Careers World North West SUMMER 2014 by Open Doors Media Ltd

NORTH WEST edition

SUMMER 2014

RADIO 1 SUPERSTAR

SCOTT MILLS “I really had to convince them that I was the person for the job, because they didn’t think I was!”

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

STUDYING IN AMERICA

Want to study stateside? We ﬁnd out how!

CONFUSED ABOUT CLEARING? Clearing can be a mineﬁeld, fortunately we can help you navigate it and get that place

PLUS: WE GET THE LOWDOWN ON THE FUTURE OF APPRENTICESHIPS & OUR EXPERT PANEL TACKLE ANOTHER ROUND OF YOUR QUESTIONS

m AFFILIATE MEMBER

Welcome to Careers World Magazine, the premier resource for careers information and guidance. The Summer term is a scary time for a lot of you, with some big decisions to be made about your future. Don’t worry, the Careers World team are here to help! We provide you with the facts on the most popular careers and sectors, and help you really get to grips with the industries that interest you. Get an insight into the lives of young people who have been through the careers process, with case studies and advice from successful professionals. In this issue we speak to radio superstar Scott Mills, who’ll let us know just how he got established in broadcasting. It’s never too late or too early to start thinking about your future career, and with Careers World here to help, you can’t go wrong!

BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills chats to our editor about how he managed to turn his hobby into a career.

Some tools, tips and tricks to help you make those important choices, from our very own editor!

11 We ask our specially selected panel to tell us what they can oﬀer you!

Sport & Fitness

Retail

Education & Early Years

27 31 35 39

We give you the lowdown on all the other sectors out there, which we’ll feature in future issues.

Some handy materials for careers advisors, plus some facts and ﬁgures about the world of careers.

The Manchester School of Media

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

Finance & Law

Elliot Gardner, Editor

IT, Digital & Telecoms

We cover... The Summer Term Confused about Clearing? Qualiﬁcations Explained Apprenticeships Vs A-Levels

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

And now for something completely diﬀerent...

Published by Open Doors Media Ltd 01765 694 120 | info@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Colouring inside the lines | James Sharman | Design design@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Advertising | Sales sales@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Joined up writing | Elliot Gardner | Editor editor@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Plastic safety scissors | Sarah Peel | Production artwork@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

Distribution | Subscriptions distribution@opendoorsmedia.co.uk

All material is copyrighted both written and illustrated. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. All images and information is collated from extensive research and along with advertisements is published in good faith. Although the author and publisher have made every eﬀort to ensure that the information in this publication was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Careers World is published by Open Doors Media Ltd ©2014. ISSN: 2050-6589

DJ AND PRESENTER SCOTT MILLS

talks to our editor about tricks of the trade, the ups and downs of work in radio, and his long road into the industry. Scott has been in the business for over two decades and is one of the most well-known and respected names in broadcasting. He currently presents the Scott Mills show every weekday at 1pm on BBC Radio 1.

it’s fair to say that most people will recognise you from Radio 1, but what came before that? Well, I always wanted to do radio, from as far back as I can remember really. I was actually helping out at my local radio station when I was 12.

I THINK

I had a weekly slot where I would do the chart run-down and tell awful jokes. I have a couple of copies of recordings from those times and my voice just sounds really high! I wrote to loads of radio stations in my area and oﬀered to volunteer, which is a really good way of getting into radio. Eventually, after 2 or 3 years, one of them gave in to my constant hassling and let me do some voluntary work at the local commercial radio station in Southampton. your hobby and made it into something you might want to make a career out of? Yeah it was just a hobby, I used to go down to hospital radio every Tuesday and Sunday, I used to absolutely love it. From that point there was no doubt in my mind; I knew that if I could, that was exactly what I wanted to do. No doubt at all.

SO YOU TOOK

www.careersworld.co.uk

inspired you go into radio though? I don’t know! It’s something that just absolutely fascinated me, and because I was quite a shy child it was a way of talking to a lot of people without actually having to meet them. I used to listen to a lot of radio back then in my room and there was something just magical about it. It was just ideal, even to the point that when I was 8 or 9 I would pretend to play songs on the radio in my bedroom to my mum. I was pretty determined, which is important I think, especially in a job like this, because there were, and there still are, knockbacks. You just have to be prepared to take it all on the chin. If you can’t take those then it’s probably not the job for you, because it’s not all plain sailing.

WHAT FIRST

weren’t in broadcasting, what career path do you think you would have gone down? Is there anyone that ever tried to convince you when you were younger to go down a diﬀerent career path? I went to my careers advisor when I was at school and told them I’d like to be on the radio and they just laughed! Well I’m very interested in travel and everything that goes with that so maybe I would have gone down that road somewhere.

IF YOU

you would be on TV or radio doing travel? To be honest I’ve not thought about it too much because I’ve worked hard to make a career in radio. With radio you have to be prepared to move around a bit. I spent a few years at a station in Bristol, I did 2 years in a station in Manchester, and then I moved down to London to be on Heart for a bit. Then, after a lot of hassling, I managed to get the job on Radio 1, but that took years. Because I’ve been at Radio 1 for a long time people think that it was easy, but I really had to convince them that I was the person for the job, because they didn’t think I was.

DO YOU THINK

kind of assume that it was the ﬁrst job you got. Well I would send them CDs of demos all the time. For 3 years every 2 months. I was very persistent! Then ﬁnally someone cracked and that’s how I got the early breakfast show.

I GUESS PEOPLE

you get knocked down at the first hurdle you need to keep trying? Yeah you really have to. And then when you come to Radio 1 you have to be prepared to start at the bottom again. So I did 5 years of early mornings, which is getting up at 3am. It’s kind of hard work but when you do it it’s worth it. I remember when I was 16, I couldn’t even get to the radio station because I wasn’t even old enough to drive, so I had this really naff little old scooter that I used to drive into work in all weathers. When they eventually gave me a break it was between 1 and 6 in the morning, obviously my mum wasn’t that interested in taking me in at that time so I had to find my own way to get there.

SO EVEN IF

honorary doctorate from Southampton Solent University… Yeah how did that happen! That was amazing. My whole family was there. Sometimes I forget and then I remember ‘oh yeah I’m a Doctor of Arts.’ I chose not to go to university; I didn’t even go to college. I left school and went straight into radio, so it’s quite an honour to be given something like that from a uni.

YOU RECEIVED AN

think you would have gone to uni even if you didn’t go into radio? I was so determined; it wasn’t even on my mind. I remember my parents saying you have to have something to fall back on, because radio seems like one of those jobs that no one gets. But my mum and dad totally supported me. They really did. There’s always a danger, it’s one of those industries that some people get into ﬁne and some people never do. But I

DO YOU

wasn’t taking no for an answer, I was really determined. So it didn’t really cross my mind because I was already doing the job that I wanted to do. the craziest thing you’ve done through Radio 1? Well no two days are the same. Sometimes we have a day where we are just like ‘wow’. It’s honestly the best place to work in the world. I never thought of Radio 1 as a goal because I thought it was impossible, so I actually just really enjoy working here. When I ﬁrst started working at Radio 1 they gave me a mental job. They told me to present backstage at the BRIT awards. We were in a little porta-cabin backstage and I’d only been there a year. They were kind of trying me out to see if I would sink or swim. I remember there was a queue of famous people, Elton John, Destiny’s Child, Eminem, and this is when I was really scared of interviews. I felt massively out of my depth. The other thing that sticks out in my mind is about 6 months after I got the job at Radio 1. They rang me and asked me if I wanted to do top of the pops next week. I’d never even done anything on television. I was actually physically sick before the show out of nerves. It was so terrifying. But you get given an opportunity and you just can’t say no!

SO WHAT IS

the kind of industry that you don’t really get the opportunity to say no to things? Absolutely, you can’t, and also if you did then I think you would kick yourself. I do things at Radio 1 all the time that really scare me. These are all things that wouldn’t have happened without my job. We did this trek through the desert in Kenya with Lorraine Kelly, Olly Murs and Dermot O’Leary 3 years ago for Sport Relief, and that’s something that I never thought I’d be able to achieve. Last year they made me do another thing for sport relief. I danced with Olly Murs on stage. It’s one of my worst fears because I can’t dance, but I did it!

IT SEEMS LIKE

a favourite guest from the years that you’ve been doing radio? When I started Radio 1 it was the late 90s. Bands were quite angry and people could be really rude, but now pop stars are generally really nice. Tinie Tempah is really nice to interview, and we had Will.I.Am in recently. He was hilarious, we didn’t play any music for 40 minutes because he’s so engaging and he’s got some good stories. The oddest one I think was one I did about 2 years ago with Nicolas Cage. He wouldn’t look at any of us in the studio so we had absolutely no eye contact with him at all. His answers to the questions were very strange as well, he was an odd one.

HAVE YOU GOT

anyone that you’ve really wanted to meet but then they’ve let you down a little bit? Pamela Anderson was quite rude. I expected her to be nice but she just wasn’t. I did a TV show with David Hasselhoﬀ where I went to go live in his house for a bit and I expected that to be an icebreaker in the conversation, like ‘I lived with David and you used to work with him on Baywatch’, but she didn’t

IS THERE

www.careersworld.co.uk

care, so I was a bit disappointed by that. You don’t really get that so much anymore. Even with massive people like Rihanna and Beyonce. I don’t know why, I guess people are just a bit nicer now. it now to back when you first started then? I do. It’s because I’m much more confident. I totally put it down to this job. If you told me now that I was going to interview Lady Gaga in five minutes then it wouldn’t really bother me, whereas back in the day I would have been absolutely terrified.

SO YOU PREFER

only having a couple of minutes before an interview, do you feel responsible for the success of Chris Stark? Well I kind of do actually! I’ve known him for years and he always used to make me laugh. I met him at university radio in Southampton because I was doing a bit of stuﬀ there. We ended up DJing together and kept in touch. I just found him hilarious, and every time he was up in London we’d meet up and have a chat. I just thought to myself, ‘you’ve got something. I don’t know what it is, but I think you’re so normal that people will really like you.’ I don’t think I’m responsible for his success because you make your own luck, but I hope that I helped.

SPEAKING OF

done some TV in the past, with the National Lottery and documentaries and all sorts, would you consider more of that in the future? I really enjoy it when I do it but I’m too shy to be properly famous. I don’t fancy it, it’s not for me. When I went to the Brits this year I saw people with 30 photographers following them and I thought to myself ‘I would absolutely hate that’, it’s just not for me. I’m doing the Eurovision semi-ﬁnals again this year for BBC3, which I really enjoy, but yeah it’s my little hobby really, but I do love it because it’s a diﬀerent skill.

YOU HAVE

give one piece of advice to your teenage self now what would it be? Stop worrying. Be yourself. I think in my job in particular it’s important that you are yourself. If you heard tapes of me when I was on the radio in Manchester, I just don’t sound like me. You wouldn’t even recognise me.

