Careers World North East AUTUMN 2013 by Open Doors Media Ltd

NORTH EAST 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

Orthoptist

Orthodontics

At Health Education North East we ensure our workforce has the right amount of people, with the right skills and attitudes to deliver excellent care to our patients. If you would like to be part of the north east NHS workforce check out our website for the range of opportunities available.

Theatre support worker

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Secretary Arts therapists Chaplain Porter

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With over 350 career opportunities in the NHS there are plenty to choose from.

Counsellor

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Ever thought of a future in the NHS?

Cardiographer Operating Psychiatry Pathology Physiological department sciences Radiography assistants practitioner Dental technician Clinical engineer Sleep sciences Critical care science Clinical Emergency medicine Learning disabilities nursing Midwife immunology

Hospital play staff

Radiology

Physical sciences and engineering Electrical engineering Sterile services management

Prosthetist

Chef

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Speech and language therapist Nurse cadet Cardiographer

Anaesthetics

Psychologist Dramatherapist

Healthcare assistant

Life sciences

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Stores and distribution staff Urology Patient transport service

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Psychological wellbeing practitioner

Customer Service

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and Practice management Leadership management Mechanical engineering Vascular science

Occupational therapy support worker Health records staff

Physiotherapist School nursing

Business manager

Libraries, archives and information services

Dental nurse

Children's Health promotion specialist nursing

Emergency medical dispatcher

Occupational therapist

Pharmacist Business administration Radiographer Assistant technical officer

Wood occupations

care Doctor Health and social General practice

Phlebotomist

Gardeners

and grounds staff

Linen services staff Estates and facilities management Chiropodist

Plumbing GP

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Personal assistant Cardiac sciences

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Dietitian

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General management Painter Dental nurse Painting and decoration Audiology

Financial management

Dentist

Housekeeper

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

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

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

IT & Telecoms

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!

Finance & Law

Health & Social Care

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!

Travel & Hospitality

Automotive

Some commonly asked questions about this time of year.

23 35 49

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

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

And now for something completely different...

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All material is copyrighted both written and illustrated. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. All images and information is collated from extensive research and along with advertisements is published in good faith. Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Careers World is published by Open Doors Media Ltd ©2013. ISSN: 2050-6600

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.

www.careersworld.co.uk

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.

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

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

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

At Health Education North East we ensure the north east NHS workforce has the right number of people, with the right skills and attitudes to deliver excellent care to our patients. Managing Director, Elaine Readhead gives her view on careers in the NHS. Web: ne.hee.nhs.uk

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

Keep trying until you succeed!

I started out as a student nurse in 1981. I loved my various roles as staff nurse, ward sister and community nursing team leader, priding myself on working hard to deliver the best quality care for the patients that I served.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

The NHS exists to promote and provide healthcare for patients and therefore we look for individuals with the right skills, but most importantly the right attitudes and behaviours to ensure the quality of care we deliver is the best it can be. So speciﬁcally we look for a caring nature, compassion and empathy for the patients and their families that we come into contact with.

I then progressed into the National WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD Institute for Mental Health as workforce, education, training and leadership lead. FOR YOUR APPLICANTS? I was able to inﬂuence education and The NHS in the north east employs 72,000 training to ensure patients were at the people - 30% nursing and midwifery , 21% heart of everything. clinical support 21% admin and clerical, 9% medical and dental 7% estates, 6% I then became the Director of the North Allied health professionals 3% healthcare East Leadership Academy. The core scientists 3% scientiﬁc, therapeutic and purpose of the organisation is to develop technical - so choose any career and it is leaders to improve services for the likely that there is a role in the NHS! patients.

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD All roles have offered me the chance to develop people whilst continuing to IT BE? emphasise the importance of striving to Be yourself, work hard and seek feedback improve the care we deliver. on your performance at every opportunity, so you can continue to learn and improve I am proud to work alongside the many all the time. Learning is never complete. dedicated individuals that make up the NHS.

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

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

With a recent ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection result, excellent success rates that place them in the top 10% of colleges in England and a £9 million development of the college estate it is a good time to join Northumberland College.

A good time to join Northumberland College Web: www.northumberland.ac.uk Tel: 01670 841 200 Email: advice.centre@northland.ac.uk

Northumberland College offers hundreds of exciting courses in subjects including hairdressing, engineering, IT, construction, early years, art, sport, travel and tourism and construction amongst many others.

www.careersworld.co.uk

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

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

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

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

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

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

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

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

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

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

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

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

The College Students have access to industry standard WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN facilities such as a replica aircraft, hair and APPLICANT? beauty salons, construction workshops, Northumberland College provide a photographic studio and professional apprenticeships, full-time and part-time, kitchens. employability and higher education courses The college’s Kirkley Hall Campus is the from Entry Level to Degree Level in a wide leading provider of land-based training in range of subject areas.

the region and boasts fantastic learning environments including a zoo, an equestrian To become an apprentice you will typically centre, two farms, a high ropes course and be expected to have two GCSEs at grade D or above and be employed in a related extensive gardens. role. The entry requirements vary by For those individuals who wish to enter the course and can be found online at www. world of work, an Apprenticeship provides northumberland.ac.uk the opportunity to gain a qualiﬁcation whilst earning a wage. Northumberland College offers Apprenticeship training in over 40 subjects, one of the largest ranges in the region.

WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOUR APPLICANTS?

Opportunities exist for students to progress to higher education at either college or university and into employment. The progression rate for health and social care students is excellent with 96% moving into related employment or further training including nursing, social work and midwifery last academic year.

