Make the Future Yours! Issue 3

Price £2.95 Education, Careers, News & Insight Issue 3

Information on careers you may not have thought about! Thinking about being your own boss?

Access to HE Courses explained!

What’s next?

Information, advice and case studies to help you make the right career choices!

Discover a new career in the great outdoors! Are you creative, practical, have an eye for detail, interested in the environment and want to work outdoors? Then landscaping could be the career for you. There are lots of roles in landscaping... Creatively solving problems in green spaces, designing plans that will improve or create new gardens? This is landscape design. Looking for something hands-on and physical? Want to be involved in planning and building landscapes using a range of structural materials to turn design into reality? This is hard landscaping. Can you see yourself choosing and planting a wide range of plants to transform green spaces, adding texture, colour, and scent? This is soft landscaping. Making sure green spaces are looking their best, that they are safe, clean, and attractive to those using and visiting them? This is landscape maintenance.

To find out how to have a career in the great outdoors, visit www.golandscape.co.uk

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Make the Future Yours is published three times a year – October, February and June. To subscribe visit: www.makethefutureyours.com Editorial Editor Claire Sutton claire@makethefutureyours.com @edfutureyours Advertising hello@makethefutureyours.com 02394 004042 Design Art Director Steve Davis steve@makethefutureyours.com Publisher The Future Business Ltd www.thefuturebusiness.co.uk

From the Editor Welcome to Issue 3 of our magazine! Since the first issue was published, there have been two major changes that have affected employment. The first is how quickly the use of technology has grown. Online tools are enabling people to review both working patterns and employment opportunities. The second is that, thanks to furlough or working from home, many people seem to have reflected on their working experience: Do they still enjoy the job they do? Would they like a better work/life balance? The good news is that you are probably far better equipped for the workplace than many who have been in it for years. We hope our magazine inspires you, not just for your first career but all subsequent careers too! Claire

Contents Get social with us: makethefutureyours1 @makethefutureyours @makefutureyours Make the Future Yours makethefutureyours The reproduction of any material, whether whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to publish any letters and submissions. Prices and details are subject to change and The Future Business Ltd accepts no responsibility for omissions or errors. All materials sent at original owner’s risk. © The Future Business Ltd 2021. All rights reserved

4 All at sea? Not necessarily! 8 How I became a Project Engineer 10 Careers in Environmentally Conscious Construction 12 Engineering a great career 14 Focus on credit cards 16 What is a Shared Apprenticeship Scheme? 18 Looking for an Apprenticeship? 20 Making History 24 National Apprenticeship Week 2022 26 Want to start your own business? 28 A career in financial advice 30 What does it mean to be Chartered? 32 A career in the landscape 34 Competition 36 A life in the great outdoors! 38 What are Access to HE courses? Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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All at sea? Not necessarily! As a collection of islands with a coastline of over 11,000 miles, you would expect marine and maritime to feature strongly in our economy and it does! Estimates suggest it contributes over £50 billion per year and employs directly or supports jobs for over 1 million people. But what do those 1 million people do? We take a snapshot of the range of careers available including the large number that are available on-shore.

Maritime UK is the umbrella body for the maritime sector. They work alongside the shipping, ports, services, engineering and leisure marine industries to champion and enable a thriving maritime sector. Here’s our taster of the areas they cover. Ports & Harbours Every year, 65 million passengers and 500 million tonnes of cargo, which is around 95 per cent of the UK’s total imports and exports, move through UK ports. To do this, we require everything from deepwater container ports to small harbours, supporting all kinds of vessels: oil and gas tankers, ferry and cruise ships, and every kind of commercial, military and leisure ships. Maritime land-based jobs will therefore include a wide range of skills, including engineering, warehousing, transport, planning, 4

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safety, security, and a host of other business areas. New apprenticeships and qualifications cover many of these areas. Merchant Navy The Merchant Navy is the collective term for our commercial shipping and includes a variety of vessels from cruise ships to tankers and cargo ships. It is a technologically advanced industry which requires highly trained seafarers working across navigation, engineering, electro-technical and on-board services disciplines. There are a variety of entry routes available to start a career at sea within the Merchant Navy, which includes fully sponsored training programmes and apprenticeships. UK seafarers are sought after all across the world and the range of skills they acquire during their training enables them to thrive in a competitive industry.

Workboats & Tugs A workboat is a general term for a wide variety of vessels, from tugs and harbour launches to larger multicats and the fast crew transfer vessels. These workboats usually work with small crews of 2-6 people, covering the wide variety of duties required. They may work with a range of contractors on projects like port construction or infrastructure or the offshore energy industries, constructing and operating offshore wind farms. Another key vessel is the Harbour tug, which will assist larger ships to manoeuvre in confined water and berth safely. The work tends to be quite varied allowing crew to quickly gain a wide range of experiences. Inland waterways Our Inland Waterways include lakes, lochs, canals, non-tidal rivers, tidal rivers and estuaries, essentially any marine area or waterway not classified as being ‘at sea’. A significant amount of commercial trade and activity takes place on our Inland Waterways, including passenger and freight movement. Again, the skills required vary enormously, from management and administration to on-board and customer services.

Engineering Engineering is all about solving problems using specialist technical and practical skills. It’s all about maths, science, research, prototypes, design, maintenance and production. Marine engineers are involved in the design, construction, installation, operation, maintenance and repair of everything from the main propulsion engines to auxiliary machinery and systems found in all kinds of ships. Depending on their employer, they may also be responsible for land-based equipment such as cranes and carriers. Naval Architecture & Boat Design Naval architects are primarily involved in the design of vessels which move just above, on or under the sea, such as tankers, passenger ferries, warships, drilling platforms, submarines, hovercraft or yachts. Their work includes planning the construction process, the supply of materials, fitting-out and testing. There are also specialised technical problems to be solved in areas such as cargo handling. Some naval architects advise on the repair and maintenance of fleets. Some shipping organisations may also employ a naval architect Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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as a ship surveyor, to monitor a vessel throughout its life to ensure that it is safe and seaworthy and meets other statutory rules and regulations. Shipbuilding & Boatbuilding Shipbuilding is the business of building large oceangoing vessels usually of steel. Boatbuilding is the term used for the construction of smaller vessels from materials such as wood, steel, aluminium, glass fibre or new composite materials. There are opportunities in ship and boatbuilding at every level. In the UK, there are a small number of shipyards engaged in building large ships, from specialist vessels such as the RSS David Attenborough, or ships for the Royal Navy. There are also a number of smaller shipyards building smaller vessels such as tugs, ferries, fishing and survey/research vessels. Boatbuilders construct boats typically up to about 50 metres in length, both boats for leisure and small commercial craft. Supporting shipbuilding and boatbuilding are also many manufacturers of marine equipment such as sails, engines, electronics and boat fittings. Superyachts A superyacht is, by definition, any yacht over 24 metres in length, which is about the length of a tennis court. Owning or chartering one of these multi-million-pound superyachts is the domain of the rich and famous, but behind the glamorous façade is a whole team of workers keeping everything ship-shape. The number of superyachts being built is increasing each year, and there is now a shortage of skilled workers to crew, run and maintain them. Working on a superyacht is certainly not a holiday, but the rewards can be generous and it’s a great way to see the world in style. Marine Science Seventy per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and seas and we rely on them for important things such as food, energy sources such as wind power, oil and gas, and tourism revenue. As an island nation, we are responsible for the health of a sea area over three times larger than our land area. Marine scientists therefore play a really important role in research, analysis and forecasts in relation to the oceans, their life forms and coastal areas. Marine scientists are usually employed by universities, international organisations, commercial companies, government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and marine research institutes. They might specialise in one particular area, such as coastal management, fisheries biology, mathematical modelling of ocean change, ecosystem dynamics or chemical risk assessment.