IF YOU COULD

it’s just a case of being yourself? It’s a case of relaxing and being conﬁdent enough to be yourself on the radio. That’s what Radio 1 teaches you, because they do want you to be you.

SO THEN

in radio about 24 years now, what’s the biggest change in the industry in that time? Social media. 100%. Even in the last 5 years. For Radio 1 to survive it needs to be where the young people go the most, and that’s on their phones and laptops, that’s where kids spend most of their time. The days of just listening to the radio are kind of dying out, so if Radio 1 wants to appeal to the next generation of 14-15 year olds, which they obviously do, then they have to be on their phones. It’s the ﬁrst radio station to hit a million subscribers on YouTube, which is pretty impressive, but that is the way it’s going and that is the way it’s going to have to be.

YOU HAVE BEEN

TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT APPRENTICESHIPS WITH PRESTON’S COLLEGE At Preston’s College, we have Apprenticeships available in a range of industries from Accountancy to Motor Vehicle, Hairdressing to Laboratory Operations and much more. If you want to earn while you learn call 01772 225186 now and speak to an advisor.

01772 225186 www.preston.ac.uk info@preston.ac.uk

Each issue, we ask our editor to give you a roundup of the topics that might aﬀect you, as well as the choices you need to make about your future. As you could imagine, there are plenty of things going on that tend to stay behind the scenes. Usually, you’d have to trawl through pages of information to learn all this, but don’t worry; we’ve done all that for you!

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR At this time of year there’s some big decisions to be made, and with all that pressure piled on, lots of young people take the easy way out and just go with what their parents or careers advisor want them to do. Of course these people know what they’re talking about and only want the best for you, but the only person who can REALLY decide what’s best is you! There’s been lots of talk lately of young people being convinced not to go down certain career paths because of a belief that they are either too clever or not clever enough for them, or that the course isn’t going to lead to a decent career. If you have done your research and know about the beneﬁts that an Apprenticeship ,degree, or going straight into work can provide, then don’t just back down and submit to what someone else wants you to do, prove to them that it’s the right choice for you by giving it your all and enjoying it while you do!

THE FUTURE OF APPRENTICESHIPS Thinking about doing an Apprenticeship? Then you better make sure you’re up to date with these big changes that are coming soon. Most placements won’t be aﬀected until 2017, but there are a few that are being reworked now! •

•

• • •

KEY FACTS

The aim is to make Apprenticeships more appealing to employers and to help apprentices become more employable. Changes to assessment methods. Two thirds of your grade will be assessed at the end of the Apprenticeship. Simple frameworks. No more reading through pages of information to ﬁnd out what your course is about. Graded Apprenticeships. New ranks of ‘pass’, ‘merit’, ‘distinction’ and ‘fail’. Minimum duration. All Apprenticeships will now be a minimum of one year with no exceptions.

www.careersworld.co.uk

WHY ARE THINGS BEING CHANGED?

Apprenticeships are getting bigger and bigger, and lots more students are considering them as an alternative to college, sixth form, or university. The Government is really keen to keep this going and for it to be the norm that every pupil either studies for a degree or undertakes an Apprenticeship. With this in mind, Apprenticeships are being changed to make them as attractive as possible to employers. After all, if more employers want to train apprentices, that’s more places for you to apply to! All this means that you can expect to see lots of Apprenticeship vacancies opening up in small companies. These businesses are going to have a lot more say in what their apprentices study, which means that the chance of you getting a placement close to home is going to be much higher!

IMPROVING EMPLOYABILITY

The other reason for all these changes is to make all apprentices more employable after their course is finished. What’s the point in doing a course if you’re not going to be able to get a job out of it! In the last issue of Careers World we talked about changes to Maths and English GCSEs that mean a minimum standard will be expected from every school leaver. This is going to be the same in Apprenticeships, with requirements being stepped up a notch. Employers will be able to set what level of Maths and English skill will be required to complete their Apprenticeship. As well as this, off-the-job training will be a vital part of all courses. No, this doesn’t mean training at the beach. At the minute, some apprentices don’t receive any training away from their place of employment. The new change is that all apprentices will have to spend 20% of their placement studying ‘off-the-job’ topics. This might still be in your workplace but won’t be related to your everyday position. More than likely, for those studying Apprenticeships through colleges or universities, this would mean studying in an education environment.

CHANGING ASSESSMENT

The method of assessment for your qualiﬁcation depends very much on the actual Apprenticeship that you are

working towards. Some focus on whether you can actually work to the level demanded of the position you are in. Others are geared towards more traditional exams. One thing that all Apprenticeships share is the mix of on-going assessment throughout the placement, and end testing. The change is to have a minimum of two thirds of assessment at the end of the Apprenticeship. The approach to testing probably won’t change much, after all there’s no point in all your exams being all written when you are trying to prove that you can be a builder, but a lot of Apprenticeships like to test you throughout the year so that you can show your development and constantly build up your skill set. The new method would involve a lot more revision, as well an end of year exam-type situation, with a broad range of skills being tested all at once, proving you are ready to work in that sector.

they plan to go about this is to make Apprenticeships graded. The new grades would be ‘Fail’, ‘Pass’, ‘Merit’ and ‘Distinction’ (Familiar to anyone who has completed a grade in music).

ﬁnd what you need! On top of this, the description of each Apprenticeship will have to be less than one page of A4, which is a big deal because at the minute they’re more like twenty!

What this essentially means is that Apprenticeships will become more focused around your end-results, and the best grades will look amazing on CVs. There’s a down side though. If you don’t get at least a Merit in your Apprenticeship then an employer might see you as ‘only’ passing, instead of rewarding you for completing a demanding course. The point is to ‘incentivise’ Apprenticeships, in other words trying to get you to work as hard as you can, but you should probably be doing that anyway!

While most of these changes won’t come into eﬀect fully until 2017, there are a few subjects that have already been aﬀected, and will continue to change over the coming months. These are called ‘trailblazers’ and are mainly in the STEM subjects (that’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). So if you are thinking about a career in those sectors, you better double check your Apprenticeship is being delivered in the way you think!

SIMPLE FRAMEWORKS

There are over 250 different Apprenticeships in England, and lots of those have optional modules within them, making everything very complicated. There are so many different options, sometimes it can be GRADED hard to find out what course you APPRENTICESHIPS Right now, Apprenticeships need to do to get the job you’re are pass or fail. Lots of people actually after. like this way of doing things as it makes the whole process That’s why changes are being a lot less painful. In a degree, made. There will be one or A-levels, simply passing is separate Apprenticeship course often not enough because there for every job. That means it are so many grades, making should be simpler for you to everything more competitive. find the Apprenticeship you The Government are really keen need to get the job you want on rewarding high-achievement because you can just search in Apprenticeships, and the way for ‘Chef Apprenticeship’ and www.careersworld.co.uk

WHO IS AFFECTED?

The nature of Apprenticeships is definitely changing and the proposals that we’ve talked about above are really going to have a huge impact on every single apprentice in England. It’s so important that you keep your finger on the pulse if you are even considering Apprenticeships in the slightest. Deciding to become an apprentice can be one of the biggest and best decisions of your life so you have to make sure you are as informed as you can be. It’s like starting a new job thinking you’re in sales but getting there and finding out you’re working in the warehouse!

STUDYING IN AMERICA America is one of the most important countries in the world. We are constantly surrounded by US culture; whether it’s the clothes we wear, the TV we watch, or music we listen to. Visiting the United States is on the top list of things to do for thousands of young people in the UK, but did you know that in the quest for your ideal career that you can study full time state-side? At Careers World we’re asked all the time for information on American study, and since now is the time that you should be thinking about where to apply if you want to study abroad, we’ve put some information together about what American education can oﬀer you.

WHY SHOULD I STUDY THERE?

HOW DO I APPLY?

Make no mistake, studying in America is not for everyone, but if you have a sense of adventure and want to learn at the same time, it could be right down your street. There’s a real emphasis on the social side of things at US universities. Uni’s in the UK have this as well, but to nowhere near the same level. Can you imagine a UK university sports club being televised and getting 50,000 fans attending every game? There are hundreds of societies to join, including a national competitive Quidditch league for you Potter fans!

The application process for UK nationals to study in the USA is a bit more long-winded and complicated than applying through UCAS, but then again you are asking a university from the other side of the world to accept you for study, so what do you expect! UCAS applications are based around your grades and other academic achievements, but the US system tends to evaluate your whole character. Obviously your grades are still a big deal, but they also want to know about your background, and what you do in your spare time.

If you don’t like being limited with the universities you can apply to, maybe the college or uni in your favourite city doesn’t oﬀer your course, you’re pretty much guaranteed to not have the same problem in the US. There are just under 200 Higher Education facilities in the UK right now, but with over 4,500 oﬀering undergraduate degrees in America right now, you’re spoilt for choice.

If you are worried about costs (it’s hardly cheap going to uni here, let alone in America!) then you should consider applying for a scholarship or funding. Funding looks at all of you, not just how much money you or your parents earn. If you can show that you are worth their money, the uni will sponsor you to study at their institution.

If you struggled to decide on what GCSEs or A levels to choose, picking just one degree course can be a bit of a nightmare. There’s nowhere near the same amount of pressure at American colleges and universities, they adopt a ‘liberal arts philosophy’. This means that you take several diﬀerent classes in the ﬁrst year of your degree, and then move on to choose your main ‘major’ subject after you’ve had a taste of a few. It’s also much easier than in the UK to switch courses if you change your mind.

According to figures from The Fulbright Commission, 65% of employers favour applicants with experience of work overseas. It really is a fantastic way to kick-start your career and improve your employability. The Fulbright Commission are jointly funded by the UK and US governments and operate the Advisory Service, the only official source of US study advice in the UK, so it’s worth checking them out at www.fulbright.org.uk. Don’t forget that the timetable for applications is a bit different than in the UK, so if you’re thinking about going to an American university next year, you need to be doing some research about where you want to go NOW!

www.careersworld.co.uk

Cartwright Apprenticeships 2014 Engineering Apprenticeships - Commencing August 2014 • Learn a trade while earning a competitive salary • College Day Release Programme at Stockport College’s Engineering Centre • Buddy system to aid your day to day learning • Satisfaction of seeing the finished product out on the roads • Work 2-3 months on each of the major manufacturing stages - Fabrication - Chassis Assembly - Electrical Installation - Body Building - Finishing • Opportunity to specialise after experiencing all the manufacturing areas

Open Day May 2014 www.cartwright-group.co.uk/apprenticeships

expert /’ekspərt/

Noun. A person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area.

Ask the Experts

Adjective Having or involving such knowledge or skill. Synonyms noun. specialist - connoisseur - adept - judge - master adjective. skilled - skilful - skillful - proﬁcient - adept

Are you frustrated by all the choices you face? Don’t you wish there was a way to compare all your options, or to have those key questions answered? Well, we’ve done it for you. We’ve put together a team of experts from your area to give you an insight into what kind of experiences, beneﬁts and future they can oﬀer you. We’ve asked the same questions to each expert, to help you decide on the right choice for you.

