Careers

The Shepwell School considers this to be an important part of the young person’s educational planning, in liaison with school especially at KS4. We have access to an independent advisor who is available to offer advice and support to the young person. We also include careers as part of our British Values programme. The Headteacher will assist with personal statements for university, and college applications. Across the service we encourage discussion about future aspirations to inform personalised education programmes.

Where to Begin

If you are unsure about your future career, a good starting point is to identify your skills and interests. Take the BuzzQuiz on www.icould.com What does your personality predict about your future career: www.bbc.co.uk/guides

Take a Skills Health Check. This takes a few hours but gives in depth advice: www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

Employability Skills

When you have an idea of the type of career you want, do some research to discover the skills that are needed to fulfil that job. The Prospects website has a list of many different job profiles and includes information on the skills required to fulfil that role: www.prospects.ac.uk . Think about where you have already acquired these skills, maybe from work experience, a role you have taken on in school, extra-curricular activities, and also make a plan of how you are going to develop the skills you don’t have yet. For example, if you need to work on your confidence skills, volunteer to take part in an assembly.

Top 10 Employability Skills

1 GOOD ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTULAITY

2 GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS

3 ABLE TO WORK AS PART OF A TEAM

4 DO YOU ENJOY LEARNING NEW SKILLS

5 GOOD ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS

6 ABLE TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN FRIENDSHIPS

7 OPEN MINDED AND PRACTICAL

8 ABLE TO SUPPORT OTHERS

9 GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF CURRENT AFFAIRS

10 WILLING TO DEVELOP YOURSELF & VALUE DIVERSITY

www.ucas.com – Contains official information on all undergraduate courses including course search, applying and tracking your application.
www.ukcoursefinder.com – If you are completely undecided about courses you can complete study interest questionnaire, which will generate suggestions for degree courses.
www.hotcourses.com – Websites to help you find a course, college or university, plus student reviews.
www.unistats.co.uk – Official website to help you compare subjects and institution in the UK.
www.push.co.uk – Independent guide to the U.K universities.
www.opendays.com – List dates to university open dates and gives the opportunity to book a place online.
www.purepotential.org – Student forum, sampled UCAS personal statements, interview questions and lots more.
www.skill.org.uk – National bureau for students with disabilities.
www.independent.co.uk/student – Information about careers planning, gap year, getting into university and student life.
www.guardian.co.uk/education/higher-education – University ranking tables and subject profiles.
www.cukas.ac.uk – Conservatories UK admissions service. applicants to most practical music courses in specialist conservatories will need to use this website.
www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk