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Sea Fishing & Aquaculture Seafood is a multi-billion-pound industry in the UK with the total purchases of seafood in the UK worth £5.84 billion in 2010. To go to sea on a commercial sea fishing vessel, individuals must undergo training in basic sea survival, firefighting and first aid. Landbased aquaculture organisations, such a shellfish farms or fish hatcheries, require a slightly different set of both business and practical skills. Business Services As well as frontline staff, like crew members, shipowners need effective shipbrokers, lawyers, bankers and insurers. These business services – many with a global reach – are a vital part of the maritime industry, and a vast number of service companies are based in London and across the UK. For example, London has the highest concentration in the world of solicitors, barristers and arbitrators specialising in maritime issues and dispute resolution. Many people enter these sectors after a career at sea, but many more choose to enter shipping after achieving professional qualifications. It means graduates in law, economics, finance and many other disciplines, who may never have thought about a maritime career, find themselves becoming a crucial part of the industry. Royal Navy The Naval Service is a team of over 30,000 men and women from all walks. They are one of the UK armed forces who could be deployed anywhere in the world to do what it takes to protect our nation’s interests, support the enforcement of UN resolutions, and aid the UK’s allies. However, they also play an important role in preventing conflict, supporting international partners around the globe and providing humanitarian assistance in times of crisis. To read more about maritime careers, go to www.maritimeuk.org/careers And there is more information about careers in the Royal Navy on their website, www.royalnavy.mod.uk

Might a maritime career float your boat?

There are plenty of exciting careers in the maritime sector to choose from, both on and offshore. It is a growing sector with a thriving future offering well-paid careers. There are many ways to enter the maritime sector and once in, there are tremendous opportunities to move to different parts. Careers range from working on commercial ships to maritime law, hospitality to boat building, or cleaning the oceans of plastics to designing a superyacht, and many more! To learn more, speak to your Careers Leader in your school or college

“I WANTED TO BE JUDGED BY MY SKILLS AND TALENTS. IN THE ROYAL NAVY, I AM.” Over 100 career paths to choose from, including Medical, Engineering and Logistics. With all roles, you will get: • Life-long learning • Travel around the world • Free medical and dental care • 6 weeks’ paid holiday every year • An excellent non-contributory pension scheme

For more information call 0345 607 5555 Visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers

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How I became a Project Engineer

Starting with a passion for drama and via the UK’s biggest greenhouse, Lee Fisher’s route into his current role hasn’t exactly been a predictable one. However, looking back, it was all those interesting experiences along the way that make him the Project Engineer he is today. Here’s Lee’s story. I spent quite a lot of time at school getting into acting so I was really torn over what to do at college – the traditional A Level route or a BTEC in Theatre Studies. It was a tough decision, but I went for A Levels. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career so I just tried to pick subjects I would enjoy. We had the option to do AS Levels first, then, so I picked Business, Sociology, English Language, Computing Studies and Media Studies. Quite a mix! In the end, I only did Business, Media and General Studies through to a full A Level. By my second year, I was much keener to get a job than study, so I persuaded college to let me concentrate on two 8

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subjects and get a couple of part time jobs around them. Dad had his own plumbing and heating business, so I worked alongside him, topping that up with bar work, and I enjoyed the mix. I went on to study Business and HR (Human Resources) at my local university, the University of Hull, which meant I could continue to live at home. I did well at university and, in my final year, started applying for graduate scheme jobs. I must admit that only doing two full A Levels did limit my options after university, but I was lucky enough to

make it through to the final rounds of interview on the British Aerospace (BAE) graduate programme. At that last BAE interview, the manager who interviewed me said he could see that I wasn’t sure about accepting the role and sent me away to think about it. He was right! Partly distance was an issue, BAE Head Office in Farnborough is a long way from home in Hull. But I also felt that I might have missed out on some life experience by not going away to university, so I turned them down in favour of a year travelling, which became three years! I spent three summers in Mallorca, working in bars and enjoying the sun and lifestyle. In the off-season, I came back to England working for a company who build commercial greenhouses, CMW Horticulture. CMW offered me the chance to have one last summer abroad with the promise of a full-time job to come home to, which was project managing greenhouse builds. I had the fun of managing what was then the UK’s biggest commercial greenhouse in 2008 in Norfolk, which used waste heat and CO2 from a nearby sugar plant to heat it. We also got to build the greenhouses in the Oman Botanic Gardens, a bit like the Eden Project ones. These greenhouses were my first step into construction, and I was with them until 2013. By then, I was starting to think about other options, so I left CMW and worked part-time with my Dad, which gave me time to explore ideas. Dad had been approached to install things like energy-efficient boilers and heat pumps under the Government’s Green Deal initiative, which seemed like an opportunity to me. I set up my own company, Green Albion Ltd, to specialise in domestic, sustainable technologies like this. Most of the time, it was just me working on my own business but, early in 2020, I was asked by a local estate agent if I would take on the maintenance of all their properties. Effectively, this saw me step back into managing projects. I would work on the jobs I could do and manage other skilled trades for everything else. It was a really positive experience as one of the landlords was really into green and renewable energy and wanted to make sure all his properties were sustainable. I was researching how to make a very old stone cottage environmentally friendly, which really inspired my interest in all sorts of sustainable energy options. In August 2020, I saw a company called Sero had advertised for a Project Management role working from home. I read the job description and it really felt like it had been written just for me. Although my career by then had been so diverse, it felt as though this role would bring all my skills together. I even sent the job description to my best friend from university, and he said it was the job I’d told him

I wanted to do when we were 18! Even working behind bars in Mallorca, I was always trying to make sure things worked as efficiently as possible and that’s what a Project Engineer does. My job at Sero is to use my construction and installation technology experience across all of our projects, helping to find efficiencies and ensure they are sustainable. I also head up what we call the ‘Decarb Army’, informing small businesses, suppliers and sole traders in construction about these sustainable and renewable technologies. I spend quite a lot of my time speaking at events to get people on board, which I guess even plays to my love of performing! When I’m not at events or our offices in Cardiff, I work remotely from home in Lincoln. Looking back at my own journey, although I never really had a career plan, I’ve always done what has interested me and I’ve always learnt from those experiences. I hope I show that the decisions you make at 16 or 18 years old won’t necessarily influence the rest of your career, as long as you’re prepared to keep learning and following opportunities.

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Careers in Environmentally Conscious Construction When you think about careers in construction, you probably think of traditionally skilled jobs like bricklayer, roofer, or plasterer. However, increased environmental awareness and higher standards of environmental protection in construction have led to an increase in demand for specialists, leading to a boom in exciting new careers in environmentally conscious construction. We highlight a few of them here.

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Ecologist Ecology is a branch of science that looks at how animals, plants and humans interact with each other. Ecologists therefore play a key role in the construction of building developments. Before any works can start, Ecologists are on-site surveying all of the wildlife, plants, watercourses and the local environment to identify any potential negative impacts on the natural surroundings. Collected data is analysed and forms the basis of reports, with recommendations made in accordance with legislation and environmental standards. Ecologists split their time between surveys, office time and site visits to ensure works are being carried out. Analytical thinking, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to work well under your own initiative are some key skills highly valued in Ecologists. A love for wildlife and all things nature would be a great benefit too! Geological Surveyor A Geological Surveyor investigates and studies the rock composition beneath a prospective development site. This helps the housebuilder understand if the land they’re going to build homes on is solid, important stuff if you want homes that last. Techniques used include site surveys, analysing maps and plans, and the use of digital tools including AutoCAD and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to form three-dimensional maps of the subterranean landscape and geological makeup beneath the construction site. From a renewable energy point of view, geological surveys can help determine if a site is suitable to install Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs). GSHP’s use buried pipes sometimes over 100m deep to take warmth from below the Earth’s surface and

use it to heat our homes and water. With the UK and Welsh Government targets to phase out the use of gas boilers in homes, technologies such as Ground Source Heat Pumps are sure to be in high demand. Many people work in geology, from the on-site surveyors and data analysts to those who get to work with very big drills. An interest in sciences, geography or rocks and fossils would be a wonderful place to start. Sustainability Consultant Environmental sustainability is the responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems to support health and wellbeing for all, now and in the future. A Sustainability Consultant works within the construction industry to ensure that sustainability is at the centre of the project, combining skills from business and environmental management. A Sustainability Consultant would look at all activities of a company to develop their business strategy including best practices for both now and the future. In home-building, this could be through helping reduce waste during construction to increase efficiency, maximising the use of renewable energy in the newly built homes, making recommendations on improving building fabric and insulation for a more comfortable and efficient home, or on preserving and maximising green space. Strong problem-solving, organisational and communication skills, as well as a strong interest in the wider scope of everything sustainability, would make you a great fit for this role.