The Employer IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

We run, maintain and develop Britain’s rail tracks, signalling, bridges, tunnels, level crossings, viaducts and 17 key stations. Web: www.facebook.com/ontrack

Not at all. It’s never too late to look at your options. Some people decide very quickly on their future careers, others take their time. Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme opens for applications in January, with successful candidates starting in September. Use this time to research whether the scheme is right for you, or come and visit us at one of our open days, which we advertise on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ontrack

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

The ﬁrst year of our scheme is run on-site, at a purpose-built training facility in Hampshire. We provide all of your accommodation and food whilst you are learning. We focus not only on developing your skills in your chosen area of expertise, but also on helping you build your leadership and people skills. You will be oﬀered a wide range of extracurricular sporting and development opportunities, that we encourage you to take part in. Our scheme is fun, hard work, a great learning opportunity, and a fantastic foundation for a rewarding career in the rail industry.

www.careersworld.co.uk

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

During your ﬁrst month on Network Rail’s Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme you will undertake a comprehensive induction package at HMS Collingwood and Sultan in order to prepare you for the challenges ahead over the next three year programme.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Our railway is more popular than ever. Passenger numbers have increased at a faster pace than expected and every day 4 million people use the rail network. We carry 50 per cent more passengers today than 10 years ago. Modernisation and smarter ways of working have delivered more frequent, reliable, safer services, as well as brighter and better stations. We’ve achieved a lot over the last 10 years and we’ve a lot more to do! We’ve been given £38bn to carry out work over the next ﬁve years, and by 2019 the country’s rail network will be delivering 225 million more passenger journeys each year. Our Apprenticeship scheme helps us attract and retain key talent for the future that will help us meet our strategic goal - a better railway for a better Britain.

The University IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

Manchester Metropolitan University is one of the country’s largest universities, oﬀering more than 800 undergraduate courses. We pride ourselves on being the university for worldclass professionals.

No – although the UCAS deadline has passed, we still have limited vacancies. The best thing to do is to check for our courses in Extra at www.ucas.com. If you are thinking about applying to Manchester Metropolitan, check out our website or give us a call to really get a feel for what it is we do, we’re sure you’ll love it!

Web: www.mmu.ac.uk

The Training Provider The Manchester School of Media

Futureworks School of Media provides world-class education and training in Sound, Music, Film & TV, Games Design, Animation and Visual Eﬀects. Web: www.futureworks.co.uk

IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

It is never too late to start thinking about career paths and options, even if it means you have to delay studying for a year. Our degree and professional diploma programmes can be applied for at any time, simply get in touch to ﬁnd out more information. Sometimes the right decision is to hang back and think about your options instead of diving into a course that isn’t for you.

The College IS IT TOO LATE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR TO START THINKING ABOUT CAREER PATHS AND OPTIONS?

Blackpool and The Fylde College is a leading provider of quality Apprenticeships. It serves the North West and further aﬁeld through workplace assessment and online learning, and has experts in many industry sectors. Web: www.blackpool.ac.uk

www.careersworld.co.uk

Not at all, you can start an Apprenticeship with Blackpool and The Fylde College at any time. Employers are looking for staff all year round and the college meets those needs. Our team of Apprenticeship specialists are on hand all year round and can talk to you about what we offer and how to go about finding a job. Even if you’re not sure what career path to pursue, we have trained staff who can offer advice and guidance to help you make the right choice.

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

We are based in the heart of Manchester - the most popular student city in the UK. We’re one of the country’s biggest universities, and we certainly use our size to our advantage. We have links to more than 70 professional bodies, ensuring that our graduates are highly employable, and employ over 4,000 staﬀ who are all committed to sharing their passion for their subjects. We are the winners of the Guardian Award for Outstanding Student Experience 2013, and the greenest university in the UK, topping the People and Planet league of 140 universities for environmental sustainability.

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

Going to university, and perhaps leaving home for the first time, is one of the most exciting times in a young person’s life. We ensure our students have everything they need to feel welcome, and provide support and guidance to help them settle in and make new friends. The Students’ Union sends new students a pack containing information about Welcome Week and all the exciting clubs, student societies, and events on offer. Then it’s a case of meeting tutors and fellow students and getting down to work. A university degree can make a massive difference to a person’s career, so we make sure we offer

We’re an Ofsted Outstanding college so there’s a reassurance that our Apprenticeships are of the best quality. As part of a large further education college, apprentices beneﬁt from excellent progression opportunities. Students are encouraged to work towards Higher Apprenticeships and even degrees with us, often helping them to climb up the career ladder.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

We’ve invested £350 million in ﬁrst-class facilities for our students, including our award-winning Business School and new Art School. This year our £140 million campus will open at Birley Fields, providing a new home for our faculties of Education, Health, Psychology, and Social Care, and we’re planning to invest another £200 million to complete our vision of a world-class, student-centred, sustainable urban campus in Manchester, providing outstanding education for our students.

into lessons. We also have industry-based straight into complicated tasks right away, projects that students are invited to work on so we ease you into our courses so you can to help develop their professional approach. progress at a quick and steady rate.

What makes Futureworks different is the WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES approach we take with our courses. We EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH start with the end goal of getting a job and work backwards from there; hiring staff and YOU? equipping our facilities with the specific In their first month students will be resources that the industry tells us are introduced to Futureworks. They will be required. surrounded by like-minded people who all share the same passion for their work. We Another unique feature is our progressive balance the needs of students, who need approach to courses. We believe that staying to acclimatise to new surroundings, with the up to date and relevant to the industry is need to get stuck in, and use the fantastic key to students’ learning. All our tutors are facilities we have to offer. We understand industry-active and bring real-world projects that you won’t necessarily be able to jump

WHAT IS IT THAT APPEALS TO YOUR APPLICANTS AND MAKES YOU UNIQUE?

all the help and support a student might need.

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

The key features which make students pick us over other universities are our facilities, staﬀ, and industry relevant courses. To have lessons delivered in state of the art studios, by experienced professionals, with regular guest lecturers means students are given the perfect platform to excel in their chosen career path.

need to excel, as well as receiving on-the- team, who can help with funding and job training. provide extra help with maths and English if required.

WHAT CAN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES EXPECT IN THEIR FIRST MONTH WITH YOU?

Once candidates have applied for an Apprenticeship, our staff offer recruitment support, training, and workshops to make sure applicants are job-ready. This can include help with writing a CV, interview preparation, and matching them with suitable job vacancies. Applicants will also be appointed a mentor within the We offer Apprenticeships in almost every Apprenticeship Team to guide them through industry sector, and the college has a vast the whole process. resource base, including onsite workshops, technology labs, salons, sports facilities, In addition, all apprentices can access and kitchens so whatever industry you Blackpool and The Fylde College’s support choose, you can access everything you www.careersworld.co.uk

SELL YOURSELF IN ONE PARAGRAPH

Blackpool and the Fylde College is one of the UK’s leading further education colleges. As a large training provider, we oﬀer Apprenticeships in a wide range of industry sectors, have excellent links with top regional and national employers, and have a proven track record. Many of our alumni have progressed in their careers, or now own their own business and hire apprentices themselves! The college has its own University Centre so apprentices can progress onto degrees if they wish, and they have access to industry standard facilities and resources in one place, ensuring they get the best quality training.

We like to keep you up to date with the latest goings-on of your local institutions, as well as providing you with case studies and stories from people who have been in your position and seen the light at the end of the tunnel; this is their forum for connecting with you.

Alex Kelly

Gain Experience: Industrial Placements

“I enrolled on STEGTA’s ESF NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) Programme in January 2013, an 18 week programme which would give me the chance to gain some ‘hands on’ experience in a workshop by completing a Level 1 Hand Fitting Unit and also provide me with support to enhance my CV and interview technique. “During the programme, I developed my knowledge in the basic principles of hand fitting skills such as drilling, filing, and sawing. I also produced some ‘T and U pieces’ using mild steel, brass and aluminium. I gained vital experience and received one on one training with a STEGTA Training Officer at their training centre based in Wellacre Academy in Flixton.

“I attended a job interview at Harland Machine Systems Ltd, who were looking for an Apprentice Fitter – Wireman. I presented the work I had produced as part of the course and the company oﬀered me a trial. Following the trial I was oﬀered the position and began employment in September 2013. “I am currently working towards a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering and attend College on day release to study BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Operations and Maintenance Engineering.”

Competition in the graduate job market has risen dramatically in recent years, and students are always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd. An excellent way of doing this is by choosing an industrial placement as part of your degree course. This involves spending a year working in industry, normally between your second and third years of study, enhancing your CV and gaining highly sought-after skills. Employers not only like to see people who have developed the necessary theoretical skills, it’s also great if a student has used their initiative and sourced opportunities to develop their employability skills. During your placement you will be paid by the employer and treated as a permanent member of staﬀ. You will also gain practical experience that

Web: www.stegta.co.uk

can be invaluable both in your final-year project and when competing for jobs. Students with industrial experience tend to not only improve their final degree performance, but also develop clearer ideas about their future career path. We are aware that finding an industrial placement can be a step into the unknown for many students and we are here to provide support for you. We maintain regular contact with you, even when you begin your placement If you are interested in an industrial or sandwich placement, or a graduate job in the life sciences, biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries, make sure you take a look at the Cogent Placements website for all the latest opportunities.

Web: www.cogent-placements.com

www.careersworld.co.uk

A day in the life of Jon Berrisford, BAE Systems

£13m STEM Centre for Preston’s College Preston’s College has been awarded funding to progress plans for a multi-million pound Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centre at its Fulwood Campus. The new facility is a huge boost for the college, and comes on top of work about to begin on a £5m ‘In-Zone’, which is focused around enterprise and will help learners to develop business ideas and skills. In a bold departure from traditional use, the new £13m STEM centre at Preston’s College will provide learners from all areas of its curriculum with the opportunity to work on live briefs. This is based on a full process model that moves from idea generation within the college’s In-Zone, through research and development within the STEM centre, to the production of an end product and possible new business start-ups back at the In-Zone.

A report earlier in the year stated that science and technology skills are in widespread demand, and the college is committed to playing its part in providing the skilled workers of the future. Lis Smith, Principal and Chief Executive, said this marked a huge step forward for the college: “One thing that our research has shown us is that not only are employers in the STEM sector struggling to recruit the right calibre of candidates, but there is an increasing demand for employees in other sectors to have knowledge and experience of STEM subjects. “Alongside our In-Zone, which encourages creative thinking and ideas generation, we envisage the STEM centre helping to plug that skills gap for many employers – providing the knowledge, skills and experience that local businesses are looking for.”