IF YOU HAVE ONE TIP, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Embrace college life. Study, have fun and make sure you take part in the extra college activities such as enrichment, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and class trips.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Best

college in the area for getting students a place at university

Largest

Sutton Trust Report 2011

range of A/AS courses in the region

Open Evening Thursday 24th October 2013 5.30pm - 8.00pm Open Day Saturday 29th March 2014 10.00am - 1.00pm This is your chance to meet with staff and students, tour the campus, view the facilities and obtain more detailed information about the courses that interest you.

Choose a successful future www.pursglove.ac.uk Prior Pursglove College, Church Walk, Guisborough, TS14 6BU 01287 280800 ppc.enquiries@prior.pursglove.ac.uk facebook.com/priorpursglovecollege twitter.com/priorpursglove

Exciting new BTEC Diploma in Engineering starts this September at East Durham College This new technical work-related programme covers a wide range of engineering and manufacturing topics. You learn by completing projects and assignments that are based on realistic workplace situations, activities and demands. As well as learning about the employment area you have chosen, you develop the skills you need to start your career in this exciting sector. For the level 1 diploma you will need to have Maths and English skills at a minimum of Entry Level 3 and at level 1 or above (GCSE grade D to G) to study on the level 2 engineering programmes. To study the Level 3 Subsidiary and Extended Diploma in Engineering you will need to have five GCSEs at grade A* to C, which must include Maths and English. On the electrical pathway you will choose from a number of units such as electronic circuit design and construction, electrical and mechanical science for engineering and the operation and maintenance of electrical systems and components.

Off to Medical School Callum Scott of Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington had an unusual dilemma when he received the maximum four offers to study Medicine. East Anglia, Hull York, Liverpool and Manchester medical schools all wanted Callum after he had impressed them throughout their gruelling application process. Callum who has achieved top grades in A level Chemistry, Biology, German and Maths has chosen to go to Manchester as he will have the opportunity to spend some of his clinical time in Germany, using his German language skills. Stella Barnes, one of the Higher Education and Careers Advisers at QE, commented: “Callum thoroughly deserves his success. He has been an exceptional student who acted upon advice and prepared an excellent application for Medicine. We were not surprised when he received four offers and are confident that he will cope superbly with his Medical studies.’’

On the manufacturing pathway the choice includes units such as casting techniques, computer-aided engineering and welding. Each level takes one year to complete, including one year for the Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma and an additional year to complete the Extended Diploma.

Web: www.qeliz.ac.uk Tel: 01325 461315

Successful completion of each programme will enable candidates to progress on to further full time education opportunities in engineering or on to an Apprenticeship. At level 2 there may also be internship or some employment opportunities. Successful completion of the Extended Diploma programme will enable candidates to progress on to an HNC/D or Foundation Degree in Engineering or move into employment. Web: www.eastdurham.ac.uk Tel: 0191 518 8222 Email: enquiries@eastdurham.ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

Practical placements prove successful for Health & Social Care students

Lizzie Carr, SRC Bede Sixth Form Your first step to a bright future

Victoria Phillippo and Sachin Sharma, both from Newton Aycliffe, have recently completed a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care at Bishop Auckland College.

“I enjoy being able to be flexible with my time. Having free lessons allows time for private study or to go to different extra-curricular activities such as discussion groups. I really enjoy the community feel at SRC Bede; it’s a really close-knit college which allows you to make friends.”

Victoria started on a level 2 course and then moved on to the level 3 extended diploma. She completed her practical placement at Defoe Court Care Home in Newton Aycliffe and as a result has gained full� time employment there. Victoria said: “I love my job! Working on placement made the course so much easier as I could relate theory to practice. The placement changed me a lot and has taught me to look at people differently. I’ve definitely matured since starting this course” Sachin wants to go into Mental Health Nursing and has been offered a place to study at Northumbria University. Sachin said: “The course structure has really suited me and the fifty per cent practical placement at Earlston House in Darlington has given me the experience, knowledge and confidence to go to university.” Bishop Auckland College is a uniquely vocational college committed to supporting young people. Our careers advisers offer FREE independent advice and guidance, so whether you want to go straight into a job or go on to university before entering employment we can help you choose the right qualification. We’re serious about giving our students a great learning experience and we want you to have fun and make friends along the way. So why not come to one of our open evenings and speak to the tutors, meet some of our current students and view our fantastic facilities. Get in touch for more information on courses, free college transport and our student rewards package worth up to £2000. Web: www.bishopaucklandcollege.ac.uk Tel: 01388 443 000 Email: start@bacoll.ac.uk

Dan Ryan, Stockton Riverside College No place so close can take you so far “I decided that I wanted to do something different as A levels weren’t right for me. I heard some great things about the courses at SRC from friends. I enjoy working with children so I decided to undertake a childcare course. I think my experience at SRC has helped me become more independent and given me the drive to succeed!” Web: www.stockton.ac.uk Tel (Teesdale): 01642 865566 Tel (Bede): 01642 373250 Facebook: stocktonriversidecollege Twitter: @srcinfo

www.careersworld.co.uk

Funded Apprenticeships are the Treadmill to a Fitness Career

Building the foundations of a promising future A student has built a strong future after completing a course at one of the North East’s top colleges.

Ambitious North East school leavers interested in pursuing a career in the fitness industry are being invited to apply for funded apprenticeships being offered by Fit Training, a North-East based provider of fitness training courses.

Bradley Lowes completed a BTEC level 3 National Diploma in Construction at Darlington College, setting his sights on working as a trainee site manager after doing the course.