Scientists seek to understand the properties and limitations of existing materials, devising ways to strengthen these or by combining and developing new materials. This could mean developing a new type of plaster that has noisecancelling properties, a new type of insulation to help keep homes extra cosy in the winter, or a photovoltaic material to capture energy from the sun as solar power to run homes and businesses. It could also mean understanding the forces that materials are able to withstand and working hard to make sure this meets the needs of the project. New materials technology has a big part to play in improving the environmental sustainability of homes. An inquisitive nature and a drive to research and discover with strong mathematical skills are essential qualities for this fascinating career. For more information about construction careers, go to the Go Construct website, www.goconstruct.org

Materials Scientist Materials scientists study the chemical and structural properties of man-made and natural materials. Through this research, Materials Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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Engineering a great career About 95% of all UK imports and exports are transported by sea, with our busy ports contributing around £7.7 billion value to our economy. As one of our deep sea ports, capable of handling today’s supersized cargo and container ships, the Port of Southampton sees an average of 33 million tonnes of goods pass through it each year. The Port of Southampton includes the second largest container terminal in the UK, operated by DP World, the global logistics business. And it takes a whole range of skills and people to keep such a busy terminal running. We catch up with two of their team. Luke Oates and Shane Dunkason are both former engineering apprentices, now working in senior engineering roles at DP World Southampton. We asked them what part they play in the smooth running of the container terminal, and how they got where they are today. What is your job now? Luke: I’m a Planned Maintenance Engineer but my primary focus is on reliability, looking at things like preventing equipment breakdowns before they occur. You can imagine how costly it would be if, say, one of our huge quayside container cranes stopped working and were unable to unload a ship! My current role is a new position where I can use cutting edge technology to help detect problems with our equipment such as ultrasound, vibration and thermography. For example, by the time you can hear a bearing in an engine making a funny noise, it’s likely done some damage and you’ll probably have to strip it all to replace any damaged parts. However, if I can use ultrasound to detect unusual noises even before you can hear them with the human ear, we can probably solve the problem before it does unnecessary damage. 12

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I learnt about lean manufacturing techniques on my degree and I was always interested to see how it might apply in engineering. Now, I’m in a position to implement some of those ideas. Shane: I’m one of two Asset Managers here; I look after our quayside cranes and various other equipment on site while my opposite number is responsible for our fleet of straddle carriers. After my apprenticeship, I stepped up to supervise a planned maintenance shift. That lead to the opportunity to oversee the build of two new quayside container cranes in 2018 – a fairly rare opportunity – dealing with colleagues, contractors and an assortment of planning and scheduling issues. In 2019, I was given the opportunity to become a Scheduling Engineer, planning our maintenance priorities on all our equipment. Not long after that, DP World Southampton had a bit of a restructure and the Asset Manager roles were created, so I applied for one. I get to work quite closely with Luke as he comes up with initiatives that our maintenance teams need to implement. It feels like we’re pushing ahead with things and I enjoy the challenge of setting up new systems and processes.

What was your first job? Luke: My first job was actually with DP World, about eighteen years ago! When I left school, I knew I wanted to go into engineering so I looked for some apprenticeship options. ExxonMobil are a large employer round here so I did apply there; my twin brother got offered that job ahead of me but fortunately I had applied to other places and was recruited by DP World. Now, I’m glad it worked out that way as I did a multi-skilled engineering apprenticeship, including skills such as fabrication, mechanical, electrical and electronics, and was offered the opportunity to do a degree afterwards even before Degree Apprenticeships formally existed. The opportunity to stay at DP World after my apprenticeship was fortunately available and so I was able to join a maintenance engineering shift, which pays really well! Without that hands-on experience, I don’t think I could do my job today anywhere near as effectively and competently.

(my Dad was an engineer too) so I applied everywhere to see what I could get. Even if I didn’t get offered the apprenticeship, I knew I would get great experience of the recruitment process - assessments, interviews etc. An apprenticeship is quite a step up from school; it can feel like a whirlwind and I think you grow up quickly. We spent our first year in a training centre, which helped, but I’m not sure how they could have prepared us for coming on site, with all the enormous kit we have! It probably wasn’t until towards the end of my Apprenticeship when I realised quite how good it was; friends from school were doing part-time jobs to earn some money, and some came out of university still not knowing what they wanted to do. I think an Apprenticeship gives you purpose. I think Luke and I would agree that, once we started our Apprenticeships, we’ve never looked back; it’s always forward to the next challenge.

Shane: Yes, like Luke, I joined DP World as a school leaver on an engineering apprenticeship and my older sister did her apprenticeship with Exxon! I had the same broad training as Luke, and we both went on to do degrees in Mechanical Engineering with Business at Solent University. For me, the degree was almost a ‘back up plan’, in case I didn’t want to still be working on my tools in my 40s. Fortunately, the opportunities within DP World Southampton have meant that my career could progress, through shifts and supervisory roles, without needing to look elsewhere. It sounds like you would both recommend the Apprenticeship route! Luke: Yes! What have you got to lose by applying for an Apprenticeship? I remember working out the pros and cons between apprenticeships and college, and the apprenticeship won hands down. College was just like going to school again, just without the uniform, but the apprenticeship was a real responsibility and a great way to earn good money straight from school. If you’re ready to step up into the challenge of the big world, I would say than an apprenticeship is for you. I don’t know anyone who has regretted doing an apprenticeship. I’m proud to work here; it does feel like a privilege to work at a well-known local company. Shane: Yes, I would too! At school, there was minimal advice on apprenticeships, everyone was pushing me towards college and apprenticeships were an afterthought. But it was the other way around for me – an apprenticeship was my first choice option. My parents were really supportive Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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Focus on credit cards There seems to be a small plastic card for everything these days: college ID, driving licence, bank details, supermarket loyalty schemes, you name it! Perhaps one of the most useful you might carry is a credit card (or maybe you have the app on your phone) to make buying easier. But understanding how they work is important for you to stay in control of your spending. Here’s our quick guide to the essentials. What’s the difference between a credit card and a debit card? They look almost identical, they have numbers and chips, and you can use either for contactless payments. The most important difference is that a debit card will have been issued by your bank and allows you to instantly access only the money you have in your bank account. Payments by debit card are taken immediately from your account. However, a credit card allows you to borrow money to buy things, that you then must pay back and can incur interest. How do you get a credit card? Because it’s like a loan-facility, applying for a credit card is usually a bit more complicated than opening a bank account. You will need to fill in a questionnaire about things like your employment status, where you live and what your monthly rent or mortgage payments are to help the credit card company decide if you are a ‘good’ risk. You will also need to provide

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documents to prove your ID and address such as passport or current bills, and the company will check to see if you have any credit history. They will use this information to check who you are and to set your credit limit. Card approval processes are getting quicker but it can take a week or so to know if your application for a card has been approved. Are there different types of credit card? Credit cards generally fall into two categories: a standard card or a premium card. • Standard cards simply offer to lend you money to buy things. As an incentive, many cards do now offer some rewards, such as a small percentage cash back on what you’ve spent or travel points. • Premium cards offer the same loan facility but usually offer much more too, for which you

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will pay an annual fee just to have the card. These other offers might include special event access or exclusive airport lounge use. If you are going to make use of these perks, it’s worth checking them to see if the annual fee is worth paying. How do the interest rates work? Normally if you borrow money you are charged ‘interest’, depending on how much you borrow and for how long. Interest charges mean that you will pay back more than you borrowed, effectively the charge for having that loan. All credit cards must be clear on what their interest charges are, and you will see these displayed as something like “20% APR – annual percentage rate”. This tells you how much interest you will owe on any money that you don’t pay back when it’s due.

Most credit cards will charge no interest if you pay back everything you have borrowed on the due date, usually monthly. This means you have borrowed money free for a month. However, if you spend more than you can afford to pay back, that is when interest charges kick in and you can soon find the amount you owe growing fast. Why would I risk having a credit card? If you think you might be at risk of spending more than you can really afford, you might feel happier sticking with a debit card. It offers the same ease of payment, after all. However, if it’s the right decision for you, credit cards can offer: • Better consumer protection, particularly for online purchasing, as the money does not come directly from your account and most credit card companies offer great levels of fraud protection. Some also offer warranty and purchase protection on items you’ve bought with the card. • The opportunity to start building your credit history. If you might want to apply for

a mortgage or loan one day, demonstrating a healthy credit history by taking out a credit card and paying on-time can help demonstrate in future that you are a good risk for future companies. • Depending on the card, they may also offer other benefits, like free or cheaper travel insurance or collision waivers when renting a car on the card. Do check the small print for details and any conditions.

