Careers newsletter summer 15

Summer Edition 2015

In this edition of the Careers Newsletter we will cover:

College Events

Apprenticeships

The Benefits of Work Experience

Revision Technique

College Events The Tutorial Programme Greater emphasis has been placed on career paths and intended destinations for our students this term at the Sixth Form College.

Students studying at level three - in particular first year Level 3 students, have been supported when making those important Higher Education choices. For example, decisions over which university to attend, and which subject to study for a particular career path.

Guidance around apprenticeship options has been available in supporting our Level 3 students choosing career paths other than HE. A recent jobs fair at the college, hosted March 18th covered apprenticeships in Engineering, Finance, IT, Law, Logistics, Customer Service, Construction, Health, Education and the Armed services to name just a few with guest speakers from Unilever and the Civil Service covering Higher Apprenticeships options

Apprenticeships Apprenticeships can be a key route into a successful career. With each political party indicating plans to increase the number of opportunities in this area it’s important to know exactly what an apprenticeship is, and the types and levels of apprentices available to you.

An Apprenticeship... ...is a real job with training allowing you to earn and learn whilst gaining a nationally recognised qualification.

Mock interviews have also been a feature of the Autumn Term this year for second year Level 3 students.

...can take between one and five years to complete and cover 1500 job roles in a wide range of industries, from engineering to accountancy, public relations to veterinary nursing.

Tutorial sessions have covered themes around interview techniques, apprenticeship options, vacancy search, CV and cover letter writing for our Level 2 students.

...is now available up to degree level and beyond, and anyone over the age of 16 is eligible to apply.

Apprenticeships are categorised into types and levels.

Type of apprenticeship refers to the vocational area.

For example, you can apply for apprenticeships in Agriculture, Business, Education, Health, Leisure, Media, Arts, Engineering, IT, Retail or the Built Environment.

Levels of apprenticeships are dependent on the qualifications of the applicant.

There are three levels of apprenticeships: Intermediate Apprenticeships are classed as Level 2 GCSEs are considered level 2 qualifications with their BTEC equivalents,

The benefits of doing an apprenticeship are: You earn as you learn You receive training in the skills employers want Progression opportunities - whether looking to study further or climb the ranks within the workplace Increased future earning potential - apprentices enjoy marked salary increases when they complete their training

Advanced Apprenticeships are classed as Level 3 A Levels are considered level 3 with their BTEC equivalents

Learning at a pace to suit you

Higher Apprenticeships are classed as Level 4 A Certificate in Higher Education would be considered a level 4 qualification with its BTEC equivalent.

Individual support from a mentor

The Money The minimum wage for apprentices is £2.73 per hour; however many employers pay more than this.

The average gross weekly wage for an apprentice is £200. This is dependent on the sector, region and Apprenticeship level. For example some Higher Apprenticeships can pay as much as £300 – £500 per week.

At the Sixth Form College we encourage all students, seeking alternative routes to Higher Education to complete their qualifications with a view to moving onto Advanced or Higher level apprenticeships.

A Higher Apprenticeship would need qualifications at Level 3 - such as A Levels, BTEC or NVQ Level 3.

A Level BTEC NVQ

Some training could involve weekly day-release at college or university.

Earn a salary of around £16,000 per year, which would increase every year rising to £25,000 on completion

The Application At any one time there are up to 25,000 Apprenticeship vacancies available on apprenticeships.gov.uk in a variety of careers and industries across England.

At the Sixth Form College the links to apply for apprenticeships can be found on Moodle.

The Benefits of Work Experience Work experience provides many benefits, giving you skills and experience that will allow you stand out to potential employers as well as helping you choose the right sector to work in.

Having a degree is a tremendous asset to help put your name on the radar for potential employers, but it's by far not the only arrow in the quiver. Work experience locks in further potential, building useful skills that cannot be taught in the classroom as well as contacts that you otherwise would not be exposed to.

understanding of the sector you want to go into, you'll be able to talk more authoritatively and ask questions that resonate with the employer.

Road test a company / sector / role One of the great things about gaining work experience as a student is that it gives you the chance to try things out to see if they suit you. Want to find out what a company is actually like to work for or what doing a certain job is like? Work experience gives you the chance to do this for a week, a fortnight, a summer or even a year.