Successful applicants will follow in the footsteps of hundreds of other young people who have completed the popular programme and gone on to pursue successful careers in the fitness industry. These include Domanick Hoben, a teenager from Westerhope, Newcastle, who is dyslexic and didn’t feel like he received the help he needed at school to get him on the right career path. Domanick successfully completed his Fit Training apprenticeship and now works full time as a fitness instructor at Springslite in Kingston Park. He is now nearing his career dream of becoming a Personal Trainer and expects to complete his Level 3 qualification in the next couple of months. “I would highly recommend a Fit Training apprenticeship for anyone who is looking at a career in the fitness industry,” said Domanick. “I couldn’t have made a better decision. You get to work while you learn and it’s been a huge boost to my confidence, which was lacking at school.” Web: www.ﬁttraining.co.uk Tel: 0191 580 1080 Email: info@ﬁttraining.co.uk

Facing difficulties finding a job during the recession, he decided to go to Northumbria University, where he studied a four year BSc (Hons) in Construction Management. Bradley spent the third year of his degree working as a trainee assistant site manager in London, before returning to Northumbria in June 2012 for his final year. He graduated with a first class honours degree in construction management in June of this year. Bradley also went on to bag the prestigious Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) excellence award in BSc construction management for overall student award. The student topped off his achievements by securing full time employment as assistant site manager with Taylor Wimpey, based in Stockton, where he covers the whole of the north division. Darlington College offers a range of construction course including Carpentry & Joinery, Bricklaying, Plastering, Painting and Decorating, and Plumbing, from entry level to HNC. Having recently invested in a brand new, extended construction workshop area, students can be sure they are learning in an industry-standard environment.

Web: www.darlington.ac.uk Tel: 01325 503030

www.careersworld.co.uk

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

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Finance & Law

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

WHAT’S THE FINANCE AND LAW SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

even find yourself working from home! In the Legal sector, you might be in an office sorting case notes, or in the court room Finance is all about cash. How where the action is! it’s made, who’s making it, who isn’t making enough and why. If HOW DOES THIS SECTOR a company isn’t making a profit, COMPARE TO OTHERS how can you improve their situation? On a smaller scale, ACROSS THE COUNTRY? it’s about paying people their This sector employs 1 million+ wages, working out expenses people in the UK and takes and giving out financial advice on more than 70,000 new to people. Law is pretty much starters a year. It’s also one as it says; it covers our legal of the highest paying; a fully system, from legal secretaries qualified accountant could earn and lawyers right the way up to in excess of £50,000 a year! In the judges that deliver verdicts. the Law sector, 250,000 people make up the work force, of WHAT KIND OF SALARY which almost half is made up of lawyers!

CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

With regards to law, the starting salaries are quite high; usually between £14,000 and £17,000, Finance will be a bit lower to start with, between £10,500 and £13,000, but progression can be fairly quick and people in the finance sector usually earn high bonuses on top of their basic pay, which is over £30,000 when you become fully qualified in your field.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

In the Finance sector, you’ll probably be based in an office environment when you first start out. As you progress, you’ll find the building around you gets bigger and posher. If you give financial advice, you might

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

You will generally ﬁnd both sectors are based in the big cities. You might see a few private law ﬁrms in smaller villages and towns, but the bigger companies prefer to be based in the main UK cities, such as London, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. As Finance also covers banking, it’s worth pointing out that banks usually have branches in smaller places to accommodate the town population.

Laura, ACA student J.H. Greenwood and Co., Berwick upon Tweed After realising that I had an interest in numbers and a desire to be an accountant, I decided to study Maths, English, Biology and ICT at A-Level which gained me a place at Manchester Metropolitan University to study Business Economics. With a strong will to succeed, I graduated with a first-class honours degree. Knowing that I would not be able to cover the costs of an accountancy qualification myself, my next step was to find a firm who would sponsor me through a professional qualification whilst allowing me to gain valuable on-the-job technical work experience. It was for these very reasons I chose to study towards the ACA qualification and because it is a highly-respected qualification that will hopefully pave the way to a rewarding career. I am currently two-thirds of my way through the qualification and I would be lying if I said it was easy juggling work, studying and bringing up a child. Luckily my family and employer are very supportive, and this, combined with the flexibility of the ACA training program makes it possible. With hard work and determination anyone can succeed and the rewards will follow!

Web: icaew.com/careers Facebook: ICAEWStartingpoint

www.careersworld.co.uk

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

ACCOUNTANCY

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

FINANCIAL ADVICE

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

LEGAL ADMINISTRATION

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

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

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

BANKING

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

MANAGERIAL ROLES ACCOUNT FOR

37%

OF THE WORKFORCE

47%

OF UK FIRMS EMPLOY 250 PEOPLE OR LESS

THE LEGAL SECTOR DEALS WITH OVER

500,000 CASES PER YEAR

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

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

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

These are the equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after completing the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining valuable employment experience. People with Advanced Apprenticeships tend to progress up the ladder a lot quicker than those without, as the skills they learn are more suited to management and supervisory roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector and all of these will result in a Level 3 qualiﬁcation such as a BTEC, a Diploma or an NVQ. Accounting • Advising on Financial Products • Payroll • Providing Financial Services • Legal Services

FOUNDATION DEGREES

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

EMPLOYER FUNDED STUDY

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

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

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

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. Here are some of the relevant A-Levels for this sector: Maths • Economics • Business Studies • Law • Accounting • Statistics

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS Newcastle is an absolute hub of banking activity; large national and international ﬁnancial companies such as Northern Rock, Oliver Financial Partnership and Three Counties are all based in the region. In terms of Law, there are a total of 32 courts (both magistrate and county) which employ roughly 1,270 people across a wide variety of legal job roles.