New NCS Labour Market Information- April-June 2019

Prospects NCS Flyer Acc and Food

Prospects NCS Flyer Construction

Prospects NCS Flyer Finance

Prospects NCS Flyer Manufacturing and Engineering

Prospects NCS Flyer Retail

Prospects NCS Flyer Transport and Logistics

Year Groups	Learning From Careers and Labour Market   Every pupil and their parents should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities	Addressing the needs of each student   Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support is tailored to the needs of our pupils. Our programme embeds equality and diversity throughout	Linking Curriculum Learning to careers   Teachers link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers highlight the relevance of stem subjects for a wide range of career paths	Encounters with employers and employees   Every pupil has multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This includes speakers, mentoring and enterprise challenges.	Experiences of Workplaces   Every pupil will have first-hand experience of the workplace either through a work visit, work shadowing or work experiences to help them explore career opportunities and expand their networks	Encounters with further and higher education   All pupils will understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.
KS3	Careers speaker at least 1 in ks3   Careers section on the website with information on higher education and the labour market   Careers lesson over 2 weeks giving ks3 students the opportunity to think and research about future prospects for themselves   Access to the careers library at all times (prospectuses, posters, general careers advise   Careers advisor avavlibale during parents evenings   National careers week assembly	Access to independent and impartial careers advice and guidance by appointment only in year 7-9   Pupils encouraged in assemblies, aspirations and British values to use various information sources.   Opportunity to take part in arts award programme   Option meeting and talk Year 9 only	All curriculum areas use opportunities to link in careers when appropriate.   Posters in core subjects to display careers within that subject area.   Enterprise day   Big bang science day    Aspirations lessons that look at a variety of different activities carry out visits to forest schools, Religious places to see how they run, radio station visit.   National careers week each subject has a day related to careers	Speakers invited in through aspirations programme, assemblies and British Values such as journalists, police, editors etc.    Opening Doors programme   Careers information on website   World of Work day   Careers business event speed networking	Opening Doors programme   National careers week staff/student role swap	Relevant and updated information for parents and pupils on website reading higher education, apprenticeships support and guidance.   Careers lesson looking at higher education and the benefits. National careers week assemblies
Year 10	All students access British Values lessons which have timetabled slots once to look at labour market where to find the information and how best to use it to support their career Choices.   Career Speaker session…training providers, ask and national employers   Online workshops   Access to careers library   Access to careers section on the website using a widget to get quick and easy access to current labour market information   Mock interviews with employers   Careers fairs   Careers advisor available  at parents evenings   CV workshops run by employability UK   National careers week assemblies	Access to independent and impartial careers advice and guidance   SEND nurture transition visits to Walsall College, WACC, Wolverhampton vocational training etc.   Careers section on website contacts multiple sources for information.   One to one meeting with careers lead to look at transition plans (parents and other agencies also involved to ensure right support is in place) Employability workshops around next steps explored.     Pupils encouraged in assemblies, aspirations and British values to use various information sources.   Transition plans for all student completed by carers lead/parents and pupils	National careers week each subject has a day related to careers   Students are given the opportunity to develop their career thinking and to acquire important employability skills during lessons   Posters in all core rooms to display career opportunities linked with those subjects   Mentoring sessions for all students to discuss individual career paths if required     British Values lessons targeted at careers/skills/pathways and post 16 options	Careers fairs (careers live, Big bang fair)   World of work day( mock interviews)   Online workshops   Assembly talks (career speakers)   Employability workshop	National careers week staff/student role swap   Opportunity to visit local business	College open evenings displayed in careers library   Prospectuses available in careers library   Visits to college if early transitional support is identified   Apprenterships session delivered by ASK   Local college and training provider assemblies   Up to date information about colleges on website   Big bang and what career live event NEC   College taster sessions
Year 11	Career speaker sessions   Assemblies and group work (British Values) around LMI delivered by careers leader   Labour market information available at parents evening   Access to careers library and website National careers week lessons   Careers fairs	Students have access to and are encouraged to take ownership of career records     All students have one to one guidance interviews with both careers leader and parents as well as careers advisor (September-December)   Transitional visits to post 16 providers   Support to attend college interviews   School review meetings with SLT and other professionals involved with individual pupils   Support in lesson to complete applications and practise mock interview questions   College taster sessions available at request	National careers week each subject has a day related to careers   Students are given the opportunity to develop their career thinking and to acquire important employability skills during lessons   Posters in all core rooms to display career opportunities linked with those subjects   Mentoring sessions for all students to discuss individual career paths if required     British Values lessons targeted at careers/skills/pathways and post 16 options	Careers fairs (careers live, Big bang fair)   World of work day( mock interviews)   Online workshops   Assembly talks (career speakers)   Employability workshop	National careers week staff/student role swap   Opportunity to visit local business	College open evenings displayed in careers library   Prospectuses available in careers library   Visits to college   Apprenterships session delivered by ASK   Local college and training provider assemblies   Up to date information about colleges on website   Big bang and what career live event at NEC   Careers section of website displays college information

• Careers Advisor Present at Parents evening 8^th January
• 21^st/28^th January Employability UK Workshops Y10 and 11
• 28^th February – careers live – y10,y11 – offsite
• 2^nd-7^th March – National careers week/ careers across curriculum all years
• 5^th March KS3 Opening Doors Visit to Blakemore
• 11^th March big bang fair – y10,y11 – offsite
• 16^th Apprenticeship Assembly
• 3^rd April – World of work day/ mock interviews – y10, y11 – onsite

Training Providers

Nova Training –

Willenhall Centre – 01902 366278      www.novatraining.co.uk

Offer Post 16 study options to 16 – 18 Year olds, who have left formal education at the end of Year 11.  They offer courses at level 1 in Hair & Beauty, Construction, Customer service, Business Administration, Hospitality, Retail, Motor Vehicle, with Functional Skills English and Maths.

They have a number of centres throughout the West Midlands that students can attend to suit them.

Nova – Supported Internship

This programme is designed for students with additional learning, and wishing to explore their career options through participating in a work placement.

This programme is for students who have an Education and Health Care Plan – this is needed for Nova Training to be able to access additional support for each student.

This programme is only available to new starts at the beginning of September 2018, (each year) and is not available through out the year for students to join.

