending my very first international exhibition and getting a new line of tassels ready.” To see more of Monika’s work, visit www.msdesigns.co.uk Tel: 01159 123 412 Web: www.nda.ac.uk Email: enquiries@nda.ac.uk

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

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 An area that’s full of culture and art, the East Midlands is brimming with creative careers. There are plenty of different job roles to get your teeth into at some very big companies. Rock City in Nottingham is a beacon for those who want to work in the music industry, while computer games developer Circle Studios are based in Derby. The East Midlands also has a taste for festivals, with Download at Donnington and the Leicester Comedy Festival among some of the regions (and nations) best events.

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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.

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

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. www.careersworld.co.uk

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

Example Job Roles: Teaching Assistant • Nursery Nurse • Playworker • Play Centre Assistant Salaries: Salaries usually start at around £12,000 a year. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (English is great for all job roles in this sector, but if you want to go into full time teaching, you’ll need to study the subject you want to teach!) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees (You’ll need a teaching qualiﬁcation to teach full time)

ENERGY & RENEWABLES

Traditionally, our energy came from burning 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

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.

HAIR & BEAUTY

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

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

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

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: Spa Therapist • Hairdresser • Barber • Nail Technician • Beauty Therapist Salaries: Salaries in this sector tend to start at around £13,000. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses

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

IT, DIGITAL & TELECOMS

Pretty much every other industry relies on IT in some way or another, so the need for people working in IT has never been greater. Computers are constantly changing and being upgraded, so this sector requires a lot of adaptability as well as a logical, problem solving way of thinking. You could be managing a network for a large company, or providing IT support at a school. You might even ﬁnd yourself working within another sector; industries such as Logistics and Creative Media rely heavily on IT to deliver their products and services.

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.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

Ever wondered how that present you ordered online makes its way to your front door? Nearly every business makes use of Logistics at some point, whether it’s ordering new parts for a project, sending out a new product to stores or something as simple as sending a birthday card. You could ﬁnd yourself working at a port or airport, or even working oversees on a freighter. It isn’t just deliveries, though; this sector also covers the public transportation industry. The vast network of railways and bus routes requires constant upkeep and maintenance and keeping everything running on time is a job that requires

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY

Everybody needs to let their hair down from time to time and this sector allows you to work in an area dedicated to helping people have a good time. That could be here in the UK working in bars, restaurants and hotels or abroad acting as a holiday representative or a travel agent. That’s right; you could actually go on holiday for a living! This sector is ideal for those with good people skills, as you’d be working with plenty of different people from all sorts of backgrounds. Travel is also a great way to get out and see the world while also earning a salary!

www.careersworld.co.uk

Example Job Roles: IT Technician • Software Developer • IT Support Staff • Telecoms Technician Salaries: Salaries start out between £14,000 and £20,000. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels • College Courses • Foundation Degrees

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

hundreds of people. Be aware that a clean driver’s licence will be required for any full time driving jobs. Example Job Roles: Railway Operative • Airport Ground Staff • Mail Service Technician • Warehouse Operative • Bus/Coach Driver Salaries: Starting salaries in this sector are around £12,000 a year. Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (Geography is useful for transport related job roles) • College Courses • Foundation Degree Example Job Roles: Bar Staff • Front/Back of House Staff • Chef de Partie • Overseas Rep • Travel Representative • Cabin Crew Salaries: Starting salaries are between £11,000 and £16,000. Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees • Industry Specific Qualifications

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

Your future’s bright with CTEM Looking to get a kick start in your career?

CTEM offers free training that can help you to find an Apprenticeship or full time work. We offer courses in the following areas:

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Who is this for?

16, 17 and 18 year olds living in Nottingham, Derby or Leicester who are not in education, employment or training.

How long does it last?

Course durations vary; CTEM will draw up a personal learning plan that is suitable for you.

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www.CTEM.uk.com

Why not book into our taster sessions? You’ll access 1-21 advice from a qualified advisor and get a better idea of what subject may suit you. Call 0115 9599 544 now—we don’t have term times so you can start anytime.

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Soon to be:

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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

c:\Useful Links>_

UNIVERSITIES De Montfort University www.dmu.ac.uk 0116 255 1551 University of Derby www.derby.ac.uk 01332 591167 University of Leicester www.le.ac.uk 0116 252 2522 University of Lincoln www.lincoln.ac.uk 01522 882000 Loughborough University www.lboro.ac.uk 01509 263171 University of Northampton www.northampton.ac.uk 0800 358 2232 The University of Nottingham www.nottingham.ac.uk 0115 951 5151 Nottingham Trent University www.ntu.ac.uk 0115 941 8418

COLLEGES DERBYSHIRE Burton and South Derbyshire College www.burton-college.ac.uk 01283 494400 Buxton College www.buxtoncollege.ac.uk 01332 590500 Derby College www.derby-college.ac.uk 0800 028 0289 Chesterﬁeld College www.chesterﬁeld.ac.uk 01246 500500

LEICESTERSHIRE Brooksby Melton College www.brooksbymelton.ac.uk 01664 850850 Gateway Sixth Form College www.gateway.ac.uk 0166 274 4500

Leicester College www.leicestercollege.ac.uk 0116 224 2240 Loughborough College www.loucoll.ac.uk 01509 215 831 Regent College www.regent-college.ac.uk 0116 255 4629 South Leicestershire College www.slcollege.ac.uk 0116 264 3535 Stephenson College www.stephensoncoll.ac.uk 01530 836 136 Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College www.wqeic.ac.uk 01162 471147

LINCOLNSHIRE Boston College www.boston.ac.uk 01205 313 218

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Bilborough College www.bilborough.ac.uk 0115 8515000 Central College Northampton www.centralnottingham.ac.uk 0115 9146414 The Dukeries Academy www.dukeries.notts.sch.uk 01623 860545 New College Nottingham www.nnc.ac.uk 01159 100 100 North Nottinghamshire College www.nnc.ac.uk 01909 504504 Portland College www.portland.ac.uk 01623 499111 West Nottinghamshire College www.westnotts.ac.uk 0808 100 3626

First College www.ﬁrstcollegelincs.co.uk 0800 0192722 Grantham College www.grantham.ac.uk 01476 400 200 Lincoln College www.lincolncollege.ac.uk 01522 876000 New College Stamford www.stamford.ac.uk 01780 484 300 Riseholme College www.bishopburton.ac.uk/ riseholmecollege 01522 895 490

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Moulton College www.moulton.ac.uk 01604 491131 Northampton College www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk 0845 300 4401 Tresham College of Further and Higher Education www.tresham.ac.uk 0845 658 89 90 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.

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

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