OPEN EVENINGS

Come and visit us to see what college life is all about! Open Evenings for 2013/14 at SRC Teesdale are 6pm − 8pm and will be held on:

Monday 14 th October Th ursday 6th February Wednesday 19th March NO PLACE SO CLOSE CAN TAKE YOU SO FAR Harvard Avenue | Thornaby | Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6FB | 01642 865566 | www.stockton.ac.uk

Open Evenings for 2013/14 at SRC Bede Sixth Form are 6pm − 8pm and will be held on:

Thursday 17th October Tuesday 12th November Thursday 6th March YOUR FIRST STEP TO A BRIGHT FUTURE Marsh House Ave | Billingham | TS23 3HB 01642 373250 | www.stockton.ac.uk/bede

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

WHAT KINDS OF CAREERS ARE AVAILABLE IN THIS SECTOR?

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

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR?

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

WHAT KIND OF MONEY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

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

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

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

IS THIS A POPULAR SECTOR TO WORK IN?

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

WHERE IS WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

Floyd’s Story 18 year old Floyd left school at 16 and started his apprenticeship at the University of West London, which is accredited by the Hospitality Guild as an Asian and Oriental Centre of Excellence. “I applied online to do the Asian and Oriental course and initially completed a six-week pre-employment course. “I hadn’t thought about pursuing Indian cuisine to develop my cooking skills but I’d always liked Asian food, especially the spices used. “I’m now working as an apprentice at Imli and love all the different flavours in the food. My favourite dish to cook at the moment is the Tandoori lamb chops � they are great. “My main advice to anyone wanting to work in this sector is that if you want to be a chef you have to actually enjoy cooking in order to enjoy the job. It’s quite challenging but the benefits and fun factor is there, but be prepared to work hard. I’m glad I’ve taken this route and can see a bright future in the industry.” Web: www.hospitalityguild.co.uk

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

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

TRAVEL AGENT

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

CATERING

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

HOTELS & RESORTS

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

90% OF THE INDUSTRY WORK FULL-TIME

MORE THAN

218 MILLION PEOPLE USE AIRLINES EVERY YEAR

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

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

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

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

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

A-LEVELS

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

FOUNDATION DEGREES

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

COLLEGE COURSES

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS We do enjoy a good time up in the North East and Newcastle is widely considered as one of the best nights out in the country! There are around 90,000 people employed in hospitality across the region, around 40% of which are employed as full time staff. In terms of travel, the North East has two airports; Durham Tees Valley and Newcastle Airport, with the latter transporting over 4 million passengers last year!

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

We offer a huge range of Apprenticeships including:

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

• Building Services

include: classroom attendance, online assessments and

• Business and Management

assessments in your workplace.

• Construction • Education

An Apprenticeship is available to anyone aged 16 years

• Engineering and Science

and over, plus each one involves a structured programme

• Hairdressing and Beauty

of training, leading to a recognised qualification. They are

• Health and Community Services

available at different levels, letting you choose the speed

• Horticulture

you wish to learn at.

• IT and Telecoms • Motor Vehicle

We have invested heavily in real-working environments to

• Professional Services

give you the best possible training, while you also benefit

• Retail

from our well established links with local employers.

• Veterinary Nursing • Sport and Active Leisure

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

IT, Digital & Telecoms Can you remember life before the Internet? Boring wasn’t it? Almost everybody in the world is linked by the World Wide Web and most jobs require some form of IT competence. From online advertising to providing technical support for businesses, IT is required in pretty much all sectors in some shape or form, so it’s a good industry to work in!

WHAT’S THE IT, DIGITAL AND TELECOMS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

Funnily enough, it’s all about computers and their various roles in society. From ﬁxing hardware problems to designing new ways to combat viruses, it’s a varied sector that carries great importance; some companies depend entirely on their IT network so it’s vital to keep up to date with the latest technology and programming to make sure you can perform in an ever changing environment.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

The average IT professional earns £38,500 a year, so you can expect to earn good money in this sector. As companies move into a more digital age, there is a greater demand for qualiﬁed IT specialists. Starting salaries are between £16,000 and £20,000 depending on which career path you go down.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

It’ll come as no surprise that you will be working in front of a lot of computer screens! Depending on your job role, you could be working in a school, an ofﬁce or even from your own front room! You will have to have good interpersonal skills as computer problems stress people out and you’ll be encountering a lot of stressed people!

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

The IT, Digital and Telecoms industry employs over 1.5 million people and out of those there are 674,000 working in IT in other industries. This sector will require 500,000 new entrants in the next ﬁve years, so there’s no better time to get into IT!

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

This is one of the few sectors that actually get more concentrated as you head north. This might sound strange, but Shefﬁeld, Leeds and Rotherham actually have the highest proportion of IT and Telecoms employment in the UK! As you can imagine, most work in IT is located in the larger towns and cities, but every company uses IT, so you won’t be hard pressed to ﬁnd vacancies!

Chris taps into Apprenticeships with Northumbrian Water A Durham man has become Northumbrian Water’s first telecommunications apprentice after rejecting university in favour of an Apprenticeship and the opportunity to learn while you earn. Chris Tindale, 19, has joined the water and waste management company at its head office in Pity Me, as an Information and Communication Technology Apprentice. Chris combines his time with learning at Intraining and in the workplace. His role involves working on the company’s telephone systems across its many sites throughout the North East. Chris said: “I’m much more of a hands on type of person and didn’t want to spend all of my time after sixth form in the classroom again. I wanted to develop my skills and experience in the workplace. “As part of my apprenticeship I am learning about network systems. This is really helping me in my job as I get practical experience of working on them every day. It’s really a case of being able to put into practice what I am learning at Intraining. This is definitely the best way for me to learn.” If you are considering an Apprenticeship as a future career route then get in touch with Intraining today.