Things to think about When you take money from your purse or pocket and wait for change, you have no doubt you are spending your money. When you just wave a plastic card across a machine it is all too easy to forget it is still your money. Money spent on a credit card is like a loan you will have to pay back. Used wisely, a credit card buys you a few weeks between when you buy something and when you have to pay for it. Used carelessly, a

credit card be a quick way to find you owe more money than you can afford. Read the details on any credit card applications you are considering to understand what the commitment and expectation is. There are many independent comparison websites around than can also help you to compare different credit card companies, to help decide which is right for you.

Many credit cards have additional fees if you withdraw cash or you want to use them abroad, so check before you travel. Although having an internationally recognised credit card can be a real bonus for foreign travel, do make sure you know before you set off how much it might cost you. Consider setting up alerts to notify you of payment due dates or when you’re getting close to your credit limit. These can help you stay on top of your spending and stay out of debt.

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What is a Shared Apprenticeship Scheme? Industries that are very project-based tend to employ a lot of freelancers or contractors, who move from job to job. While this business model is very flexible, it can often be at odds with the continuity of employment required to train apprentices. So how do you solve that? The construction industry has long managed Shared Apprenticeship Schemes to counter this and ensure that the flow of new skills continues to come into the industry. We look at one Shared Apprenticeship Scheme to see how they work. The Calico Shared Apprenticeship Scheme ‘Constructing the Future’ operates in the North-West of England, covering the areas of Merseyside, Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Established in 2010, it is currently one of six shared apprenticeship schemes across England. Constructing the Future will typically employ up to 40 Apprentices each year, with plans for growth in 2022. In partnership with CITB (the Construction Industry Training Board) and local employers, Constructing the Future will employ apprentices in a range of construction-related skills, including bricklaying, plastering, carpentry, painting & decorating, maintenance and more specialist trades like Roofing and Groundworks. The aim is to provide a service which supports 16

young adults into long-term and sustainable employment in the industry. Individuals will have the opportunity to gain apprenticeships and achieve qualifications at level 2, 3 and even up to Higher apprenticeships at level 4/5. Around 90% of the apprentices who completed the training have secured full time employment in their chosen trade. Those apprentices will probably have worked with several employers during their apprenticeship. Previously, working on regional or shortterm contracts would have meant those employers were not in a position to offer employment for the full apprenticeship duration. However, by taking part in the scheme, those employers can take on an apprentice for shorter periods of time if they need to.

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Once the apprentice has finished working with an employer, they are found another placement and when they complete the apprenticeship, they are supported in finding a permanent job. The apprentice gets the benefit of a wider range of on-site training than they might otherwise have received, and the employer gets to support and train for as long as they can – and potentially the opportunity to try out their next member of staff! Constructing the Future is one of ten CITB Shared Apprenticeship Schemes operating across Great Britain, helping to see an additional 500 apprentices enter the construction industry every year. To find out more about them or find your nearest scheme, visit the CITB website: https://bit. ly/3CWOE7h

Could hospitality serve your career ambitions? The world of hospitality is always interesting and lively, and will develop you professionally and as a person. You will develop new skills such as communicating or working in a team and ones that will lead to a career in management. There are creative jobs, from creating food to staging an event. The skills are transferable, a career in hospitality can very easily be the key to discovering new countries, new cultures and new people. To learn more, speak to your Careers Leader in your school or college

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Looking for an Apprenticeship? If you are looking for an apprenticeship the first place to check is the Find An Apprenticeship (FAA) website, www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship It is a free to use tool and around 90% of all apprenticeship vacancies are posted on there so it’s a great place to start your search. We take a look at how it works. Create an Account We’d suggest you start by creating an account; although you don’t need one to search, you do need to if you want to apply or to set up alerts. First, go to the website www.gov.uk/applyapprenticeship Ignore that big green ‘Search’ button and click on the link underneath to ‘Create an Account’. You will be asked to provide some basic details, like your name, date of birth and your home address. You also need to put in an email address. Make sure it’s an address you can access as you will be emailed an ‘Activation Link’. You will then be asked to create a password. Check your email for the ‘Activation Email’. Once you’ve verified your account, you can sign in using your email address and password in future. Searching for Vacancies When you’re ready to start searching, click on the big green ‘Search’ button and you will be presented with a number of options and filters 18

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to help refine what you are looking for. ‘Keywords’ gives you the option to search for a particular job title, description or a specific employer so we suggest trying a few different words to see what gets the best results for you. You do need to put in a location, or you might get results from anywhere in the country, so think about where you’ll be living and how far you can reasonably travel. The ‘Apprenticeship Level’ box gives you the option to search for specific levels of Apprenticeship. However, to start with, we suggest you leave it set at ‘All Levels’ so you don’t miss anything, and so you can see what entry requirements different levels are looking for. If you do have a learning difficulty or disability, then you may want to select ‘Disability Confident’ option. Disability Confident is a scheme that is designed to help employers to recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent.

Finally, when you have put the information into the search filters, click the green ‘Search’ button at the bottom and see what results you get. At the top of the page, it will show you how many results have been returned for that particular search. You may then want to tweak your search filters on the left of the screen and then click on update results. If you click on the Apprenticeship Job Title, the website will take you through to further details about the vacancy, including details of the apprenticeship qualification itself and who the training provider will be. If you find one you want to apply for, the ‘Apply’ button will be at the bottom of this page; click that and follow the application steps. Set up Alerts One of the most useful features of the FAA website is the Alerts function. You can set up an alert at any time to help stay ahead of new vacancies as they are posted. Once you have tried a few search filters and are getting the sorts of vacancy that you are interested in, at the top of the search results page, you will find a bell icon and “Receive alerts for this search” link. Click that. You can then choose to either receive a text/SMS message or an email notifying you whenever a new Apprenticeship is posted which meets the search criteria you have chosen. This is a really useful function at any time of year but it’s also particularly good if you’re starting your search early or if you’re looking for something a bit more unusual. Tips on Applying Remember that, unlike college or university applications, Apprenticeships have no set closing date during the year; employers will post vacancies whenever it suits them. It’s therefore really important to start early to make sure that you don’t miss any opportunities: we know of employers who start advertising before Christmas for apprentices who won’t start until the following September. The FAA website is a live vacancy listing so, if your search returns only a few results, remember to check back in again soon to see what’s been posted recently. (That’s a great time to set up an alert!) Make sure that the email address you use is a professional one. You might have set up a Gmail address that makes your friends snigger but is that what you’d want your future employer to see? There are some standard questions on the website which you can practise answering ahead. However, employers also have the option to ask two additional questions on their application if they want to. It’s really good to think hard about

how you’re going to answer these and get other people (family, friends or teachers) to check these before you submit them. Remember, you can save your application part-completed to come back to later as long as it’s before the closing date. You don’t have to make the application all in one go. Check, check and check again! Make sure your details are correct, check your spelling and punctuation, and check that you’ve really answered the questions properly. If in doubt, get someone else to check it too. Your application is a bit like your ‘sales brochure’; no employer has time to interview someone who doesn’t look like a good fit so make sure you’re making the best impression that you can. Don’t leave it until the last minute to apply. Make a note of closing dates but submit your application as soon as you’re happy with it. Sometimes an employer will start interviewing as soon as applications start coming in, or even close a vacancy early, so you don’t want to miss out. You can make as many applications on the FAA website as you want to. We’d urge you to apply to any vacancy that you are interested in, as competition for places can be quite high, but don’t apply just for the sake of it.

Are you thinking about a career in the construction industry?