Soft skills Work experience equips you with certain soft skills such as team working, communication skills and commercial awareness, all of which are sought after by employers, especially at a graduate level.

Differentiate yourself and make yourself more employable Work experience also helps you to differentiate yourself, an important thing to factor in when competition for jobs is so fierce.

"It is essential to differentiate yourself," says Carole Teacher, Mott MacDonald's learning and development manager. "A willingness to work rather than have a good time shows diligence. Graduates these days need to have work ready skills from their first day, such as deadline management, phone and email etiquette and the ability to work well with a variety of ages in a team."

"Employers value competitive advantage and that's what work experience gives you," adds Andy Airey, chief executive of the Inspiring Futures Foundation. "If you take two graduates with equally good qualifications and personal attributes; one has gained work experience and the other has none, it is likely that the job will go to the person who has shown initiative and gained experience."

Enhance your application forms and interviews Work experience also equips you with knowledge that will enhance your job applications and particularly your interviews. Because you've gained a better

"It can crystallise your mind about your career choice, either confirming that you are making exactly the right choice, or not. If the latter happens, you should view this positively as you can re-direct your energy into an area you find more stimulating," states Andy Airey.

At the Sixth Form College we have our own dedicated officer, Rowena Lovatt, who coordinates work experience and work shadowing opportunities for our students.

Revision Technique It is always important to develop good revision practice earlier on as this will bring obvious benefits to exam grades; these techniques will also be useful in the world of work as many professionals have to continually update skills or qualifications while holding down full-time employment.

Tom Stafford an expert on revision gives top tips on how to revise for exam success. He asked the question: How do you get the most out of your revision time, and end up with the best grades you can?

As an experimental psychologist he argues that computer games provide a great way to study learning, “they are something people spend many hours practising, and they automatically record every action people take as they practise.”

Using such data he and his colleague, Mike Dewar analysed how more than 850,000 people learn and retain information.

The resulting scientific paper allowed them to test existing theories of learning, as well as suggesting some new ideas on the best ways to learn. The results were to:

Space your practice Analysis showed that people who leave longer gaps between practice attempts go on to score higher! In fact, the longer the gaps, the higher the scores!

He states, “the difference is huge: people who leave more than 24 hours between their first five attempts at the game and their second five attempts score as highly, on average, as people who have practiced 50% more than them.

“Writing exam answers is a skill, just like playing an online game is a skill. You wouldn't try and improve at a game by trying to memorise moves, you'd practise making them.”

Structure information, don't try to remember it “Trying to remember something has been shown to have almost no effect on whether you do remember it.

The implication for revision is clear: just looking at your notes won't help you learn them.

Instead, you need to reorganise the information in some way – whether by making notes of your notes, thinking about how what you're reading relates to other material, or practising writing answers. This approach, called "depth of processing", is the way to ensure material gets lodged in your memory.”

Rest and sleep “New research shows that a brief rest after learning something can help you remember it a week later.

Other experiments have shown that a full night's sleep helps you learn new skills or retain information.

Even napping can help consolidate your memories, and maybe even make you more creative. This is great news for those of us who like to nap during the day, and is a signal to all of us that staying up all night to revise probably isn't a good idea.”

Tom Stafford is a lecturer in psychology and cognitive science at the University of Sheffield

Sources of information http://nas.apprenticeships.org.uk/

“These findings confirm lots of other research: if you want to study effectively, you should spread out your revision rather than cramming. This is easier said than done, but if you are organised enough, you can spend less time revising and remember more.”

http://nas.apprenticeships.org.uk/types-of-apprenticeships.aspx https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/377513/A_Parents_Guide_Factsheet_Oct_2014.pdf http://www.careerpilot.org.uk/info/apprenticeships/higher-apprenticeships/ https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch

Practise the thing you'll be tested on

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/08/fivesecrets-of-successful-revising

“The big mistake many students make is not practising the thing they will be tested on. If your exam involves writing an essay, you need to practise essay-writing. Merely memorising the material is not enough.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/08/fivesecrets-of-successful-revising

BSFC Careers Newsletter Compiled by Keith Hughes (Personal & Guidance Tutor)

www.facebook.com/birkenhead sixthformcollege

http://www.theiet.org/students/work-careers/work-experience/benefits.cfm

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