“As an Aircraft Fitter on the Typhoon final assembly I have an active role in putting together one of Europe’s most impressive fighter jets. The parts for the Typhoon are made all over Europe, but the RAF jets end up in Warton, to be put together. “The day begins with a start up meeting, which gives the team an opportunity to suggest ideas for making our working life easier and more efficient. The ideas can be to do with anything from reducing production times to improving health and safety. “I grab a cup of coffee and head over to the production line, where a shipment has just arrived in from Italy. We get components from all over the world, and my role comes at the start of the final assembly production. Today we’re bolting the left wing to the main body of the aircraft. It could take us a while to finish this - as you can imagine, piecing together

Web: www.preston.ac.uk Tel: 01772 22 55 22

specialist parts takes patience and skill to get right. “Following lunch, I’ve been called over to assist another team on the aircraft they’re producing. This happens quite a lot in my role, and I enjoy it as it gives me a chance to have a nosy at what’s going on at the other end of the production line! It’s also a change to the usual work I do, which gives me a chance to make use of the diﬀerent skills I learnt during my training as well as developing new ones.” Since joining BAE Systems he has completed a BTEC National Diploma, NVQ Level 3 in Aeronautical Engineering and a HNC in Manufacturing Engineering. He is about to take the HND in Manufacturing Engineering.

Web: www.makeit.org/aerospace Tel: 01772 648 800

EUROPEAN UNION Investing in Your Future

European Regional Development Fund 2007-13

www.careersworld.co.uk

Reaseheath College – the place for horse lovers If you love horses and would like to work with them after you’ve left school, Reaseheath College in Cheshire is deﬁnitely the place for you!

Apprentices invited to learn rounded skills with leading body and trailer manufacturer Cartwright School-leavers taking their first steps on the career ladder are invited to find out more about the world of engineering with leading trailer and body manufacturer Cartwright. The Altrincham-based company, whose history stretches back more than 60 years, recently launched its third annual recruitment drive to find 40 eligible candidates to take part in its bespoke two-year Apprenticeship scheme. Aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds, the scheme is designed to give apprentices an insight into every aspect of Cartwright’s business. In their first year, apprentices complete eight-week placements across all six of Cartwright’s manufacturing departments, gaining first-hand experience of every step of the manufacturing process. Welding, hydraulic, electrical, air fitting & testing, general fitting & assembly, machine operation,

ﬁnishing, pre-delivery inspection, and design are among the skills apprentices will learn. With the basics in every skill under their belts they are then able to select one area in which to specialise. Cartwright’s Apprenticeship programme is one of the most ambitious in the industry. With retention rates well above the average, it ensures all apprentices are equipped with the necessary skillset to provide them with a job for life, and to ensure the long-term future of the business. Cartwright’s Apprenticeship scheme is brought in partnership with Stockport College. Apprentices will begin their four-week induction in August, covering health & safety and functional skills. This will be followed by up to 23 months of a four-day week at Cartwright, with one day per week training at the college.

Web: www.cartwright-group.co.uk/apprenticeships

We’ve courses for everyone, from introductory to degrees, and a fabulous Equestrian Centre with 60 horses plus Flicka, our mechanical horse. You don’t even have to ride to become an equine student – you could choose to study business with horse management. Reaseheath’s lovely indoor arena was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 2010. We were proud to show Her Majesty round our stables and she was really interested to watch our students using the horsemanship skills they’d learned. We’ve also welcomed lots of international horsey stars to our centre. We’ve had demonstrations by equine behaviourists Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks, international dressage riders Richard Davison and Emile Faurie, show jumpers Ben Maher, William Whitaker and Joe Clayton, and three day event rider Alex Hua Tian. Our students love helping to run

these events and are always ﬁrst in the line for top tips, autographs and pics! BBC Countryﬁle presenter Adam Henson also gave us full marks after we trained four of his Exmoor foals. We were on TV twice! Reaseheath equine students are busy away from campus too, providing the arena party for the Horse of the Year Show, for Bolesworth Classic Show Jumping, and in the rings for major agricultural shows. They also enjoy study tours, team competitions and stud visits.

Photo above: Top show jumper Ben Maher joins Reaseheath’s arena party at the Horse of the Year Show

Our students say: “Reaseheath is so much fun!” Find out yourself by booking onto a college open event. Visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/cw or call our Course Hotline on 01270 613242.

www.careersworld.co.uk

HOw FAR DO yOU wANT TO gO IN BUSINESS? THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT. NO ONE’S BETTER QUALIFIED. london, shanghai, new york, singapore? icAew chartered Accountants have the work experience, financial intelligence and skills the business world demands.

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

A world leAder of the AccountAncy And finAnce profession

THE REAL WORLD Jimmy, ACA Student, CLB Coopers, Lancaster During my time at university studying Business Information Systems, I was playing for the Sale Sharks Academy team as a professional rugby player. In my final year I made the progression to the first team playing Premiership and European cup rugby, which meant I was unable to finish my degree. I moved to Coventry Rugby Club and then to Cornwall to play for the Cornish Pirates, where I remained for four years.

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

During my time in Cornwall I attended Cornwall College in my free evenings to study towards my AAT qualification. Having successfully completed both the foundation and intermediate stage, I then sustained an injury that meant I could no longer continue as a professional rugby player. Relocating back to the north-west, I sent my CV (that contained nothing other than my rugby clubs and qualifications!) to CLB Coopers. They recognised that to get to that level of professional rugby takes a lot of time and dedication, and those attributes would suit their working environment, alongside my commitment to study the AAT off my own back. Luckily they offered me a job. I completed my AAT studies and subsequently was offered a training contract to study towards the ACA qualification.

You ask us... WHAT’S THE FINANCE AND LAW SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

posher. If you give financial advice, you might even find yourself working from home! In the Legal sector, you might be in Finance is all about cash. How it’s made, an office sorting case notes, or in the court who’s making it, who isn’t making enough room where the action is! and why. If a company isn’t making a profit, how can you improve their situation? On a HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO smaller scale, it’s about paying people their wages, working out expenses and giving OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY? out financial advice to people. Law is pretty This sector employs 1 million+ people in much as it says; it covers our legal system, the UK and takes on more than 70,000 new from legal secretaries and lawyers right the starters a year. It’s also one of the highest way up to the judges that deliver verdicts. paying; a fully qualified accountant could earn in excess of £50,000 a year! In the WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT Law sector, 250,000 people make up the work force, of which almost half is made up TO EARN? of solicitors and barristers! With regards to law, the starting salaries are quite high; usually between £14,000 and WHERE IS THE WORK MOST £17,000, Finance will be a bit lower to start with, between £10,500 and £13,000, but CONCENTRATED? progression can be fairly quick and people You will generally find both sectors are in the finance sector usually earn high based in the big cities. You might see a bonuses on top of their basic pay, which few private law firms in smaller villages is over £30,000 when you become fully and towns, but the bigger companies qualified in your field. prefer to be based in the main UK cities, such as London, Manchester, Leeds and WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD Birmingham. As Finance also covers banking, it’s worth pointing out that banks I BE WORKING IN? usually have branches in smaller places to In the Finance sector, you’ll probably be accommodate the town population. based in an office environment when you first start out. As you progress, you’ll find the building around you gets bigger and www.careersworld.co.uk

To ﬁnd out more about how to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant visit icaew.com/careers or ﬁnd us on Facebook at facebook.com/ icaewstartingpoint

Finance & Law

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

ACCOUNTANCY

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

FINANCIAL ADVICE

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

LEGAL ADMINISTRATION

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

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

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

BANKING

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

MANAGERIAL ROLES ACCOUNT FOR

37%

OF THE WORKFORCE

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

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

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

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

FOUNDATION DEGREES

EMPLOYER FUNDED STUDY

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

47%

OF UK FIRMS EMPLOY 250 PEOPLE OR LESS

THE LEGAL SECTOR DEALS WITH OVER

500,000 CASES PER YEAR

Finance & Law

REGIONAL FOCUS The North West is one of the most influential financial areas outside of London. Because of links between Manchester and Liverpool, the financial sector in the region is very developed. The North West Business Fund provides financial support for businesses in the area, adding £300 million to the region’s economy! The University of Manchester is in the top 25 universities in the country for law and the Manchester Law Society is home to some of the first solicitors to be appointed judges in the UK.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

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

A-LEVELS

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

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

You ask us... HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

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

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

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

WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED?

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

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

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

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

IT, Digital & Telecoms

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

WEB DESIGNER

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

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

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

IT TRAINER

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

HELPDESK ASSISTANT

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

TELECOMS TECHNICIAN

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

THERE IS A TOTAL IT & TELECOMS WORKFORCE OF

1.5 MILLION PEOPLE

105,000

BUSINESSES IN THE UK OFFER IT & TELECOMS PRODUCTS & SERVICES

IT ACCOUNTS FOR

OF THE UK WORKFORCE

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

If you are aged 16 and over you could enter an Apprenticeship, which would teach you the skills you need while you work and earn a salary. You’ll spend half your time in the classroom and half out on the job. Listed below are the apprenticeship frameworks for this sector, which when completed will give you a Level 2 qualiﬁcation in the form of a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ: IT Applications Specialist • IT Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular gateway into university and are sought after by employers. Here are some of the relevant A-Levels for this sector: Computing • Design and Technology: Systems and Control • ICT

FOUNDATION DEGREES

These are the equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after completing the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. They are ideal for people who want a practical role as they learn while gaining valuable employment experience. People with Advanced Apprenticeships tend to progress up the ladder a lot quicker than COLLEGE COURSES those without, as the skills they learn are A college course is another way to get into more suited to management and supervisory this sector. For more information, check out roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship www.careersworld.co.uk. Frameworks for this sector and all of these will result in a Level 3 qualiﬁcation such as a BTEC, a Diploma or an NVQ. IT Applications Specialist • IT Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals

www.careersworld.co.uk

IT, Digital & Telecoms

REGIONAL FOCUS The south of the region is where most IT and digital professionals will gravitate, purely because this is where the big cities are! You are less likely to ﬁnd a tech job in Cumbria due to the mostly rural environment, but everywhere needs someone to handle their ICT! You could even look after the computer systems at the University of Cumbria in Carlisle! The technology sector is growing rapidly in the Lancashire, with thousands of jobs opening up every year.