 

Juniper Training  – 01922 645666 (Walsall)  Wolverhampton – 01902 864194   www.junipertraining.co.uk

Offer Post 16 study options to 16 – 18 year olds, who have left formal education at the end of Year 11. They offer re-takes in GCSEs English and Maths – when starting in September. Functional Skills English and Maths, Work experience in a related occupational area of interest to the student, support to build confidence and self esteem towards looking for employment or an apprenticeship.

 

Nacro Training – 01922 625060    www.nacro.org.uk

Re-takes in GCSEs English and Maths, Functional Skills English and Maths, work experience, employability support to find employment or to secure an apprenticeship.

 

Skills Training UK – 01922 633936 – Walsall               01902 837460 – Wolverhampton

www.skillstraininguk.com

Offer training for 16 – 18 year olds who have left formal education and want to improve on grades gained from school in English and Support, while gaining support to look at career ideas and to participate in some related on the job work experience. Course offered in Business studies, Business Administration, Retail, Hospitality and Warehousing.

Walsall Adult and Community College – 01922 663000  www.wacc.ac.uk

Childcare, Construction, Health and Social Care – Functional Skills English and Maths.

WACC offer some supported learning courses to develop social and Communication skills along with looking at career choices. Some courses require students to have an Education and Health Care Plan to access these courses.

 

Walsall College  01922 657000                    www.walsallcollege.ac.uk

Offer a variety of courses from Entry Level up to Level 3. They offer a range of Supported Learning courses to suit students with various needs and abilities, some courses will require a student to have an Education & Health care plan, before starting on the course.

Further enquiries need to be made with each college, application forms can be completed on – line. Once completed each student will be invited in for an individual appointment to discuss their needs and to try and identify an appropriate course.

Next open evening – please look on website for up to date details.

 

Wolverhampton City College – 01902 836000                  www.wolcoll.ac.uk

Offer a variety of courses from Entry Level up to Level 3. They offer a range of Supported Learning courses to suit students with various needs and abilities, some courses will require a student to have an Education & Health care plan, before starting on the course.

Further enquiries need to be made with each college, application forms can be completed on – line. Once completed each student will be invited in for an individual appointment to discuss their needs and to try and identify an appropriate course.

Next Open Evening – please look on web site for up to date details

 

REPC – 0121 557 6439      www.repcltd.co.uk

Re-cycle old laptops, computers, and mobile phones. Offer work experience to students with additional needs and support, building confidence and self esteem to work in a small group, and to complete given tasks, by repairing ICT equipments.

 

Rodbaston Campus – Southstaff College – 0300 4562424     www.southstaffs.ac.uk

Futures Programme – support students with additional needs and learning needs. They offer a range of Supported Learning courses to suit students with various needs and abilities, some courses will require a student to have an Education & Health care plan, before starting on the course.

Further enquiries need to be made with each college, application forms can be completed on – line. Once completed each student will be invited in for an individual appointment to discuss their needs and to try and identify an appropriate course.

 

All options need to be researched in full. Each provider offers open day events, that prospective student and parents can attend and discuss courses /study programme on offer.

Each college as a website and on line application process.  Application forms need to be completed for a student to be invited in for a one to one interview and assessment.

 

Glass House (RuskinMIll) –  Stourbridge 01453 837502      www.rmt.org

Offer courses for students with additional learning needs. Students will need to be receiving an Education and Health Care Plan, from their local authority to be able to attend this college.

Glasshouse College, housed in a former glass factory in the heart of Stourbridge’s Glass Quarter, comprises an array of craft workshops, social enterprises, studios for local artisans, a performing arts centre, and the 40-acre Vale Head Farm set in the surrounding hillside. Crafts at Glasshouse draw from the local traditions of glass blowing and etching, as well as the performing arts, woodland management, and farm work. – further enquiries are needed with this college to discuss possible options available to each student.

Queen Alexander College 0121 4285050    www.qac.ac.uk

Offer courses for students with additional learning needs,

Students need to have an Educational and Health Care Plan.

At QAC learning is planned around individual student needs, interests and ambitions. Developing the right programme for each student is vital to ensure they achieve their long term goals. Day time attendance and Residential stay are both available at QAC.

There is a hugely diverse student population at QAC. Everyone who studies here is unique and has their own abilities and needs.

Open Evening event on Tuesday 27 March 5 – 7pm

For Advice and support please see our Contacts List – Connexions, Colleges & Training Providers.