Web: www.intraining.co.uk Tel: 0330 123 1300

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices Well, there isn’t a bigger sector at the minute than IT. We all need it installing, maintaining and upgrading and you could be the one to do it! Most other professions require you to have at least basic IT knowledge, so it’s a valuable skill to have if you wish to branch out in your career. Here are some of the job roles you might encounter in this sector.

WEB DESIGNER

Every web page you visit on the Internet is the product of the creative process a web designer goes through. You’ll need an eye for detail as the page will have to be attractive, user friendly and functional in order to be a success. A lot of web designers work for themselves, but if you are working for a company, you will be heading up a team of programmers and specialists. Starting salaries are between £16,000 and £20,000.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Software developers are responsible for designing programmes and applications for people to use. These range from simple programs like Word Processors and Web Browsers to more complex stuff like computer games and social media sites. It’s a technical role that requires a lot of knowledge and detail, but the starting salary reﬂects this and is between £20,000 and £26,000.

IT TRAINER

If you wish to pass on the knowledge that you have learned, then you could set up your own teaching system to help people of all ability levels get to grips with IT. You could be teaching people anything from basic word processing and spreadsheet use to more technical stuff like networking computer systems and hardware installation. Starting salaries are usually around £18,000.

HELPDESK ASSISTANT

This is for people who have good inter-personal skills as well as a solid understanding of IT. You’ll be handling a range of different problems and will require knowledge about both hardware and software to cover all possible problems that might arise. Good customer service is also essential here. You can expect to earn £14,000 to £16,000 as a starting salary.

www.careersworld.co.uk

TELECOMS TECHNICIAN

Telecoms cover things like broadband, TV and Satellite, mobile phones and radio. It’s a varied occupation in which you’ll have to specialise. You could be installing satellite television in somebody’s home, or installing internet for a large international corporation! Starting salaries are usually between £14,000 and £16,000.

THERE IS A TOTAL IT & TELECOMS WORKFORCE OF

1.5 MILLION PEOPLE

105,000

BUSINESSES IN THE UK OFFER IT & TELECOMS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

IT ACCOUNTS FOR

OF THE UK WORKFORCE

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

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: IT Applications Specialist • IT Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

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: Computing • Design and Technology: Systems and Control • ICT

FOUNDATION DEGREES

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 COLLEGE COURSES those without, as the skills they learn are A college course is another way to get into more suited to management and supervisory this sector. For more information, check out roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship www.careersworld.co.uk. Frameworks for this sector and all of these will result in a Level 3 qualiﬁcation such as a BTEC, a Diploma or an NVQ. IT Applications Specialist • IT Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS The North has a rapidly growing IT sector; over 49,000 people work in IT in the North East region and a growing number of small business dealing with IT support, sales and even research! The city of Newcastle was one of the ﬁrst in the UK to have its city centre covered by wireless internet access and came online in 2006. With a growing media industry and a reliance on IT, there’s no better career to be going into in this area.

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

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

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

Care, you will be out and about helping people in your remit. Some areas of responsibility are rather large, so you might need to travel a fair bit. A more of a medical environment awaits those in the Health sector; healthcare assistants can work anywhere from A&E to maternity, whereas doctors and nurses might be based in local surgeries or in actual, surgical situations.

If you couldn’t have guessed by the name, it’s about helping people who have fallen ill, hurt themselves or have problems at home. The medical side of this industry is vast; doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists, dentists, psychiatrists and many more roles help keep this country in top working order. The Social HOW DOES THIS SECTOR Care side helps people with COMPARE TO OTHERS more domestic issues, like fostering children, working with ACROSS THE COUNTRY? people with learning disabilities As you can imagine, this is a and helping families deal with huge sector in the UK. There issues. are more than 1.52 million healthcare workers and over WHAT KIND OF SALARY 1.56 million social care in this country, so it’ll CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? workers come as no surprise that the The average starting salary in UK National Health Service this sector is around £13,000, (NHS) is the largest employer in but will quickly increase as you all of Europe! become more experienced and qualified (this is especially WHERE IS THE WORK the case with nurses). A fully qualified nurse will earn MOST CONCENTRATED? upwards of £27,000 and Well, every town or city has doctors can earn anywhere a hospital. If it didn’t, people between £38,000 and £63,000 would get very stuck very depending on their speciality. quickly. Doctor’s surgeries can Social workers usually start on be found in smaller towns and £19,000 but can easily be on villages, with some surgeries £35,000 when they become covering more than one village fully qualified and experienced. if the area isn’t particularly built up. Social Workers work closely with the local authorities helping WHAT KIND OF in that particular country, ENVIRONMENT WOULD I people but you do also get private firms BE WORKING IN? which cover larger areas of the This sort of depends on which UK. area of the health sector you go into. If you work in Social

Ollie, Oaklands Community Care Ollie left school at the age of sixteen and was unclear about which career path he wanted to take. Then he heard about an Apprenticeship at Oaklands Community Care, who deliver care and support services to people with learning disabilities and mental ill health. Ollie felt this might be the career for him as he already had experience within his family of the positive impact supported care can make. At Oaklands he was treated like a team member from the outset, initially shadowing project workers, getting to know service users and given responsibility. All this support helped Ollie gain confidence. Every day is different for Ollie. His tasks are varied and can include escorting service users to medical appointments, helping them to shop and cook, or just offering emotional support over a cup of tea. Ollie works with a range of adults with varying needs across different age groups. He feels a sense of achievement every day helping vulnerable adults back into the community and supporting their needs. After school, Ollie didn’t think that he would be studying again, but is clear that being an apprentice is the ideal work-based route to a long term career supported by on-going work training. Ollie said: “I would definitely recommend the Apprenticeship programme to those who want to gain experience in care, whilst training and studying. It’s a brilliant programme and the training is second to none.”