Myfuture OPEN MORNING ADVICE SESSIONS EVERY MONTH

CHECK WEBSITE FOR DATES

If you’re leaving school or college this year and aren’t sure of the next step - take a look at the full-time courses, degrees and work based apprenticeships available at Myerscough College. There’s a great choice of subjects, excellent teaching and amazing facilities! Plus superb regional transport links and great on-site accommodation for 750 students. Agriculture Animal Studies Arboriculture Basketball Cricket

Ecology and Conservation Equine Studies Farriery Fishing Studies Floral Design

Football Coaching Golf Coaching

Mechanisation

Sportsturf

Motorsports

Veterinary Nursing

Photography

Horticulture

Rugby

Landscape

Sport

Foundation Learning

Choose myerscough

Ofsted Outstanding for Agriculture & Countryside Top 5% of colleges nationwide for academic success £16 million campus building programme 95%+ student satisfaction with teaching Bursary Funds up to £1200 to support your learning Top two land-based colleges in NSS survey Daily bus services from across Lancashire

facebook.com/myerscoughcoll

Call us now on

@myerscoughcoll

01995 642211or visit www.myerscough.ac.uk

Myerscough College, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire. PR3 0RY

THE REAL WORLD Professional footballer, Alex Kenyon, has shown his talent and determination to succeed with a rapid rise through the leagues to earn himself a contract at League 2 club, Morecambe FC. Midﬁelder Alex originally studied a Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Football Studies before graduating with a Foundation Degree in Football Coaching in 2012. His began his playing career as a trainee at Everton, before spells at non-league Chorley and Lancaster City, where his performances earned him a move to Conference side, Stockport County in 2011.

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

You ask us... WHAT’S THE SPORT AND FITNESS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

It’s more than just working out at the gym; this sector also includes coaching people in various sports, running outdoor activities such as kayaking, rock climbing and gliding and of course there are the roles that support sports centres, gyms and activity areas.

WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

Sport and Fitness is a popular sector to work in and it employs 663,000 people across the country, which accounts for 2% of the total UK workforce. Over 4 million people are subscribed to some sort of ﬁtness or gym program, so there will never be a shortage of people to help. The one downside to this is the cost and some people see it as a luxury they cannot aﬀord. Perhaps this is something you can change for the better!

The starting salaries vary according to the role you will play, but they tend to range from WHERE IS THE WORK MOST £12,000 to £15,000 and can be upwards CONCENTRATED? of £25,000 with experience. For example, a fully qualified Fitness Instructor can earn You’ll find gyms all over the place although some of the private ones can be found over £32,000 a year. attached to spas and hotels and can be in middle of nowhere. The bigger chains WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD the can be found in towns and city centres I BE WORKING IN? along with council run sports centres. Again, this depends on your role. If you are Outdoor activity centres are usually found in working in fitness, then you are likely to be the countryside, but also look out for places in a gym or sports centre. Outdoor activities by the sea and in forested areas. can take you to rivers, cliff faces, mountains, oceans and ski slopes, so be prepared to fill your wardrobe with clothing to suit the occasion! www.careersworld.co.uk

Since then his career has soared time and again, and after being named Player of the Year at County, he signed a deal with League 2 Morecambe in the summer of 2013, quickly becoming a first team regular at the Globe Arena. His displays have earned Alex a new two year contract. Myerscough College made Alex’s dreams of being a professional footballer a reality: “I loved my time at Myerscough and it shows that if you’re dedicated then you can make it. I always wanted to be a pro. My studies here also allowed me to continue playing which was perfect for me. My qualifications now give me something to fall back on outside of being a professional player, in coaching or another area of the game. “The college have invested in the department and that’s paying off. The football courses there are very broad and as well as playing and teaching, personal development is a key part of the learning process too.”

Web: www.myerscough.ac.uk Tel: 01995 642222

Sport & Fitness

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

PERSONAL TRAINING

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

COACHING

Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Martin Johnson and the like all started out as coaches before they became successful managers. Coaching is all about using your skills and knowledge to guide others as they start out their sports careers and this could be coaching at grassroots level with an U9’s basketball team, right up to working for the big sports clubs in England.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

There are a whole host of outdoor pursuits that you can work with. Sports such as White Water Rafting, Paintballing, GoKarting, Zip-Lining, Abseiling and Caving all require instructors and supervisors to ensure everybody has a safe and enjoyable time. Instructors can also coach people who are interested in making a career out of their sport.

SPECTATOR SUPPORT

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

OPERATIONS

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

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO EARN?

Salaries start out between £12,000 and can rise to £25,000 as you gain experience. Gym Managers can earn upwards of £35,000.

51,500

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

2,600

PUBLIC HEALTH & FITNESS FACILITIES

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

With over 48,000 diﬀerent companies in this sector, an Apprenticeship might be the easier route to take to get into a very tough sector. Competition for places in this industry is super high, so having one foot in the door and earning as you learn could be a great way to go. Here are the frameworks you can expect to see in this industry and all Apprenticeships result in a Level 2 BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Leisure Operations • Coaching • Instructing Exercise and Fitness • Activity Leadership

A-LEVELS

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

FOUNDATION DEGREES

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

Sport & Fitness

REGIONAL FOCUS Sport is a big deal in the North West because of the amount of successful teams in the area. Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City are world famous football clubs, which has lead to huge sporting facilities being available throughout the North West for people who want to break into a career in sport. Edge Hill University is currently in the middle of a £30 million project leading to a new sports complex that will be ﬁnished by the end of 2014.

Interested in Interior Design?

The National Design Academy has over 25 years of experience offering UK and overseas students a range of online interior design courses at diploma, degree and masters level.

www.nda.ac.uk

0115 9123412

Retail Shopping is awesome. We as a country always have an excuse to go and spend our money and this sector provides a varied range of career choices if you fancy turning your shopping experience into your career.

You ask us... WHAT IS RETAIL ALL ABOUT?

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE

Retail is all about selling stuff to people – the better it looks, the COUNTRY? more cash people will spend on it. It’s competitive and challenging Over 16% of the UK companies have an active apprenticeship and you can expect to be tested on a fair few levels, so make sure program and most of these employers are shops and brands you you have the ambition to succeed. will almost certainly have heard of. There are more than 1.8 million people employed in the retail industry so employability is very high compared to other sectors. WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? You’ll start off on somewhere between £11,000 to £16,000, which might not sound a lot but you have to factor in staff discounts inWHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED? store and flexible working hours. You can also advance pretty Right in the middle of a city or town. The number of retail outlets quickly and managers of large stores earn over £40,000, plus in the UK now exceeds 210,000, so you won’t have to look far for bonuses such as company cars, holidays, travelling and all the work. You probably walk past them every day, so do research into other awesome stuff. what the best place to work is for you.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

There will be people everywhere, so if you have good customer service skills you’ll be ﬁne. If you don’t, get some, because it’s essential to the shopper’s experience. You need to be adaptable as not everyone is a happy shopper, so learn to deal with everything thrown at you, both good and bad.

www.careersworld.co.uk

Retail

Careers Choices These are some of the roles you can ﬁnd in this sector. Obviously day-to-day tasks will vary depending on your employer, but these roles are found across the sector:

RETAIL BUYING

If you can’t get enough of shopping, this might be the job for you because is essentially buying products for a living. You will be responsible for selecting what merchandise your store will sell, so you will need to keep up to date on current fashions and trends. These are the people who decide what’s hot and what’s not from season to season. Salaries start out between £16,000 and £20,000 depending on your employer and you can expect to earn more as you gain more experience.

STORE OPERATIONS

You’ll be right in the action here; you’ll be serving customers and helping the store run smoothly. It’s down to you to make the overall shopping experience better for people so it helps to have good knowledge of what you are selling (you can’t just blag it, you will get found out.). You’re looking at a starting salary of £11,000 to £15,000 depending on your employer, but this is a sector where progression is matched by ambition and you will ﬁnd yourself quickly climbing up the ladder.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING

If you have a knack for eye catching fashion displays then this will ‘suit’ you down to the ground (see what I did there?). You will be responsible for arranging the displays in windows so that passersby will be drawn into the store. But it doesn’t stop there; the mannequins and stand layouts inside will also be arranged according to your design, so that the customers are getting a good experience and therefore buying stuﬀ. Salaries start out at between £12,000 and £16,000 a year.

MANAGEMENT

If you have a talent for leadership and motivation then you would make for a great manager. It will be down to you to organise your staﬀ so that everything runs smoothly, from the shop ﬂoor to the warehouse and deliveries. Store managers usually start out on £16,000 to £20,000, while area managers or managers of huge stores can earn in excess of £40,000 a year – this is usually accompanied with perks such as longer holidays and company cars.

www.careersworld.co.uk

1 IN 10 PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN RETAIL

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

Over 30,000 people started in Level 2 and 3 Retail Apprenticeships in 2012 and that number is expected to increase this year. In this sector in particular employers like to teach you while you work and you’ll ﬁnd yourself taking in a lot very quickly. The Level 2 award will take the form of a diploma, a BTEC or an NVQ. Some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks and associated roles you might see are: Retail (General) • Retail Specialist

A-LEVELS

A –levels are a good pathway to university, but they are also qualiﬁcations that employers like to see. There aren’t any A-levels that are directly linked to retail, but some that might help you are listed below. Business Studies • Maths • IT • English

EMPLOYER FUNDED STUDY

A lot of the bigger chains such as Sainsbury’s, B&Q, Tesco and Marks and Spencer have special training schemes for their employees. These more often than not have an option for management so you ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS Just like a regular Apprenticeship, you will know there’s an opportunity to go far! Entry be learning and working at the same time. levels vary, so it’s best to check the brands The Retail Apprenticeship continues to website for more information. Level 3, again resulting in a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ. Here are some of the job roles: Sales Professional • Visual Merchandising • Retail Management

JUST 10 RETAILERS EMPLOY AROUND

1/3

OF ALL THOSE WHO WORK IN RETAIL

UK RETAIL HAS AN ANNUAL TURNOVER OF

£321 BILLION

Retail

REGIONAL FOCUS The North West is one of the UK’s hotspots for shopping and the retail industry. Over 11% of the workforce in the region is employed in retail and some of the country’s biggest shopping centres are found in the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, including the Traﬀord Centre, Manchester Arndale and Liverpool One. 10% of the population of the UK live within a 45 minute drive of the Traﬀord Centre, meaning it’s a fantastic place to start a competitive retail career!

FOUNDATION DEGREES

Foundation Degrees are a great way to get an employer respected qualification while still working in your job. They are university level qualifications and are the equivalent of the first two years of an honours degree. These take two years to complete and if you want, you can extend your qualification to a full Honours degree when you finish. www.careersworld.co.uk

Reaseheath College Be Different! 98% of our students say our teaching is good

9 out of 10 students start a career or go into further training Our student support is among the best in the country (Outstanding, Ofsted Care Standards 2013)

We’re always investing in cutting edge technology and specialist facilities

You’ll enjoy doing lots of hands-on activities as well as being in the classroom We could say more but we’d like you to come and see for yourself...

Raising Standards Inspiring Achievement

For more information on our school leaver courses and to book onto our next Course Open Event visit www.reaseheath.ac.uk/cw or call our Course Hotline on 01270 613242.

Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 6DF www.twitter.com/reaseheath

www.facebook.com/reaseheathcollege

Education & Early Years Some people say your best years are your school years; I’m sure many of you reading this will disagree. But teaching is a very rewarding career to be in, as it nurtures the talents of many young people and not only does it educate them in school subjects, it’s also responsible for helping young people through the transition into adults.

