Higher Education & Apprenticeship Fair 2023

A Message from the Headmaster

Welcome to our Higher Education and Apprenticeship Fair 2023, where this year we are delighted to welcome UK and international universities, apprentices, and their employers.

Making the decision about next steps beyond school has never been easy, but perhaps for most, has focused on deciding what subject to read at university and which universities to apply to The decision now is arguably harder with the successful introduction of modern apprenticeships and the everincreasing breadth of qualifications funded by leading companies, of all sizes and across all employment sectors.

Within the past five years, an increasing number of our sixth form leavers have chosen the apprenticeship pathway and we know, through our

continued relationship with them as ‘Old Russellians’, that they are happy, are well supported by their employers and are looking forward to bright futures. (We are in touch with Max at IBM, Jamie, Ria & Cameron in PWC, Sam at Google, Danny at The Mercer’s Co.; Rebekah at Amazon; Alfie at Christie’s and Max at UK Parliament )

It’s important then that we provide as much information as we can about this alternative to university to you all: parents, guardians and pupils Armed with full knowledge, you can have ongoing quality conversations with us here in school and in

your own homes, to ensure informed choices are made

Here, at Royal Russell, we have employed apprentices in the IT department in recent years and have enabled staff to forge the early part of their IT career or to transition to IT from a different career.

Whether a college leaver or somebody with commercial experience, we provide the environment, skills and experience to support their apprenticeship: working 4 days a week on site and attending college 1 day a week to study towards the Level 3 IT Support Technician qualification, therebyproviding them with a springboard for the next stage of their IT journey.

We continue to hold a university education in high regard and will always provide as much information, advice and personal guidance to our pupils as we are able Whilst the process of deciding one’s future might have become a little trickier in recent years, the options represent exciting opportunity for all and our single goal remains for each of our young people to take the best next step they can.

Chris Hutchinson Headmaster

The Higher Education & Apprenticeship Fair opens to pupils and parents from 6.30pm. Please observe the following staggered arrival times to ensure we avoid overcrowding.

Apprenticeship exhibition in the Library. Higher Education exhibition in Great Hall

Refreshments are being served in Great Hall

See the back page for a map of our School grounds. Please complete a short survey, which can be found on the back page, following your visit.

GREAT HALL - Higher Education Exhibition

STAGE

UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX

UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

HULT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

TEDI LONDON

ROYAL HOLLOWAY

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH

SOUTH THAMES COLLEGES GROUP

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA

OXFORD BROOKS UNIVERSITY CARDIFF UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

THE LONDON INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOOL

FUTURE ELITE SPORTS

UCFB

QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

LANCASTER UNIVERSITY

ENTRANCE/EXIT

(Refreshments available)

UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

LIBRARY - Apprenticeship Exhibition

RATE MY APPRENTICESHIP

THE HYDE GROUP

CURRENT YEAR 13 ASPIRING APPRENTICES

THE CLEAR GROUP

How to Prepare: Apprenticeship Exhibition

Pupils and families are encouraged to do a little preparation before the fair to ensure maximum gain. Large Fairs like this can be overwhelming if you haven’t had a chance to think ahead about who you want to speak to and what you want to discover.

Look at the exhibitors attending and click through the links to find out a bit more about the company.

From employer websites:

Read about what area of business they are in What different apprenticeship roles are on offer in their company and what skills and qualifications do they look for in potential employees Watch/listen to videos & podcasts from apprentices Do they invest in their people by focusing on training and skills development? Do they offer work experience or insight programmes for school pupils?

Do they appear to be an organisation that you would be proud to work for?

Look out for headings such as About Us; Careers; Latest News and Culture/Values.

Look at their social media channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn – you can discover a lot about organisations’ current challenges, achievements and opportunities from their feeds

Use your Unifrog account to research job roles (Careers Library) and check the skills required for the roles Make sure you look at the Labour Market Information (LMI) to understand how demand for employment in a role is expected to grow both locally and nationally

Higher Education Exhibition

Look at where the universities are located geographically, (some may have London campuses); what courses they offer and the entry requirements. Explore where the different qualifications can lead to.

Look at the facilities – do the Library & study spaces look inviting, are the sports facilities modern and what different accommodation options are there?

If you have a specific course in mind, use your Unifrog account (Subjects Library) to do your research before the Fair so you ask the questions you really need.

Think about what you want to get out from speaking to these exhibitors: perhaps what their Admissions tutors look for in a Personal Statement? Or what links with industry does the university have? How do they ensure their course content is kept up to date? When are their Open Days?