Tungsten Training Centre is a specialised Centre offering apprenticeships to anyone aged 16 and over. CALL US TODAY ON 01273 934278

APPLY ONLINE AT WWW.TUNGSTEN-TRAINING-CENTRE.CO.UK

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Making History Some of us are lucky enough to have a ‘lightbulb’ moment, when we suddenly realise what we want to do in life. For a ten-year old Ursula Pearce, hers was watching whilst the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s famous warship, was carefully raised from the seabed. From that moment, she has built her career in history and archaeology. Ursula tells us what she has unearthed so far. When I rang my Dad to tell him that I’d been offered a job at the Royal Victoria Chapel at Netley near Southampton, he laughed out loud. “Did you know your Granddad worked there as a hospital porter during World War Two?” he chuckled “What a coincidence!” It certainly was as I grew up in Essex and Granddad was from Leicestershire so I would never have guessed. But that’s what I love about history and archaeology, not just preserving old buildings as monuments but bringing them alive as places where real people lived and worked. Sadly, I hadn’t thought to ask Granddad before he died what life was like for him at Netley. 20

As a child, I guess history was all around me. Growing up near Colchester, you trip over the Romans at every turn, closely followed by Anglo-Saxons and Normans! At secondary school, my love of history was inspired further by a fantastic history teacher. He leant me a book called “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, which is about a modern policeman investigating what happened to the Princes in the Tower (the vanished sons of King Edward IV). I was fascinated at the thought of applying modern scientific methods and analytical thinking to historical evidence and I started exploring archaeology as a career option. When I was about 14, we

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visited York and I immediately fell in love with the city. Fastforward a few years and that was where I went to study my Archaeology Degree. We were a small group of 28 students in my year and lucky enough to have the opportunity to dig on some well-known archaeological sites, like Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. It was a three-year, BA (Hons) degree and you could study just archaeology or archaeology with history. We covered topics from history and geography to technical drawing and statistics – it was really diverse. Today, there are also options to study archaeology with subjects like sciences or the environment. Doing those excavations at

Sutton Hoo, I realised that what I liked most about history wasn’t just digging it up but researching what we found and then sharing that with our visitors. If we found a shoe, for example, I wanted to know how it got there. Who did it belong to and why did they lose it? Was it an everyday shoe or just for special occasions? I could then use this information to help bring the site alive. After leaving York, I went on to complete my Masters in Gallery Studies at the University of Essex. My first job was in the tourist village of Goathland in the North York Moors, setting up an exhibition about the TV series Heartbeat. I then had a chance to move to the Science Museum in London, quite a stepchange from rural Yorkshire! After a few years, I had the opportunity to work in the USA with the Institute for Learning Innovation. They research how people learn outside of formal education and I helped organise a national conference for people from zoos, parks and similar organisations about how people learn science outside of school. Back in England, I got a job working on HMS Warrior at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, only a cannonball’s throw from the Mary Rose! Warrior was launched in 1861, the same year my great-great-grandmother had been born. I used a photo of her along with family photos right down to my own daughter to help draw the connection from 1861 to today’s visitors. After five years with Warrior, I then stepped into primary education and did my teacher training qualifications. Both my parents were teachers so I think perhaps it was inevitable that I would try it in the end, and it also fitted well around having children of my own. I did enjoy it, and the diverse skills I’d learnt studying archaeology really helped, but I did eventually

return to my first love of history and archaeology – which is when I came to the Royal Victoria Chapel. The Royal Victoria Military Hospital was commissioned by Queen Victoria, who laid the foundation stone in May 1856. The hospital opened in 1863 and was a quarter of a mile long. It could accommodate thousands of sick and wounded soldiers, and it looked after service personnel during both World Wars. After World War Two, fortunately, such a large hospital was no longer needed, and the building started to fall into disrepair. It was finally demolished in 1966, except the Chapel which you can still visit today.

My role here is Heritage and Education Officer, which can involve anything from setting up exhibitions, commissioning special story-teller performances and working alongside our lovely team of volunteers. I also work with local schools on projects to help bring stories to life of the people who lived, worked, and were treated here. One project that really stays with me was in 2016, the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, a particularly hard battle fought during World War One. Some of the casualties were brought here to be treated and so we worked with Wildern School to research some of the servicemen buried in our cemetery to see if they were involved in that battle.

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Many military records have been lost so this was a really important project, and we even managed to trace some living relatives. At the end of the project, we held a Remembrance Service with the students, who afterwards each placed their own poppy on the headstone of the soldier they had been researching. It was a really moving moment. I’d encourage anyone with an interest in history to seriously think about making it their career. There are so many different jobs you can do – conservation, education, museums, academic, archivists or as a curator. From large organisations like the National Trust or English Heritage, to local authorities and privately run museums, to tourist information and visitor experiences, there are far more opportunities out there than you might think. It helps to work out what you enjoy about history – not just the Romans or

the Tudors, but whether you are a people person or a details and numbers person. You may be drawn to the humanities side of the subject, or the sciences with conservation and archaeology, environmental archaeology, bone analysis and forensics. I don’t think it’s a question of doing either arts or sciences, history really can cross over to both. History is also something that we can all relate to, no matter

Can you build your career in construction? Building more homes, decarbonisation and new technologies mean construction skills are in high demand! From working with sustainable materials to designing smart homes and cities, there are many different careers in construction. You could learn to fly drones, use laser technology or the latest design software to build the next sports stadium or a theme park. Your skills would always be in demand. To learn more, speak to your Careers Leader in your school or college

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our background. We all have a personal history, whether we know much about it or not. The fact that my Granddad worked here, gives me a lovely personal connection to the Royal Victoria Chapel which makes me smile every day.

Want to know more about the world of work? The East Sussex Careers Hub’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people for the world of work by connecting them to a network of employers.

Open Doors

R EE R S HUB

·

CA

·

‘Open Doors’ gives groups of students the chance to visit workplaces to hear about real career pathways and opportunities in different local sectors of various sizes. You can view our Digital Open Doors videos at www.youtube.com/EastSussexCC. To find out if your school or college is taking part in Open Doors this year, talk to your Careers Lead in school.

Work Experience Work experience provides an invaluable opportunity to explore local businesses, learn about the skills and behaviours required in the workplace, and learn about future careers options. Talk to your Careers Lead to see if your school or college is offering work experience this year. @CareersHubes

You can read more about the Careers Hub, upcoming events and careers opportunities at

careerseastsussex.co.uk

@CareersHubes @CareersHubes

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National Apprenticeship Week 2022 – what to look forward to! The fifteenth annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place from 7th to 13th February 2022. It’s a week to celebrate apprentices and apprenticeships, and to shine a light on the positive differences they can make for individuals, for employers and for our economy. We look ahead to what we can expect to see taking place. National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) has always set out to generate more interest in apprenticeships, involving current apprentices, employers and parents as well as the widest possible range of interested groups, from schools to MPs. In the fifteen years that it’s been running, it seems to have gone from strength to strength, gaining more TV and press coverage each year. NAW 2021 was very successful with a lot of activities online if they couldn’t be held in person. There were over 1,200 virtual events held during the week, #NAW2021 trended top on Twitter on launch day and got over 500 million impressions 24

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during the week, and the various guides and toolkits available were downloaded over 17,000 times. It’s likely that 2022 will see a return to some in person events, albeit carefully planned ones. This should mean more opportunities for young people, parents, teachers and potential employers to find out more about what apprenticeships can offer and how they work. You will be able to meet current apprentices and employers to find out what the reality is. No doubt there will also be many online events too: webinars to join and videos to watch.

The aims of all these activities will be to demonstrate how apprenticeships have helped employers of all sizes and in every employment sector, as well as people of all ages and backgrounds. I think we can expect to see in #NAW2022 something around celebrating how apprentices have kept things going through difficult times, and how, for many businesses, apprenticeships will be the key to rebuilding. Keep an eye out for events you can take part in if you want to find out more. We would recommend both the Government Apprenticeship website, www.apprenticeships.gov.uk and the Amazing Apprenticeships website, www. amazingapprenticeships.com as great places to find updates as well as some brilliant resources at any time of the year. Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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Want to start your own business? Do you have a secret desire to start a business, or do you wonder whether this may be an option for you as an alternative to conventional employment? It is reported that, at any given time, up to one in five of us are dreaming of setting up a venture of our own. However, for the vast majority, it remains nothing but a thought that is re-visited every now and again. Often the biggest deterrent is the security of a guaranteed wage and the horror stories about how many new businesses fail. These are certainly very real considerations and should not be ignored entirely. However, a large number of the business failures could have been prevented with a little more thought, research and sound advice. The vast majority of those who do succeed earn their owners enough money to survive at worst and some do go on to make more than they would have done if they had been paid by an employer. Even if you earn less, the biggest advantages of running your own businesses have nothing to do with money. Being in charge of your own destiny, doing something you love and not answering to the ‘boss’ more than make up for any loss in salary.