You ask us... WHAT’S THE EDUCATION & EARLY YEARS SECTOR ALL ABOUT?

HOW DOES THIS SECTOR COMPARE TO OTHERS ACROSS THE

Opportunities in the Education sector aren’t just limited to teaching, COUNTRY? which might surprise a few of you (it certainly did us!). This sector Last year £56.27 billion went into the Education sector and a lot also covers early years and nursery staﬀ, as well as teaching of that will have gone to the teachers and other education workers. assistants who assist teachers in a variety of classroom roles. Schools in the South of England tend to gain more funding due to the sheer number of students they cater for, but with the education WHAT KIND OF SALARY CAN I EXPECT TO EARN? sector changing all the time, expect this unbalance to even out over The starting salary for a teaching assistant is about £12,000 per the coming years. year, this may not seem like a lot but there are many opportunities for advancement. A fully qualiﬁed teacher can earn about £35,000WHERE IS THE WORK MOST CONCENTRATED? £40,000 per year – however that will increase as you become more Well, education usually takes place in schools, which you already experienced. know having been there for some time already! Bigger cities and

towns have plenty of schools both in the centre and in ‘catchment’ areas, which cover outlaying villages and areas outside the built up Normally you’ll be working in schools and sometimes nurseries areas. However there are many nurseries and crèches all over the – depending on the area that you decided to specialise in. In a UK as well where you can work in the education sector too. primary school the atmosphere will often be more relaxed but in a secondary school it won’t be quite so informal – you might have to wear a tie! If you are working in Ofsted then you will be going into schools and deciding whether they are performing adequately.

WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WOULD I BE WORKING IN?

www.careersworld.co.uk

Education & Early Years

Careers Choices Education and Early Years careers are all about helping and teaching children and young people everything from the classic three times tables to the intricacies of intermolecular structures. Teachers, examiners, pastoral support workers and teaching assistants all work towards educating their students to achieve the best possible grades. Whether it’s twenty out of twenty in a spelling test or an A* at GCSE level, it’s the educators who are responsible for shaping the futures of their pupils. Here are some of the popular roles that you can expect to ﬁnd in the Education and Early Years sector.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

This job is all about working with children; you have to support teachers in the classroom and help children with their educational and social development, both in and out of the classroom. Teaching Assistants work for about 30-40 hours per week and your starting salary is usually about £12,000 although that will increase as you gain additional qualiﬁcations.

PLAY WORKER

This job involves you to plan, organize and take part in play and leisure activities for 4 to 16 year olds. Getting the balance right between responsibility and fun is paramount here, but helping young people have fun is one of the most rewarding careers you can be in. Full-time playworkers can earn between £12,000 and £20,000 a year. Managerial staff can earn between £25,000 and £30,000 a year. If you work part-time then you may be paid an hourly rate. Most NURSERY NURSE If you’re a warm, caring person who wants playwork is in the evenings, at weekends to work with babies or toddlers, then and during school holidays. this is probably the career for you. Good communication skills, a fair approach and PASTORAL WORKER a responsible attitude are also required. This job involves working with schools, Your working hours will vary and often pupils and families to find solutions to include shifts to cover early starts and late problems that pupils may have. Good finishes to meet the needs of parents. The listening skills, a calm and sympathetic starting salary for junior nursery nurses can approach, the ability to build good working be between £10,000 and £12,000 a year; relationships with pupils, parents and this will increase as you become more teachers and an understanding of the experienced. law relating to education and childcare are essential in being a Pastoral Worker. You will normally earn around £20,000 to over £30,000 a year, depending on your qualifications and amount of experience. However visits to students’ homes and other schools are common. You will often be expected to have or be working towards a qualification in social work.

www.careersworld.co.uk

8.2 250,000 MILLION PEOPLE WORK IN OVER

THIS SECTOR

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

APPRENTICESHIPS

If you are 16 or over then you can enter an Apprenticeship, which would teach you the skills that you need while you work, you’ll also earn a salary. On your Apprenticeship, half of your time will be spent doing the job and the other half will be spent learning in the classroom. Listed below are the Apprenticeship frameworks for this sector, which when completed will give you a Level 2 qualiﬁcation in the form of a BTEC, Diploma or NVQ: Early Years Worker • Care Worker • Assistant Youth Support Worker • Assistant Playworker • Play Centre Assistant

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPS

These are equivalent to A-Levels and can usually be joined after you complete the associated Intermediate Apprenticeship. Advanced Apprenticeships are perfect for those who want a practical role as they learn while gaining relevant employment experience. People with Advanced Apprenticeships often progress up the career ladder faster than those without, because the skills that they learn are more suited to management or supervisory roles. Here are some of the Apprenticeship Frameworks for this sector, completing any of these will result in a Level 3 qualiﬁcation such as a BTEC, NVQ or Diploma. Playworker • Nursery Nurse/Worker • Nursery Teaching Assistant • Youth Support Worker

A-LEVELS

A-Levels are the most popular route into University and are sought after by most employers. The A-Levels that you take should depend on which area of teaching you want to specialize in, for example if you want to be a History Teacher, then you should take a History A-Level. English Language • English Literature • Maths • Biology • Physics • Chemistry • French • Geography • German • History • Other Subjects

FOUNDATION DEGREES

SCHOOL PUPILS ACROSS THE UK

THERE ARE OVER

24,000

SCHOOLS IN THE UK

Education & Early Years

REGIONAL FOCUS The North West has the largest proportion of 16 year olds in full-time further education, so if you are looking to become a college or sixth form teacher, this might just be the region for you. The area has the third highest population of any region in the UK, with over 7 million people. 1.7 million of these are young people aged between 0 and 19. They all need to be taught by someone!

A foundation degree combines the University lifestyle with practical, hands on work. It’s basically a cross between an Apprenticeship and an Honours Degree. They are both used as gateway qualiﬁcations to a full time Degree because they count towards the ﬁrst two years of your Honours Degree. Foundation Degrees normally take about two years to complete and you will be in both the work place and on the university site. There are lots of Foundation Degrees available in this sector, such as Teaching Support and Primary School Teaching. Working with Children: Education and Wellbeing • Teaching and Learning Support

COLLEGE COURSES

A College course is another good way to get into the Education sector. To ﬁnd out more about these courses, have a look at www.careersworld.co.uk. www.careersworld.co.uk

Where do I go next? Apprentices can get paid up to ÂŁ210 per week

FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

Deciding what to do after college or university can be a daunting experience, and choosing which career path to take is often a difficult decision. North West England is home to hundreds of aerospace companies, many of which offer apprenticeships or graduate schemes in a variety of rolesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; from project management to finance to engineering. So if the wish list for your ideal job includes above average pay, excellent training opportunities and global travel; a career in aerospace could be for you! Check out the Take Off in Aerospace web pages for video case studies, day in the life profiles, careers information and where to find your local aerospace companies.

www.makeit.org.uk/aerospace

Your Career,

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

AGRICULTURE & ANIMAL CARE

We depend on this sector a lot more than most beautiful locations, or as a vet looking after most people think; most of our food comes household pets. from agriculture and with a growing number of people taking pets on, there is a demand for Example Job Roles: Ranger • Veterinary skilled veterinary staff to take care of them. Assistant • Farm Worker • Landscape Agriculture is a very broad term for working Technician outdoors. It’s commonly mistaken for farming, Salaries: Starting salaries are usually which while a large part of this sector, is not the around the £13,000 mark. be all and end all. Forests, rivers, mountains Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level and national parks all need looking after; not 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation to mention the animals that reside within them! Degrees (university is the best way into You might find yourself working as a park ranger, veterinary linked job roles) helping conserve the plants and animals in our

ARMED FORCES & EMERGENCY SERVICES

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

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

AUTOMOTIVE

If you know your spark plugs from your spare and problem solving mentality, but this sector is tyres, then you’ll probably have a future in the generally favoured by those who enjoy working automotive industry. This sector covers the with their hands. maintenance of any vehicle with an engine, from cars and motorcycles to more complex Example Job Roles: Mechanic • Vehicle systems such as combine harvesters and Service Technician • Panel/Paint Technician luxury coaches. You could find yourself working Salaries: Salaries in this sector tend to start in a garage fixing up customer’s vehicles, or at around £13,000 a year. in a workshop specialising in things like body Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 work, paint and windscreen repair. You could and 3 – this is the most popular route into also work in one of the main car dealerships, this sector) • College Courses • Foundation diagnosing and repairing cars and offering Degrees • HNDs advice to customers. You’ll need an analytical www.careersworld.co.uk

BUSINESS & CUSTOMER SERVICE

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

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

CONSTRUCTION

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

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

CREATIVE, MEDIA & THE ARTS

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

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

ENERGY & RENEWABLES

Traditionally, our energy came from burning This sector oﬀers job roles in a wide variety of fossil fuels, which were pretty harmful to the areas, such as plant maintenance, recycling atmosphere. But, being a smart, proactive operations and nuclear working. species, we’ve adapted our energy sources to make the most of our environment. Now, Example Job Roles: Recycling Operator • we can generate power via wind turbines, Plant Technician • Radiation Monitor geothermal reactors, tidal generators and solar Salaries: Starting salaries in this sector are panels. We also have nuclear power, which quite high, starting at around £17,000. might not sound environmentally friendly, but it Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Level 2 generates a lot of energy and is relatively cheap and 3) • A-Levels (Sciences are useful here) to run. The government has also invested a • College Courses • Foundation Degrees lot of money in recycling our household waste and goods, in a bid to keep our country clean.

ENGINEERING

Engineering is a vast sector which can be choose to work in, you can be sure that your broken down into seven main categories; work will be challenging and varied. chemicals, mechanical, metals, electrical, aerospace, marine and defence. Chemical Example Job Roles: Systems Engineer • engineers manufacture everyday products from Aerospace Engineer • Electrical Technician • raw materials such as crude oil. Mechanical Lab Technician engineers work with high-tech machinery, Salaries: Salaries start at around £14,000. while the metal engineering industry covers Qualiﬁcations: Apprenticeships (Levels 2 the creation of steel and other alloys. Electrical and 3) • A-Levels (Technology and Maths are engineers work with, you guessed it, electrical helpful here) • College Courses • Foundation systems and aerospace is all about creating and Degrees improving things that ﬂy. Defence is all about, er, defending the country. Whichever area you

www.careersworld.co.uk

HAIR & BEAUTY

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

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

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

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

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

MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING

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

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

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

Ever wondered how that present you ordered hundreds of people. A clean driver’s licence will online makes its way to your front door? Nearly be required for any full time driving jobs. every business makes use of Logistics at some point, whether it’s ordering new parts for a Example Job Roles: Railway Operative project, sending out a new product to stores • Airport Ground Staff • Mail Service or something as simple as sending a birthday Technician • Warehouse Operative • Bus/ card. You could find yourself working at a Coach Driver port or airport, or even working oversees on a Salaries: Starting salaries in this sector are freighter. It isn’t just deliveries; this sector also around £12,000 a year. covers the public transportation industry. The Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 vast network of railways and bus routes requires and 3) • A-Levels (Geography is useful for constant upkeep and maintenance and keeping transport related job roles) • College Courses everything running on time is a job that requires • Foundation Degree

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY

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

www.careersworld.co.uk

Example Job Roles: Bar Staff • Front/Back of House Staff • Chef de Partie • Overseas Rep • Travel Representative • Cabin Crew Salaries: Starting salaries are between £11,000 and £16,000. Qualifications: Apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3) • College Courses • Foundation Degrees • Industry Specific Qualifications

c:\Careers Hub>_

We appreciate more than anyone the importance of giving appropriate careers advice to students between the ages of 14 and 19. To help we have put together some aides, guides and FAQs to help you to make up your mind and make the changeover from pupil to employee that bit easier. Over the next few pages, we will tackle some of the common problems and concerns students face during the summer term.