Being able to talk about what you have researched, even just a little, will help your conversations with exhibitors at the Fair, which in turn will

mean you get more out of the event

Gathering information from a wide range of universities will help you see the similarities as well as the differences between courses and experiences which will improve your decision making. Challenging yourself to have a quality conversation with many exhibitors will not only help develop your knowledge but your confidence and communication skills too

process: sometimes it may be very straightforward, sometimes more in-depth.

Since Brexit, UK nationals no longer benefit from the generally lower tuition fees payable by EU students and freedom of movement between the UK and EU countries may be subject to visa restrctions

Colleges, the application process can seem daunting Costs can appear to be prohibitive and the higher education system confusing But with good research and support, it is possible to secure the perfect fit for you in America at a cost that is affordable Again, early preparation is the key

level. Depending on which College you apply for determines what academic level is required As with all international applications it is important to start preparing as early as you can but particularly so for a sports scholarship.

In Great Hall you have the opportunity to learn from experts in the applications process as well as speak with a number of international universities directly.

At the Fair

Practise Your Professional Behaviours

A school event like this is a great opportunity for you to practise and develop your professional behaviours.

First Impressions: What can you do to ensure the exhibitor recognises in the first few seconds of meeting you that you are worth them investing their time and energy in the conversation to follow?

Communication: Make sure you speak clearly and confidently, using active listening skills and focus on it being a conversation rather than a Q&A Ask follow up questions to clarify your understanding

Time management: Make good use of any time you are waiting to speak to someone by bringing up their website or checking latest social media feeds When you are speaking with an exhibitor, use your time wisely, don’t rush, but judge when it’s time to move on and let others in

Collaboration: If an exhibitor is particularly busy, and a queue is forming, agree with others who are waiting to meet as a group rather than one at a time. Give time and space to everyone to ask their questions and listen respectively to the answers,

which will most certainly be useful for you too

Exit strategy: When it’s time to move on, make sure you clearly thank each exhibitor and demonstrate that you found the conversation useful.

For information on networking skills, preparing to meet with Universities and developing your competencies, check out the Know How Library on Unifrog.

After the Fair

If you collected a business card or contact details, email to thank the exhibitor for their time and say briefly how your conversation has helped you.

Follow up immediately on any offers of work experience or visits – don’t delay!

Reflect on the information you gathered and discuss with family, teachers/tutors and friends about how this has helped your decision-making process

details and a sign-up code. The Code is: RUBXParents

After signing up, log into Unifrog using your email address and password via the student sign-in page!

Please do come and see Head of Careers, Mrs Jenny Harris, to discuss ideas, improve your CV, find work experience or just to have a chat about your interests – email

jharris@royalrussell co uk to make an appointment

Some useful websites to continue your research into pathways beyond school:

Apprenticeshipsin science

There are many apprenticeships linkedtoScience.

FoodIndustryTechnician

LaboratoryScientist

MetrologyTechnician

NuclearScientistandNuclearEngineer

RegisteredNurse

VetTechnician

ScantheQRcodetofind out more about careers inscience

Apprenticeshipsin maths

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoMaths.

AerospaceEngineer

AssistantAccountant

CivilEngineer

FinancialServiceProfessional InsurancePractitioner

ProfessionalEconomist

andsomanymore!

Scan the QR code to find out more about careersinmaths

Apprenticeships in PE and sport

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoPEandSport.

GolfGreenkeeper

LeisureTeamMember

PersonalTrainer Teacher

SportsCoach

SportsTurfOperative

andsomanymore!

Scan the QR code to find out more about careers in PEandSport

Apprenticeshipsin languages

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoLanguages.

IntelligenceAnalyst

InternationalFreightForwardSpecialist

Journalist

MarinePilot Teacher

TransportPlanner

andsomanymore!

ScantheQRcode tofindoutmore aboutcareersin languages

ScantheQRcodeto findoutmoreabout careersinICTand Computing

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoICTandComputing. ApplicationSupportLead ArtificalIntelligence(AI)DataSpecialist CyberSecurityTechnologist DigitalCommunityManager NetworkEngineer SoftwareDeveloper ScantheQRcode tofindoutmore aboutcareersin History

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoHistory.

Apprenticeshipsin Geography

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoGeography.

CharteredTownPlanner

CountrysideWorker

CropTechnician Ecologist LandscapeTechnician

andsomanymore!

ScantheQRcodeto findoutmoreabout careersin geography

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoFoodandNutrition. Baker Butcher Dietitian Fishmonger FoodTechnologist HospitalityTeamMember

andsomanymore!

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoEnglish.

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoDramaandMusic.

Therearemanyapprenticeships linkedtoBusinessStudies.

Map of School Grounds

Thank you for attending the careers event. It's important we hear from you about your experience so we can tailor future events carefully.

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If you have further comment to share with us, please email jharris@royalrussell.co.uk