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So, what is the reality? There are many advantages of running your own business: Do something you really enjoy Probably the biggest reason people start their own business is to spend time doing something they like doing rather than they have to do. We spend a significant portion of our lives at work, so why not make the most of it and turn it into a pleasure rather than a pain! You are your own boss Feel that things need to be done differently, a change of strategy or a change of tactics, fancy working with new people and partners? These are all your decisions now. Work/life balance If the 9 to 5 doesn’t work for you then work to a schedule that does, as long as you make it pay then you can work when and for however long you want. Financial reward If you get it right, then the financial reward can be magnitudes beyond that you could earn as a wage working for an employer.

Sounds great – right?! But there are some disadvantages of running your own business: Running the business (not just the bits that you enjoy) In no time at all you will be knee deep in VAT returns, book-keeping, health and safety matters and countless other tasks that are all part and parcel of running a business. These are all someone else’s problem when you work for an employer, now they’re yours. Financial risk With the chance of great reward comes the danger of great risk. Giving up a steady predictable income in the hope of making a venture succeed is not for everyone and is the major barrier for most people starting their own business. Very difficult to leave work ‘at work’ For most people, running your own business is all-consuming - there is no escape. The regular predictable schedule of standard employment works better for a lot of people.

How do you know if you are the right type of person and have the right idea to run your own business? Thankfully, you don’t need any formal qualifications required to run a business and the opportunity is open to everyone. The truth is only the most determined and hard-working survive. If you love what you are doing or if you have a hobby that can be turned into a business, you stand a much better chance of success. With regard to the business itself, the most important requirement is that it solves a problem or adds value to enough people who are prepared to pay a price that makes it possible for you to make enough profit to survive/thrive. The good news is that you don’t have to go into this ‘blind’ or alone. There is plenty of help available and much of it is free. One great source is the Start Your Own Business website, www.syob.net where you will find details of local support organisations and also be able to download a free step-by-step guide to starting a business and free start-up pack. These will enable you to identify if you have what it takes and whether your idea is sound enough to explore further. Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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A career in financial advice Connor Dalton has been working in financial advice since 2013, having ‘fallen into’ the role after university. He tells us about why it has become a job he feels very passionately about and shares his journey so far to becoming a Chartered Financial Advisor. Like a lot of people, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I grew up. I certainly didn’t know that being a Financial Advisor was even a job, so, at GCSE and then A Level, I picked subjects that I thought I would enjoy. For A Level, that was Economics, Accounting, English Language and PE. I thought I would really like PE – I got an A* at GCSE and I love sport – but there was more biology in the subject at college and so I didn’t do quite so well. In my second year, I focussed on Economics and added a one-year Maths A Level. Looking back, I’m not really sure why I chose Economics; I think a friend did, so I joined him. Luckily, we had a really good tutor and he taught us a lot. As a child, I remember being interested and a bit scared about the idea that the value of stocks and shares could go up and down. But at A Level, the principle of investing in capital so you can earn more in future really stuck with me. I was at college from 2008 to 2010 during the financial crisis and jobs weren’t that available, so the decision to go to university was partly because of that. I got into Brighton through Clearing to do Economics and Finance. Brighton was a great place to live; it’s not a campus university so I was 28

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living in the town. I went straight into a houseshare with some other people. Fortunately, we were all fairly sensible and we would share the shopping and the cooking between us. It worked well. Because I still didn’t know what I wanted to do after university, I don’t think I had the drive to do as well as I perhaps should have done. A degree is about effort; you can get so far being naturally bright, but you are rewarded if you put in the extra effort. If I had applied myself, I think I could have done even better. My degree was a three-year course but there was the option to do a year out in industry if we wanted. Because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, none of the job options available really grabbed me so I didn’t take that up but looking back I should have taken the opportunity. By summer 2013, I had got my degree but still had no idea what I wanted to do! At first, I carried on working some hours at Sainsburys, just to bring in some money. I was applying to office jobs and graduate schemes that sounded interesting, either because they were local or they were relevant to my degree. Graduate schemes are really hard to get into as so many people apply, and there can

be five or six stages to the recruitment process. Again, I think not knowing what I wanted to do meant I didn’t have the purpose to do well in interviews. Interviewers always want to know a lot about you but I didn’t know what questions to ask them. How do you really know what to ask unless you do the job? I even went to an interview at MI5 in London, which was the toughest interview of all! A financial services company called Old Mutual invited me for an interview for an introductory role in financial planning and I was offered the job. The salary in terms of my take home pay wasn’t great but it included things like life insurance, income protection, medical insurance, etc., so the overall package was worth much more than just my salary. In the office, I would hear people on the phone talking to FAs. I realised it wasn’t the Football Association so who was it? This was when I started to understand the role of Financial Advisors and was given the option to take professional qualifications myself. I would recommend anyone to take any training that is offered to them! I started with the Financial Advisor Level 3 course, which started me on my professional training. To become a Financial Advisor in my own right, I then needed to complete the Level 4 qualification. I decided to choose the Certified Insurance Institute as the professional body to gain my qualification which consisted of six exams in total and covers more areas. Lots of the preparation was self-study but my employer gave me time during the week. That was probably the hardest part, making time to study in your own time sometimes as well as doing your day job – really hard when you know that your mates are off playing football! The final exam felt particularly relevant to the job. You get a case study detailing a person’s financial situation and then the questions are based around how you would advise them. Whilst doing these exams, I had changed jobs a couple of times, working in a couple of smaller companies who specialised in different areas to help me gain a wider experience. I had my first interview for a Financial Planner role in April 2019 with Hampshire Financial Planning, part of St James Place Group. It was what I had wanted to do for years by then and I was so pleased when I was offered the job. They put me on an internal training scheme designed for people like me who had industry experience but not the client contact. Once a month, I would spend a week in Bristol on formal learning and then I would spend three weeks shadowing other FAs so I could see them in practice. I had the advantage of already having all my Level 4 qualifications so I was able to ‘fast track’

what should have been a year’s course. I was then able to be signed off as a competent Financial Advisor, following observations and submitting my work and exam results to a qualified person to check my advice. I would urge people to consider Financial Advice as a career. If you don’t want to sit in an office all day, if you’re genuinely interested in people and what they want to achieve, it can be really rewarding. It’s quite well paid too! It’s not always easy, of course, and there will be some bits that you just have to get through to achieve your goals but it’s definitely worth it. I’m now self-employed working with St James Place so that gives me freedom perhaps to take clients out to dinner or for a round of golf. It gives me a good work/life balance as long as I do put the effort in. It’s a fun job, actually, and it gives you a good feeling when you can see that you have made a difference to someone’s life. Perhaps your advice has enabled them to retire early or help their children on to the property ladder; it feels good to help them achieve that. The financial advice I would give to people when they get their first job is put 10% of your salary each month into a savings account to build up a bit of a ‘buffer’. Keep at least three months’ worth as a contingency fund and then start looking to invest the rest.

“

I would recommend anyone to take any training that is offered to them!”