The Summer Term This time of the year is arguably one of the most important for, and dreaded by, students of all ages. From 14 to 19, there are end of year reviews and ﬁnal exams. Most older students will have by now decided on what route they want to take after school or college, but for others there may still be important decisions to be made. There will no doubt be much excitement about the future, but there will inevitably be a fair amount of disappointment too, with grades not being to the required level, or not getting that dream University place. For this reason we’ve put together a guide to one of the most important processes for those who haven’t quite gotten on to the course they’ve dreamed of, Clearing. Also included is a ‘versus’ guide, to help students decide between Apprenticeships and A levels, as well as useful links for your area, to make it easier for you to get in touch with those important contacts.

CLEARING

If you haven’t got the university place that you were hoping for, and your reserves haven’t worked out either, then all is not lost. Clearing helps over 55,000 students every year find places in universities and colleges that they didn’t originally apply for. The process is basically a way for higher education bodies to fill up any spaces that are left over from the initial application period. It’s all done through your UCAS profile, so this is the first place to turn to if you didn’t get that much sought-after university place. There are several reasons you might need to use Clearing: You didn’t get the grades…If you didn’t meet the requirements of your conditional offers then the first thing you need to do is check UCAS. There’s often a bit of leeway and they may have still accepted you. If you are shown as conditional, then you might have to give the uni a bit of time to process you. If after a couple of days there isn’t any change then you can

Where are you heading? 109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

give them a call and they’ll let you know what’s what. You can always contact UCAS if the uni is taking too long! You will be provided with a Clearing number on your online proﬁle if it ends up that they haven’t accepted you, and you should quote this to any universities with Clearing courses that you are interested in so they can look at your proﬁle and decide if they want to interview or accept you.

convince you to stay, but at the end of the day they’re not going to force you to stay in a place that you don’t want to! You applied late…Every year there are those that miss the UCAS application deadline. Sometimes a university will tell you to apply anyway, but there’s no guarantee that you will get a place. If you applied after 15th January and you haven’t been successful in getting an oﬀer, or you applied after 30th June, then you will be placed into Clearing automatically. You will have to complete the UCAS online application in the normal way, as well as paying the £22 fee for a degree application if you haven’t already. Your Clearing number won’t show up until after they have processed your application, but you can always do some research on what courses, unis and colleges you fancy going to while you wait.

You changed your mind… Picking a course, as well as a university or college, is a very tough decision. You might get all the way through to the ﬁnal stages of your application, even get accepted, but then decide that you were pressured into studying Maths, or you don’t fancy living in London. If you really don’t think you can cope with the course you have been accepted on then the ﬁrst thing you need to do is ring up the university or college you applied to and ask them to release you. They might not be happy It’s important to keep your about it, and will probably try to mind open when you enter

Clearing. Options are limited, so making the choice to defer your application or to decline your offers should not be a quick and easy decision. There is a reason that applying to do a degree is a lengthy process and not just a free-for-all! Everywhere you want to go may already be full up, or you might have to do a foundation course or different degree so you can go the university you want. The good news is that if you don’t have your mind set on a specific course then you are not limited to one degree. You could enquire about English with French at one university and Modern Foreign Languages at another, you won’t be penalized.

CONFUSED ABOUT CLEARING? WHICH QUALIFICATION? APPRENTICESHIPS VS A-LEVELS

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

Careers Hub

Confused about Clearing?

YOU HAVEN’T BEEN OFFERED A PLACE AT UNI - ARE YOU LISTED AS ‘CLEARING’?

NO WAIT A WHILE PROVIDER MAY STILL BE CONSIDERING YOU

RING THE UNI OR COLLEGE IF IT IS TAKING A LONG TIME TO GET AN UPDATE ON YOUR APPLICATION

YES

TALK TO SOMEONE - YOUR SCHOOL OR COLLEGE CAREERS ADVISOR WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION - FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAN BE A BIG HELP TOO!

DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH CLEARING? YES

3 4

E N D

CHECK OUT WHO STILL HAS SPACES VIA UCAS ONLINE (THE SITE IS UPDATED REGULARLY) - THE TELEGRAPH ALSO PRINTS CLEARING COURSES

DO YOU STILL WANT TO STUDY THAT COURSE? YES

NO CHECK YOUR ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS SEE BOX RIGHT

YOU ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER A DIFFERENT COURSE

GO TO

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

THERE ARE LOTS OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE: • RE-SIT A-LEVELS • TAKE NEW A-LEVELS • GAP YEAR • EMPLOYMENT YOU CAN ALWAYS APPLY AGAIN IN THE FUTURE

GO TO

THAT COURSE IS PERFECT FOR YOU AND YOU CAN’T THINK OF ANOTHER YOU WANT TO STUDY

CONTACT YOUR CHOSEN UNI OR COLLEGE FOR MORE INFORMATION DID THEY TELL YOU TO PROCEED?

SEARCH FOR NEW COLLEGE OR UNI AND TRY AGAIN

GO TO

YES IF THEY LIKE YOU AND WANT YOU TO APPLY, THEN

TAKE A LOOK AROUND THEIR CAMPUS OR WEBSITE/S

ADD THEM AS YOUR CLEARING CHOICE ON THE UCAS WEBSITE - YOU CAN ONLY MAKE 1 CLEARING CHOICE AT A TIME

DID THEY SAY YES? YES

OR SEARCH FOR NEW COLLEGE OR UNI AND TRY AGAIN

GO TO

NO CHECK YOUR ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS SEE BOX ABOVE RIGHT

E N D

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE GOING TO COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY!

Where are you heading? 44

109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

Careers Hub

Which Qualification? There are tonnes of different types of qualifications at varying levels; for example, a Level 3 NVQ is the equivalent to an Advanced Diploma. This can be confusing and trying to figure out what is the same level as what can be mind boggling. Below is a handy chart, listing all the levels of study and the qualifications students can take, making it easier to tell your diplomas from your degrees!

LEVEL

5 GCSEs

LEVEL

SKILLS FOR LIFE

LEVEL

BTEC

LEVEL

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS

LEVEL

OCR NATIONALS

AWARDS, CERTIFICATES & DIPLOMAS

LEVEL

NVQs

FOUNDATION LEARNING

LEVEL

ENTRY LEVEL

CERTIFICATES

(GRADES D-G) 1

5 GCSEs

LEVEL

(GRADES A*-C) 2

INTERMEDIATE

HIGHER APPRENTICESHIPS

BTEC 2 NATIONALS

LEVEL

DIPLOMA OF

NVQs

LEVEL

NVQs

ADVANCED DIPLOMAS

LEVEL

BTEC HIGHER NATIONALS (HND, HNC)

OCR NATIONALS

LEVEL

BTEC FIRSTS

LEVEL

NVQs

LEVEL

FOUNDATION LEVEL 3 DEGREES 4+

LEVEL

APPRENTICESHIPS

FOUNDATIONS 1

A LEVELS

FOUNDATION LEVEL FOUNDATION LEVEL DIPLOMAS 1 DIPLOMAS 2 OCR LEVEL NATIONALS 2

ADVANCED APPRENTICESHIPs

GCE IN APPLIED

SUBJECTS

LEVEL

3 3 3

HIGHER EDUCATION

LEVEL

4+ LEVEL

SPECIALIST LEVEL 4+ 3 AWARDS

LEVEL

Top Tip It’s tempting when revising for exams to think that you only need the grades to get into college or get onto the course you want. You end up setting yourself a low bar to make yourself believe that you don’t have to do as much work. You have to cut that out right now! Your GCSEs are likely to be the ﬁrst really important exams you take, and even those are taken into consideration by employers, universities, Apprenticeship providers, and more. You can go through the entire educational process and still be expected to give your school grades on a job application form, so that’s real incentive to try as hard as you can!

Where are you heading? 109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

Careers Hub

Apprenticeships Vs A-Levels Apprenticeships are becoming more and more popular for those looking for qualiﬁcations beyond GCSEs, but do they really stand up to the traditional after-school route of studying A-levels at college or sixth-form? We’ve given you the facts on both to help you ﬁgure out which direction you want to go in with your education.

APPRENTICESHIPS

A-LEVELS

Very diﬀerent to the academic route, Apprenticeships are a form of ‘vocational’ education, which basically means you will be learning trade skills. You will be in a work environment instead of a classroom. You will specialise in a job role and learn all about the ins and outs of that occupation.

A-Levels are very academic and are, in many ways, similar to school. You will inevitably be taking exams and will probably have some form of coursework, though the environment is a bit more grown up this time around. The experience also diﬀers between college and sixth form.

YOU’LL EARN A REAL WAGE, GET TRAINING & RECEIVE QUALIFICATIONS

FREE PERIODS TO STUDY OR SOCIALISE

A PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT, NOT A CLASSROOM

MEET LOADS OF NEW PEOPLE AT COLLEGE OR STICK WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT SIXTH FORM

FANTASTIC JOB PROSPECTS: YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE KEPT ON AFTER YOUR TRAINING

RECOGNISED QUALIFICATIONS THAT YOU CAN USE TO APPLY FOR A WIDE RANGE OF CAREER ROUTES

UCAS ACCEPT APPRENTICESHIPS: DON’T THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVEN’T DONE A-LEVELS THAT YOU CAN’T GO TO UNI!

MANY APPRENTICESHIPS ARE ACTUALLY HARDER TO OBTAIN THAN UNIVERSITY PLACES

APPRENTICES EARN ABOUT £100,000 MORE OVER THEIR LIVES THAN THOSE WHO CHOOSE OTHER ROUTES

NOT AS MUCH FOCUS ON SCHOOL UNIFORM. COLLEGES OFTEN DON’T HAVE ANY UNIFORM RULES AT ALL!