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices Keeping people healthy has never been more important these days; we’re always looking for ways to protect ourselves from disease, improve our wellbeing or just lose a couple of pounds for the summer season. This sector covers everything from physical medicine and therapies to more specialised areas like psychiatry, fostering and child care. The Healthcare sector is huge; there are so many job roles that keep this industry ticking that we couldn’t possibly list them all. We just couldn’t. What we can do is show you the most popular areas that people go into and which job roles you might encounter when in that area.

ADULT SOCIAL CARE

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

ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS

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

CHILDCARE

Children require plenty of care; if left unattended they can draw on themselves, drink paint, catch ﬁre and fall victim to any number of problems in the world. Childcare is all about making sure children are looked after in a safe, friendly and fun environment; the variables of this are dictated by the age of the children you are caring for and your day might involve planning activities, providing meals, monitoring playtimes and leading basic educational sessions. You can expect to start on around £10,000, but after experience you can earn more and push on for a managerial role, which can earn you upwards of £22,000.

DENTAL

Going to the dentist isn’t everybody’s favourite thing to do, but dental hygiene is very important to our overall health. The human mouth acts as a gateway to the rest of our body, so if it’s not working properly, then our body won’t act properly either. The dental industry is a highly skilled trade to be in, so therefore you need to have good attention to detail and a good, reassuring nature (not to mention a steady hand!). Dental nurse salaries start out at around £16,000, where as fully qualiﬁed dentists can earn upwards of £30,000 in their ﬁrst year.

NURSING & MIDWIFERY

Nurses assist doctors with complicated procedures, while also tending to the needs of the patients. In some situations, patients will be referred to nurses for simple surgical procedures or for blood sample collection. So it goes without saying that with all this patient interaction you’ll need to be smiley and approachable so that people feel safe letting you poke and prod them. Midwives are responsible for patients who are about to have (or have just had) babies. This involves both the patient’s and the baby’s well being, so if you love being around babies, this is deﬁnitely the career for you. Salaries usually start between £15,000 and £20,000, but can rise to £30,000 and HEALTHCARE SCIENCE Medicines, vaccines and other medical beyond. related chemicals are all created in a laboratory somewhere by our top healthcare SOCIAL CARE scientists. This is less about surgery and Social workers work closely with young patients and more about working in a lab people and families helping with various with chemicals and data, which can be issues such as behaviour, parenting, exciting if you enjoy chemistry. This also education and fostering. They also work covers the pharmacists you get medicine with people just released from prison, from; they are responsible for choosing helping them integrate into society. You the right amounts of the right medicines might be working in hospitals, prisons or that are prescribed by the doctors. Most anywhere in the local community. Salaries starting salaries in this area are around can range from £19,000 to £22,000 when £21,000 and will increase with experience. you start out, but most qualiﬁed social workers are on £32,000 and over.

HEALTH INFORMATION

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

WIDER HEALTHCARE

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

THIS SECTOR EMPLOYS OVER

2 MILLION PEOPLE

THE HEALTH SECTOR IS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE UK

OVER

1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WORK FOR THE NHS

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

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

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

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

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. They will be useful to getting into this sector, especially science based qualiﬁcations. Here are the relevant A-Levels for this sector. Physics • Biology • Chemistry • Health and Social Care • IT • English

FOUNDATION DEGREES

COLLEGE COURSES

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

VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS The North East has more people working in Health and Social care than any other sector. More than a quarter of a million people are employed in a variety of job roles; over 88,000 of those people are located on Tyneside (spread across both Newcastle and Sunderland). Despite these impressive ﬁgures, the North East remains the smallest employer in England for the health sector, but has a growing number of vacancies in a wide variety of job roles.

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Automotive Okay, so cars are totally awesome. From the Mini to the Mercielago, cars come in all shapes and sizes and require a fair old bit of work to keep them roadworthy. If you’re a regular old petrol-head, then this is deﬁnitely the career for you!

WHAT’S THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

It’s all about ﬁxing stuff that breaks down. Anything that has an engine, from a basic 50cc moped to a £300,000 supercharged sports car, that breaks will be down to you to ﬁx. This might involve something simple like doing an MOT or a service, to more complicated procedures such as replacing internal engine parts or restoring panels on the vehicle that have become damaged or dented.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

in a mechanical garage working with tools and machinery to ﬁx vehicles. If you choose roadside assistance, you will be out and about on roads recovering stranded vehicles. Finally, if you work in sales, you’ll ﬁnd yourself in a shiny showroom full of clean cars and those weird fake plants they have in every car salesroom for some weird reason.

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

This sector generates a whopping £6.5 million to the UK economy each year! There are over 32 million vehicles on the roads in this country alone, to which 740,000 people work to maintain and service. There are also 8 F1 teams based in the UK, who employ staff in a whole range of job roles, from pit technicians to performance analysts.

Your salary will vary massively on your experience and your area of expertise. Many garages are privately owned businesses that have a good register of customers; these returning customers mean they have faith in your work and will pay (and possibly tip) more. Your starting salary will be between £9000 and £13,000, WHERE IS THE WORK but will quickly rise as you MOST CONCENTRATED? become more established. If you choose to work in sales, You will ﬁnd mechanics garages you can also earn commission and workshops in nearly every town in the UK. Car show rooms on top of your salary. are also found nationwide, but are mostly concentrated on WHAT KIND OF business parks located on the ENVIRONMENT WOULD I outskirts of towns and cities.

BE WORKING IN?