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What does it mean to be Chartered? You’ve probably heard of job titles like Chartered Accountant or Chartered Surveyor, but what does ‘chartered’ actually mean? Many professions use the term so we explore some of them and what it can tell us about the individual and their career. To be a Chartered professional, in any area of work, means you are a member of a professional body relevant to your industry. In order for that professional body to award ‘Chartered’ status to its members, that body will have to hold a Royal Charter from the British monarch. Here are a few examples of professional bodies: the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), received their charter in 1912; the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), chartered in 1974 and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), who received their Royal charter in 1989. In order to become a Chartered member, professional bodies will insist on a number of criteria being met. The individual must have reached a specific level of skill, competence or experience in their role. This can be demonstrated through their work experience but will also usually include meeting a particular qualification level. Many professional bodies look for post-graduate qualifications and/or completion of their own industry qualifications. A Chartered member must also agree to uphold the standards and reputation of the professional body. It is not unusual for bodies to have a code of practice that applicants must commit to before they will be approved as Chartered, which often sets out the standards and best practice. A professional body would be within its rights to cancel the membership of an individual found to 30

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be ignoring these standards and jeopardising the reputation of their profession. Chartered status will usually also bring with it a requirement to do CPD – continuing professional development. CPD is what it says it is: that you will continue to develop your professional skills, to keep up with technologies and developing ideas related to your industry. Most bodies have a set number of CPD hours members must meet each year in order to remain Chartered. We have talked about this in a previous article if you want to read more about CPD. In other words, being a Chartered professional indicates that you have reached a certain level of experience and qualification that is recognised by your fellow professionals, that you commit to maintaining the reputation of your industry and that you regularly keep up-to-date with developments in your field. It is worth noting that a number of Chartered professionals exist outside of regulated professions. Regulated professions are those where it is defined in law who can work in them. These include Doctors, Dentists and Architects, all jobs where we wouldn’t want just anyone calling themselves qualified. These regulated professions will also have the same standards as Chartered professions but they don’t need to use the word Chartered as they are already defined by UK law.

FIRE UP YOUR CAREER! Fancy ge�ng involved in an organisa�on which can really make a difference? At Surrey County Council we offer a range of early career opportuni�es with clear career progression. Kickstart your career with an appren�ceship, internship, graduate role or explore our many entry level jobs to get your foot in the door. In services such as Environment and Transport, Catering and working with Children and Adults Social Care Services and many more. To find out more visit our website below.

Careers that let you spread your wings

"I decided to join SCC because I felt it was a good place to grow and develop my career, whilst being able to work alongside some incredible people."

Love variety and the thought of ge�ng properly involved? Many young people who join us go far, with exci�ng pay and benefits to match. That's because we know you make up our future workforce and we value you for your input, ideas, and work ethic.

Careers that put young people first Surrey County Council is a Youth Friendly Employer. We'll support you every step of the way to help you reach your poten�al. You can build friendship networks and your crea�ve ideas will get heard, too. You'll see we're a great place to work.

Want to find out more?

E: recruit@surreycc.gov.uk T: 0208 541 9000

@surreyccjobs www.surreycc.gov.uk

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A career in the landscape In our last issue, we heard from landscaping apprentice, Alyce, and her growing love of plants and green spaces. This time, we look at a different aspect of horticulture and landscaping. Travis has just completed a similar apprenticeship, but one with a different focus.

Hi, I’m Travis and I have just successfully completed my Level 2 Landscape Operative Apprenticeship. I got into landscaping after realising that being outdoors was an important aspect of my choice of career. I don’t remember horticulture or landscaping being talked about in careers at school, so I approached Riseholme College, near me. They advised me to apply for a landscape apprenticeship. I am a practical learner, and I liked the idea of learning new skills in a working environment, so it felt like an apprenticeship would really suit me. 32

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I found an employer and was accepted onto the apprenticeship, and my interest quickly grew. Now I’ve developed a passion for all aspects of landscaping, which has only continued to grow over the years. There is never really an average day, but a typical job might include things like excavating sites using machinery or hand digging, laying paving like intricate porcelain or natural stone, installing water features, or laying sleeper retainer walls - and much more. Part of my job is also to read and interpret garden designs and bring them to life. This can be

“

I liked the idea of learning new skills in a working environment.”

anything from excavation ground works through to the installation of hard standing paving, down to the final finishing touches of adding plants. We tend to work on complete garden makeovers or renovation. I enjoy being outdoors and learning new skills. I think you get a lot of job satisfaction from being a landscaper, getting to stand back after all your hard work, knowing you built this beautiful garden with your colleagues. I enjoy the working friendships you build too, having fun alongside working, assisting and helping each other on a job, sometimes overcoming complicated and challenging tasks as a team. Learning to read plans and work on different levels is a big skill that I have learnt; it’s the very centre of a good landscape project. Everything else is built on how well you have prepped the job according to levels.

People should consider landscaping as a career because the industry is very diverse, you get to learn loads of different skills in the job. Landscaping tends to fall into either hard or soft: hard landscaping includes things like laying bricks or paving, the structural elements of a garden, whereas soft landscaping is more about plants and planting plans. I tend to do more hard landscaping, but I have learnt a lot about both areas. Landscaping is a really varied career, as no two projects are ever the same. You could be laying a patio, building a wall and erecting a gazebo on one project and, on another, you could be creating a water feature, constructing a path and planting a Mediterranean themed border. For me, landscaping is also very enjoyable as I love working in the great outdoors and keeping physically fit and healthy. Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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Competition Could you write an article for this magazine? Do you have an interesting experience you’d like to share? In no more than 700 words, tell us about something education or career-related that interests you. • Had an unusual work experience placement? • Have the opportunity to interview someone who does a really unusual job? • Got some great advice to share with others? Write it down, send it to us and we will publish the best entries in a future edition of the magazine. Who knows, this may even be the start of an interesting career! Competition details Make the Future Yours! magazine invites students aged 13 to 19 years to take part in our competition. Write 700 words about life skills, qualifications, career choices or any topic that readers of this magazine will enjoy. Entrants need to include your name, date of birth and the name of the school, college, training provider, university or employer you are with at the time of writing. Our word limit excludes your chosen headline. We reserve the right to make minor edits (such as spelling or grammar corrections) to any articles published. Winners will be notified by email prior to publication and will receive a printed copy of the magazine. Entries will be scored on: the relevance of the topic chosen; the structure and style of the article and; overall merit, at our judges’ discretion. Articles must be received by our editor by midnight on 18th March 2022 to be entered into the competition. Entries should be emailed to hello@makethefutureyours.com

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Key Dates 2022 26th January

Entry deadline for applications to university courses starting autumn 2022 (note: some courses close much earlier so double check)

7th-13th February

National Apprenticeship Week

4th July

Last date to apply for a course in UCAS Extra

5th July

UCAS Clearing opens/International Baccalaureate results published

25th February

14th July

UCAS Extra opens

University/college decisions due on applications submitted by 30th June

7th – 12th March

9th August

National Careers Week

19th May

University/college decisions due on applications submitted by 26th January

30th June

SQA (Scotland) results day

18th August

A Levels results day (England and Wales)

25th August GCSE results day

UCAS applications received after 30th June are entered into Clearing

Useful information

There are some great resources available out there if you know where to find them. Here is a selection:

Apprenticeships

Qualifications

Search and apply for an Apprenticeship, go to www.gov.uk and search for ‘Apprenticeships’

T Levels guide www.tlevels.gov.uk

Find out which Apprenticeships already exist and which are coming soon www.instituteforapprenticeships.org General resources and information www.amazingapprenticeships.com

Jobs Uni not your thing? Lots of options at: www.notgoingtouni.co.uk And ideas for a first step into the workplace at www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk

Find T Level map www.tlevels.gov.uk/students

University applications UCAS Undergraduate applications www.ucas.com You will also find the UCAS points guide and calculator on their website. University Taster Days guide, including online events unitasterdays.com

Funding Advanced Learner Loans www.gov.uk and search for ‘Advanced Learner Loans

To find the websites easily, go to the Useful stuff page on our website, makethefutureyours.com, where you will find the direct links.

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A life in the great outdoors! If you think of a typical farmer, you probably don’t picture somebody like Emma. That’s perhaps because her route to becoming a farmer wasn’t a typical one. We ask her about her journey so far and about the realities of a career in agriculture. Emma grew up in the New Forest and had applied to study Dentistry at university. “Unfortunately, I missed out by a few UCAS points so took a year to re-sit my A Levels,” Emma explains. During that year, Emma had a bit of a lightbulb moment. “I had applied to do Dentistry because everyone told me I was bright and would do well. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do so I applied for it, but I began to realise that I was actually more interested in making things. Woodwork had been one of my favourite subjects at school. I discovered the world of prosthetics and orthotics, which are the branches of medicine that deal with things like 36

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splints and artificial body parts. I found a Degree at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, for which my existing A level results were appropriate. I was accepted so I was able to stop doing my re-sits.” So, what did Emma do for the rest of that year until it was time to head to Glasgow? “My parents had a small-holding with some cattle and sheep, so I spent my time helping them and working part time in a bank. I was always interested in the animals as a hobby; I don’t suppose there are many 16-year-olds who would want three sheep as a present for passing their GCSEs!”