APPRENTICESHIP FRAMEWORKS ARE DESIGNED BY EMPLOYERS: THE MATERIAL IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY SEVERAL SUBJECTS. YOU COULD BE ACTING IN DRAMA ONE MINUTE, THEN DESIGNING A CAR IN CAD THE NEXT

Where are you heading? 46

109483 BannerAd 15_180 SS1.indd 1

Call 0800 100 900 or search online for National Careers Service

Helping you take the next step www.careersworld.co.uk

National Careers Service

13/03/2014 09:19

UNIVERSITIES University of Bolton www.bolton.ac.uk 01204 900600 University of Central Lancashire www.uclan.ac.uk 01772 201201 University of Chester www.chester.ac.uk 01244 512800 University of Cumbria www.cumbria.ac.uk 01228 400301 Edge Hill University www.edgehill.ac.uk 01695 575171 Lancaster University www.lancs.ac.uk 01524 592029 Liverpool Hope University www.hope.ac.uk 0151 291 3000 Liverpool John Moores University www.ljmu.ac.uk 0151 231 5090

The University of Manchester www.manchester.ac.uk 0161 275 2077

Liverpool Low Carbon and Superport UTC www.utcolleges.org 0151 231 3510

Bolton Sixth Form College www.bolton-sfc.ac.uk 01204 846215

West Lancashire College www.westlancs.ac.uk 01695 52300

The Manchester Metropolitan University www.mmu.ac.uk 0161 247 2000

Media City UTC www.utcolleges.org 020 7925 7900

Burnley College www.burnley.ac.uk 01282 733373

Wigan UTC www.utcolleges.org 01942 761 523

Bury College www.burycollege.ac.uk 0161 280 8280

St. Mary’s College www.stmarysblackburn. ac.uk 01254 580464

The University of Salford www.salford.ac.uk 0161 295 5000

UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGES Birkenhead UTC www.utcolleges.org 0151 647 4747 Burnley UTC www.visionslearningtrust. co.uk 01254 54659 Energy Coast UTC www.utcolleges.org 01900 605 665 Liverpool Life Sciences UTC www.lifesciencesutc. co.uk 07738 730 540

COLLEGES

LANCASHIRE Accrington and Rossendale College www.accross.ac.uk 01254 389933 Blackburn College www.blackburn.ac.uk 01254 55144 Blackpool and Fylde College www.blackpool.ac.uk 01253 504343 Blackpool Sixth Form College www.blackpoolsixth.ac.uk 01253 394911 Bolton College www.boltoncollege.ac.uk 01204 482000

Cardinal Newman College www.cardinalnewman. org.uk 01772 460181 Holy Cross College www.holycross.ac.uk 0161 762 4500 Myerscough College www.myerscough.ac.uk 01995 642211 Nelson and Colne College www.nelson.ac.uk 01282 440200 Preston’s College www.preston.ac.uk 01772 22 5522 Runshaw College www.runshaw.ac.uk 01772 622677

CUMBRIA Newton Rigg College www.newtonrigg.ac.uk 01768 893400 Barrow in Furness Sixth Form College www.barrow6fc.ac.uk 01229 828377 Carlisle College www.carlisle.ac.uk 01228 822 700 Furness College www.furness.ac.uk 01229 825017 Kendal College www.kendal.ac.uk 01539 814 700 Lakes College West Cumbria www.lcwc.ac.uk 01946 839300

ENTREPRENEURS ARE NOT BORN, THEY’RE M DE! Founded by entrepreneur and star of Dragons’ Den, Peter Jones CBE, the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy offers unique courses in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship for those aged 16 and above. Our pioneering business courses, which are being delivered in colleges across the country, ensure that our students achieve an accredited qualification and also gain the necessary experience and skills that are vital for employment or running their own business. There’s nothing quite like one of our Enterprise courses, each one embraces the Academy’s ethos of ‘learning by doing’ by combining innovative teaching methods with sessions from industry experts. We currently offer BTEC Levels 2 and 3 and our ‘Ignite’ Apprenticeship programme, which includes the Advanced Apprenticeship in Enterprise and the new Higher Apprenticeship in Innovation and Growth.

Careersworld advert - autumn 2013 v1IC.indd 1

www.careersworld.co.uk

GREATER MANCHESTER Ashton Under Lyme Sixth Form College www.asfc.ac.uk 0161 330 2330 The Cooperative College www.co-op.ac.uk 0161 819 3000 Hopwood College www.hopwood.ac.uk 0161 643 7560 Loreto Sixth Form College www.loreto.ac.uk 0161 226 5156 Macclesﬁeld College www.macclesﬁeld.ac.uk 01625 410002 Manchester Business School www.mbs.ac.uk 0161 820 8344 Royal Northern College of Music www.rncm.ac.uk 0161 907 5200

MERSEYSIDE Birkenhead Sixth Form College www.bsfc.ac.uk 0151 652 5575

Oldham Sixth Form College www.osfc.ac.uk 0161 287 8000 Salford College www.salford-col.ac.uk 0161 631 5000 Tameside College www.tameside.ac.uk 0161 908 6789 The Manchester College www.themanchester college.ac.uk 0161 203 2100 Traﬀord College www.traﬀord.ac.uk 0161 886 7070 Wigan and Leigh College www.wigan-leigh.ac.uk 01942 76 1111 Winstanley College www.winstanley.ac.uk 01695 633244 Xaverian College www.xaverian.ac.uk 0161 224 1781

Carmel College www.carmel.ac.uk 01744 452200 Hugh Baird College www.hughbaird.ac.uk 0151 353 4444 King George V College www.kgv.ac.uk 01704 530601 Knowsley Community College www.knowsleycollege. ac.uk 0151 4775850 Liverpool Community College www.liv-coll.ac.uk 0151 252 3000 Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts www.lipa.ac.uk 0151 330 3000 Maritime and Engineering College North West www.mecnw.co.uk 0151 666 1028

“

Oldham College www.oldham.ac.uk 0161 785 4000

Southport College www.southport-college. ac.uk 01704 500606

Reaseheath College www.reaseheath.ac.uk 01270 625131

St. Helens College www.sthelens.ac.uk 01744 733766

Riverside College www.riversidecollege. ac.uk 0151 257 2800

St. John Rigby Sixth Form College www.sjr.ac.uk 01942 214797

Sir John Deane’s College www.sjd.ac.uk 01606 810020

Wirral Metropolitan College www.wmc.ac.uk 0151 551 7777

South Cheshire College www.s-cheshire.ac.uk 01270 654654

CHESHIRE Aquinas College www.aquinas.ac.uk 0161 483 3237 Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College www.camsfc.ac.uk 0161 4846600

Stockport College www.stockport.ac.uk 0161 958 3100 Warrington Collegiate Institute www.warrington.ac.uk 01925 494 494 West Cheshire College www.west-cheshire.ac.uk 01244 656555

Mid Cheshire College www.midchesh.ac.uk 01606 74444 Priestley College www.priestleycollege. ac.uk 01925 633591

“

Lancaster and Morecambe College www.lmc.ac.uk 0800 306 306

Choosing the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy instead of A-Levels was a perfect decision. I am now National Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 and running my own business!

“

Harry Day, Solihull College

To read more about the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy courses and to find an Academy near you, get in touch today! www.pjea.org

0207 471 0520

info@pjea.org

29/08/2013 14:43:50

www.careersworld.co.uk

Find us at www.facebook.com/careers.world and follow us on twitter using the handle @careers_world. We are currently running a competition which rewards all of our Facebook friends; every time we get another 500 likes on the Careers World page, we’ll choose one lucky winner to receive a prize! What’s even better is that the prizes will continually get bigger and more exciting as we get more likes!

COMPETITION WINNER! In our last issue, we asked you to send in an article with the title ‘What Not to do at an Interview’. Congratulations to Jessica Cameron of Baysgarth School in Humberside who will be receiving a £50 Amazon Voucher! You can read her fantastic article below:

K££P YOUR WALL£T W£IGHT£D Whether you’re off travelling after school, doing a placement abroad or away from home, or going to uni; one thing’s for certain, you’re going to have to start looking after your own cash. Here’s our advice. Don’t take it seriously. • • • • •

• • • • •

You can get a good four uses out of pants by wearing them backwards and inside out. Note: does not work with thongs Make friends with someone with a car. It’s the cheapest possible public transport Own-brand beans Go vegetarian. Have you seen how much meat costs? Eat like a rabbit and you can aﬀord to have the heating on that week Sell everything you don’t need online. People will buy anything on eBay. Lost one of your shoes? Flog the spare on the internet Freezers are your friends. I’ve made a loaf of bread last a year before now Own-brand beans Running is cheaper than the gym. You’re probably going to be mal-nourished from not eating anyway There’s a coupon for everything. Google it before you leave the house. …Own-brand beans

So, you’ve got an interview. Possibly the most important of your career; you cannot risk losing out on this job, nothing can go wrong. You know exactly what you need to do; you’re conﬁdent, your CV is word perfect and your references are impeccable. But… have you thought about what not to do at an interview?

There’s the obvious, we all know you probably shouldn’t turn up late, insult your prospective boss or pick your nose, but have you ever thought about the less obvious? Not everybody does and it’s often these subtleties that are more significant and perfecting them could set you apart from your competitors. Bear in mind your posture; don’t slouch or look uninterested. Appear confident; don’t avoid eye contact or give yes/no answers. It’s the simple things like this that may very well get you the job you’ve been waiting for. Never turn up in a creased shirt or with unwashed hair; be polite and courteous, be confident and be yourself; don’t leave wishing you’d never entered the room. Every interview is important, and could change your life. Remember though, picking your nose at an interview is still a definite no no.

There’s a species of jellyfish that regenerates its cells so well, it can never die if it is never hunted. It’s the time-lord of the sea When a rabbit is excited it makes a movement called a ‘binky’ A flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down Male puppies let female puppies win in play-fights, what gentlemen! Polar bears are left-handed A giraffe can clean its ears with its tongue The Common Swift never lands, it flies for all its life, eating flying insects to stay alive You can housetrain an armadillo, but they’re smelly and nocturnal. That’s not an excuse to call your brother an armadillo Gentoo penguins mate for life, and instead of a ring they propose using a pebble. You can lead a cow upstairs…but not down again

www.careersworld.co.uk

Ready to make some tough decisions about courses, careers and your future? You don’t need to make your big career decisions alone. The National Careers Service can help you: • assess your skills • find the right course • choose the right uni • understand the job market • find out about careers • develop your CV Text your name and ‘advice’ to 07766 413 219 and a National Careers Service adviser will call you back for free.

You can also search online for National Careers Service, or call us on 0800 100 900.

N E OP

4 1 0 2 S Y DA

THIS IS SEEING IT FOR YOURSELF OPEN DAYS SATURDAY 5 JULY 2014 SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2014 SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER 2014 SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2014

A fantastic opportunity to explore our campus, experience our state-of-the-art facilities and meet current students and staff. Campus open 9.30am - 3.00pm Registration from 9.00am

Book your place today at: dmu.ac.uk/opendays +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70