In this sector you’ll be working in one of three environments depending on your choice of career; if you choose ﬁtting, repairs or body work, you’ll be

Apprentice takes top spot at national awards Remit works with almost 7,000 young people across the country, and its awards ceremony, which takes place on the 20th December at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nottingham, is there to celebrate the individuals who have excelled. David Price joined the Surf Blue Garage in Giltbrook as an Apprentice Vehicle Technician in 2009. He has a real passion for Minis, having converted one at the age of 15, and was delighted to secure a position with the local Mini specialist. But it was two years into his apprenticeship that everything changed and David was presented with an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. He said: “I’d really enjoyed working at the garage and the owner was ready to sell up and retire, so he gave me and the others an opportunity to buy the garage, before it went on the open market. I wanted to keep the business going and carry on with restoring these old Minis. “Remit were fantastic and gave me a gap year in my apprenticeship to allow me to set up the business. “Not many people get to do their hobby as their job, but I do and I’m so glad I took on my apprenticeship. Winning this award is a fantastic honour; I hope I can inspire other young people to follow their dreams.” Remit currently has dozens of apprenticeship vacancies across the country. For more info, contact the recruitment team on the number below. Web: www.remit.co.uk Tel: 01623 410 020

www.careersworld.co.uk

Careers Choices Cars, motorbikes, buses, campervans, transit vans and Lorries all have one thing in common; they’ll all inevitably break down at some point and leave you standing by the road waiting in the rain for a man in an orange jacket to take you to a garage. However, if you’re a mechanic, you can ﬁx the issues without a problem (not necessarily by the road if it’s something major like a wheel falling off, you’ll probably be at a mechanic’s garage for that). Fixing automotives is a highly skilled trade that requires a fair amount of knowledge; from engines to exhausts, each part of a vehicle requires a different set of skills. This sector also covers body and paint work, roadside assistance and the selling of automotives.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

This is all about keep vehicles on the road. You might specialise in cars, buses, motorcycles or campervans, but every vehicle needs a different sort of attention as the engines, tyres, transmission and the other parts differ depending on what you’re working on. You might be doing a routine service, or replacing whole mechanical systems in your daily routine; either way, I hope you like the smell of petrol! You’re looking at a starting salary of around £13,000 here.

You can guarantee that at some point in the future, you’ll be in a vehicle that breaks down. 50 years ago, this would have meant walking miserably to the nearest town, but becoming stranded now is a thing of the past. Roadside Technicians ﬁx broken down vehicles and if the repairs can’t be done there and then, they’ll tow your stricken vehicle to the nearest garage for you. Salaries here range from £13,000 to £16,000.

BODY AND PAINT TECHNICIAN

Fitting involves the installation things such as tyres, exhausts, batteries and brake pads while the customer waits. You’ll have to have a familiarity with a wide range of vehicles and makes so that you can ﬁt the right parts to the right model of car. Salaries start at around £12,000 and rise to £15,000 when fully qualiﬁed.

From the tiniest chip to the biggest smash, prangs, knocks and little accidents are commonplace in the driving world and when the unexpected happens, people need their cars ﬁxing up. This is where Body and Paint technicians come in; it might be a full body rework or it might just need a touch up of paint but no two jobs will ever be the same. This is quite a specialised ﬁeld, so the salary is a little higher, usually between £13,500 (starting out) and £20,000.

FITTING TECHNICIAN

www.careersworld.co.uk

PARTS OPERATIONS

Selling parts is an important part of the automotive industry, as most people from customers right up to car dealerships and garages require parts to sell in their workplaces. You’ll be in charge of stock checking, dealing with customers (so best customer service voice on!), processing payments and organising distribution. Salaries are fairly low to start with, at about £9,000, but your income will increase quickly as you progress.

AUTOMOTIVE SALES

Selling cars isn’t easy; your earnings will be based on commission, so you’ll have to sell honestly but productively in order to please both your employer and your customers. Cars are expensive, so you’ll have to make sure the customer is getting exactly what they want for the price offered. You get a base salary of around £12,000 which is boosted by commission you make on sales. As you progress and grow in the industry, both your salary and your commission rate will signiﬁcantly rise.

MORE THAN

514,000 39,700 PEOPLE WORK IN THIS INDUSTRY

BUSINESSES MAKE UP THIS SECTOR

QUALIFIED MECHANICS CAN EARN OVER

£30,000 PA

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: Roadside Assistance and Recovery • Vehicle Body and Paint Operations • Vehicle Fitting • Vehicle Maintenance and Repair • Vehicle Parts Operations • Vehicle Sales

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. Roadside Assistance and Recovery • Vehicle Body and Paint Operations • Vehicle Fitting • Vehicle Maintenance and Repair • Vehicle Parts Operations • Vehicle Sales

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. However, for this industry it’s a less popular pathway to take due to the lack of practical learning the student receives. It could, however, be used to get onto a Foundation Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

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

This is the most popular route into the automotive industry, as it allows students to combine practical and theoretical study. In this way, students gain working experience while also learning about things like Maths, Science and English.

www.careersworld.co.uk

REGIONAL FOCUS Our area is very big on car manufacturing and many famous names, such as Nissan and Evans Halshaw (who distribute millions of cars across the country), have set up shop here in the past. Despite the Automotive industry having the smallest percentage of employment in the rest of the country, in our region there has been a rise in the number of people joining the industry. Around 21,000 people currently work in the automotive trade, which contributes a whopping £1bn to the region’s annual economy!