Those three sheep became a small flock during that year, with Emma buying another sixteen Suffolks which she would show at local agricultural shows. Emma also signed up to work on a farm during the lambing season. March and April particularly are a busy time with sheep giving birth so farmers will often hire in extra help to oversee the new arrivals, usually around the clock. “I spent a brilliant but exhausting month in Wales, with the farmer’s wife and I birthing 1200 ewes overnight. What an experience!” Emma recalled. Autumn arrived and Emma finally headed off to University. For three years, however, she would take the overnight bus home most weekends to care for her growing flock. “It takes 11 hours by bus from Glasgow to Southampton; my friends thought I was mad!” Emma joked. “I would just get to spend a day with the sheep and try to sleep on the bus each way. Lambing season was particularly challenging, but I would try to spend as many term-time weekends with them as I could. I had about 30 sheep by then.” A testament to Emma’s academic ability, and in spite of all the travelling, Emma graduated with a First Class degree. She secured a great graduate job based in Oxford and really enjoyed working with her patients. “But after a few years, it felt like the life I wanted to be living was getting in the way of work; I still loved caring for patients, but I realised all the paperwork wasn’t what I wanted. I don’t think I was happy, personally, so I made a big decision. Aged only 27, I walked away from my secure NHS 9 to 5 career. I kept doing orthotics part-time to keep up some income but what I really wanted to do was go lambing.” “Although l had a foot in the door of agriculture, I had nothing that would earn me a living,” Emma explained, “so I advertised myself as a freelance lamber on the National Sheep Association website. I spent the spring in Worcester, then Winchester, then Aberdeenshire. By the end of that season, I had lambed thousands of sheep – mostly at night and lived out of my car!” At the end of that season, Emma had picked up a few part-time hours but nothing more substantial workwise. Naturally, her thoughts turned to buying yet more sheep but where to house them all was becoming an increasing challenge. “That Christmas, I got a really lucky break,” Emma said. “Someone I knew from the Young Farmers group in Oxford asked me if my flock would be available in the spring for lambing weekends. They had a farm and wanted to invite people in to see the lambs being born but needed a flock. I had 170 ewes due to lamb, so I accepted, in spite of my worries that they were all too pregnant to move by then!”.

“I wasn’t sure if anything would come of it, but it just all seemed to happen. By Valentine’s Day, me, my dog and the flock had moved to Oxfordshire. The lambing weekends were a great success, with around 2,000 visitors a day at weekends and then school groups during the week to watch the new ones being born.” At the end of the season, the landowners agreed that Emma could leave her flock on site temporarily to graze the land. But it wasn’t long before the landowners asked Emma to take on the grazing licence tenancy of the land, too. “I wasn’t sure I would get it as I had no capital to invest,” she explained. “But they seemed to believe in my enthusiasm and determination and were willing to give me the chance. In September 2016, I found myself a tenant farmer!” Emma’s business, Emma’s Ewesful Acres, has grown from there. Her grass-fed flocks of Poll Dorset and Lleyn sheep are bred for their meat as “it costs more to shear sheep than you can get from selling the wool.” She has also extended into cattle, with her Sussex and Simmental beef cows helping to conserve the floodplain meadows where they graze. Emma now supplies lamb, hogget, mutton and beef across the Thames Valley and into Hampshire. “The fact that I can deliver was a real help during the pandemic, which actually increased my orders,” Emma added. She is also proud to be recognised for her work: in 2020, she won a Great Taste Award, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Great British Food awards. What advice would Emma have to anyone interested in a career in agriculture? “Get some work experience!” she exclaimed. “To be any sort of farmer, you have to love the great outdoors and being hands on and the best way to find out if that is really for you is to try it yourself. It’s not for the faint-hearted but it’s such a vital role, we do need more young people coming into this industry.” “Remember that you don’t have to go it alone from the beginning; getting a job on a farm to get experience and some savings would be a good way to start. And joining Young Farmers will be a great way of making good contacts. There are also lots of different directions you could take under the umbrella of farming,” Emma explained. “Whether you enjoy the machinery and technology side or looking at sustainable and eco- ideas; I’ve explored the education angle, looking at how children’s visits could share our knowledge.” “I know I will never get rich from my animals, but I certainly don’t regret my decision. Money alone doesn’t make me happy!” www.emmasewesfulacres.com Make The Future Yours! Issue 3

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What are Access to HE courses?

What if, a bit later in life, you decide you want to go to university but didn’t have the opportunity to get the right entry qualifications before? Don’t let that stop you - that’s just the situation that Access to Higher Education (HE) courses were designed for. We look at what they are all about. For most people, going to university is something they will do in their late teens or early twenties, after they have done A Levels, BTECs or other Level 3 qualifications. But that’s not the case for everyone. There could be lots of reasons why this traditional route wasn’t right for you, but it’s never too late to consider Higher Education. Some University Admissions Tutors will consider things like life-experience and industry qualifications when looking at applications, and it’s always worth checking with the Admissions Tutor to get their advice. However, a qualification such as Access to HE can really boost your chances of acceptance and success on your chosen course.

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What is Access to HE? The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma is a Level 3 (A Level equivalent) qualification designed to prepare adults to study in HE. They are open to residents of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are typically a one-year, full-time course. Increasingly, many are being offered as online/distance learning options which might be more flexible to fit around your existing commitments. They are not usually suitable for younger applicants, so they are not offered as a substitute to A Levels at 16. Learners suited to an Access to HE course will usually have been out of education for at least a year, but probably longer. You will also need to hold GCSE English and Maths or equivalent Level 2 qualifications at grade C/4 or higher.

What subjects are available?

Organisations who teach Access to HE courses have some scope to tailor courses to the demands of their local area or popular university courses. This means we have seen a growth in both subjects and combined subjects on offer around the country. Here is a quick summary of some of the most popular but this is not all of them so please check what your local colleges can offer too: • Animal & Land-based Professions, including Sciences, Zoology or Environmental studies • Business, including combinations with Accountancy Law, Management and Marketing • Construction & Built Environment, Civil Engineering and Construction • Education & Care, from Early Years to Teaching and Youth Work • Humanities & Creative Arts, including Creative and Digital Media, Drama, History or Fashion • IT & Digital, with Computer Game Design, Computer Science, maths or engineering • Law & Policing, such as forensics, criminology and legal professions • Medicine & Health, from Biochemical Science to Nursing and Midwifery, to Pharmacy and Paramedic • Sciences & Engineering, including Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Maths • Social sciences • Sport Fitness and Health Science, such as Physio and Sport Therapy or Coaching and Business Management For more details and a list of all courses currently available, explore the Access to HE website at: www.accesstohe.ac.uk

What will you study? There are two key aspects to any Access to HE course. Learning or refreshing study skills to give you the best preparation for working at a higher academic level and gaining the foundation subject knowledge relevant to the degree you want to study. The study skills aspect will include things like practising writing for academic assignments and good time-management. Many Access to HE courses also include completing a research project, which will help you with research, writing and formatting work, referencing and so on. Most Access to HE courses are assessed through a combination of assignments and presentations, which are useful skills to develop.

The academic knowledge will, of course, vary according to the subject you wish to study at degree-level so check the details of the course you are interested. For example, if you want to study a health or medical related degree, your Access course is likely to include subjects like clinical skills, cells, tissues and organs for healthcare, and disease and body defence. However, if you’re looking to study education, your Access course will include modules such as the psychology of learning, disability and special educational needs, and managing behaviour in the classroom.

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Wherever your future is heading, take it to the next level with a T Level at Fareham College. You will be provided with a clear route to skilled employment, an Apprenticeship or a degree. From September 2022 we will be offering T Levels in: Business and Administration Legal, Finance and Accounting Digital Production, Design and Development Digital Business Services Digital Support Services Building Services Engineering for Construction

Design, Surveying and Planning On-site Construction Engineering and Manufacturing Education and Childcare Health Science

Apply now at fareham.ac.uk/t-levels OUTSTANDING