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Your Career,

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

AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL CARE

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

ARMED FORCES & EMERGENCY SERVICES

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

BUSINESS & CUSTOMER SERVICE

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

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

Example Job Roles: Paramedic • Police Officer • Fire Fighter • Coastguard • Soldier • Fighter Pilot • Navy Cadet • Royal Marine Salaries: Military salaries usually start at around £13,000, while emergency services salaries are usually around £19,000. Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3 – HM Forces run their own apprenticeship schemes) • College Courses (such as police studies) • A-Levels (useful for officer training)

Example Job Roles: PR Officer • Business Consultant • Personal Assistant • Human Resources Officer • Management/Team Leader Salaries: Starting salaries in business are generally quite high, usually starting around £17,000. Customer service salaries start at around £12,000. Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees • A-Levels (Business Studies and IT are useful)

CONSTRUCTION

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

CREATIVE, MEDIA & THE ARTS

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

EDUCATION & EARLY YEARS

As a person between the ages of 14-19, you’ve probably spent the better part of your life so far in school. So, why consider being a teacher? Well, it’s a very rewarding career to have, as you’re helping the next generation of people through some important (and tricky) times. This sector also covers play work and early years teaching, namely, working with toddlers and very young children. This could be through a nursery, pre-school or a day care/activity centre. Whichever age group you choose to work with, you’ll need a caring, helpful and patient personality.

ENERGY & RENEWABLES

Traditionally, our energy came from burning fossil fuels, which were pretty harmful to the atmosphere. But, being a smart, proactive species, we’ve adapted our energy sources to make the most of our environment. Now, we can generate power via wind turbines, geothermal reactors, tidal generators and solar panels. We also have nuclear power, which might not sound environmentally friendly, but it generates a lot of energy and is relatively cheap to run. The government have also invested a lot of money in recycling our household waste and goods, in a bid to keep our country clean.

ENGINEERING

Engineering is a vast sector which can be broken down into seven main categories; chemicals, mechanical, metals, electrical, aerospace, marine and defence. Chemical engineers manufacture everyday products from raw materials such as crude oil. Mechanical engineers work with high-tech machinery, while the metal engineering industry covers the creation of steel and other alloys. Electrical engineers work with, you guessed it, electrical systems and aerospace is all about creating and improving things that ﬂy. Defence is all about, er, defending the country. Whichever area you

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

Example Job Roles: Radio Broadcast Assistant • Wardrobe Assistant • Location Scout • Camera Crew • Lighting/Rigging • Animator • Curator • Art Restorer Salaries: Starting salaries in the creative sector tend to start out around the £13,000 mark. Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • A-Levels (English, Art, Photography and Graphic Design are all good to have) • College Courses • Foundation Degree

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

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

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

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.

MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING

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

RETAIL

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

SPORT & FITNESS

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

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 www.careersworld.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

Study Programme

Linking Employment, Potential & Training

Need help finding a career?

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WHICH WAY

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Call 01388 771740 – Ask for Jane and let us help you join up the pieces Get qualified – Get work experience – Move on to an Apprenticeship or a job

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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!

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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.

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c:\Useful Links>_

UNIVERSITIES Durham University www.dur.ac.uk 0191 334 2000 Newcastle University www.ncl.ac.uk 0191 222 6000

East Durham College www.eastdurham.ac.uk 0191 518 2000 New College Durham www.newcollegedurham.ac.uk 0191 375 4000

TEES VALLEY

Northumbria University www.northumbria.ac.uk 0191 243 7420

Askham Bryan www.askham-bryan.ac.uk 01904 772277

University of Sunderland www.sunderland.ac.uk 0191 515 3000

Cleveland College of Art and Design www.ccad.ac.uk 01642 288000

Teeside University www.tees.ac.uk 01642 218121

Hartlepool College www.hartlepoolfe.ac.uk 01429 295111

COLLEGES NEWCASTLE & GATESHEAD

Middlesbrough College www.mbro.ac.uk 01642 333333

Newcastle College www.ncl-coll.ac.uk 0191 200 4000

Redcar and Cleveland College www.cleveland.ac.uk 01642 473132

South Tyneside College www.stc.ac.uk 0191 427 3500 Tyne Metropolitan College www.tynemet.co.uk 0191 229 5000

SUNDERLAND City of Sunderland College www.citysun.ac.uk 0191 511 6000

COUNTY DURHAM Bishop Auckland College www.bacoll.ac.uk 01388 443 000 Darlington College www.darlington.ac.uk 01325 503050 Derwentside College www.derwentside.ac.uk 01207 585900

Northumberland County Council www.northumberland.gov.uk Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk South Tyneside Council www.southtyneside.info Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council www.stockton.gov.uk Sunderland City Council www.sunderland.gov.uk

Hartlepool 6th Form www.hpoolsfc.ac.uk 01429 294 444

Gateshead College www.gateshead.ac.uk 0191 490 0300

TYNESIDE

North Tyneside Council www.northtyneside.gov.uk

Stockton Riverside College www.stockton.ac.uk 01642 865400

NORTHUMBERLAND Northumberland College www.northumberland.ac.uk 01670 841 200

LOCAL COUNCILS Darlington Borough Council www.darlington.gov.uk Durham Council www.durham.gov.uk Gateshead Council www.gateshead.gov.uk Hartlepool Borough Council www.hartlepool.gov.uk Middlesbrough Council www.middlesbrough.gov.uk Newcastle City Council www.newcastle.gov.uk

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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!).

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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.

Construct your future at Darlington College

From building the foundations, designing the build, ﬁtting the electrics and plastering the walls, we have a range of construction courses to help you achieve the career you want. Our fantastic new construction workshops are custom built to industry and employer standards, so you can be sure you’re learning in an environment that meets the highest standard. With a wide range of courses, you can study from a level 1 qualification right up to higher national certificate level.

Courses are FREE if you’re 16-18 and could be free if you’re 19 or over.

Visit www.darlington.ac.uk or call 01325 503035 for more information.

Darlington College, Central Park, Haughton Road, Darlington, DL1 1DR

APPLY L-Earn   