Hermitage Academy

Welcome to your
careers advice hub.

Welcome to your school’s careers advice hub, in partnership with Progress Careers. There are lots of ways you can explore careers ideas and consider the choices and pathways available to you. Making sure you have the right information and guidance could help you progress into the career you want.

Student Advice

Local Information

Blogs & Resources

Student Advice

Career Information

What You Need to Know
  • Having a career idea can really help you to choose your next step and give you something to aim towards
  • Work experience and volunteering are great ways of finding out about different jobs.
  • There are lots of useful resources and websites that tell you about different careers and how you can get into them.
Things to Think About
  • There is sometimes more than one pathway into a career. Remember to choose the pathway that is realistic, available in your area, suits your learning style and will keep you motivated.
  • If you’re really not sure about what career to aim for, don’t worry, you can choose qualifications that will allow you to progress in curriculum subjects without having to specialise, such as GCSEs and A levels.
  • Make sure the careers information you are looking at is up to date, as some entry routes and qualifications can change each year.
  • Some entry routes into careers can be quite complicated, if you’re unsure you can talk to an adviser.
  • You may need to think about how far you are prepared to travel to get the course or career that is right for you.
To Do

If you’re really not sure about what career you want to do and don’t know where to start looking, these websites have quick quizzes you can take to get some career ideas and they show you videos and articles related to those careers. Also try

  • Buzz Test – short test that analyses your personality to see which job might suit you.
  • National Careers Service – Skills Assessment – several tests that analyses your skills and gives examples of jobs that you may like. More suitable for older students
  • Prospects Career Planner – matches your skills, motivations and desires to a career that’s perfect for you. To get even more from your results, take them to your University or College career adviser.
  • UKSP Careers quiz – quick quiz that tells you which careers in hospitality/leisure/travel/tourism would suit you

Once you have some ideas and want to find out how to get there, look at Job profiles on the National Careers Service website – they have really useful links to other websites too. You could even look at the Job profiles on the Prospects website. You will also find a lot of useful information on Careers Gateway

Exploring videos and examples of real people doing real jobs can also help you o gain an insight into careers your may be interested in. Try the following sites:

  • Careersbox – free online library of careers related film, news and information
  • Careers4u – videos on loads on different jobs and students talking about apprenticeships, uni, jobs etc
  • icould – videos of people in different occupations describing what they do

When you find a job profile that you think looks interesting, use the entry route information to make an action plan – remember to look at what courses are available in your area.

Try and gain some work experience or volunteering in the industry you’re interested in.

Art & Design
https://ccskills.org.uk/careers/advice Creative & Cultural Skills – provides careers advice and guidance, and promotes apprenticeships
Biology
https://www.rsb.org.uk/ Royal Society of Biology – detailed information on careers using biology
Chemistry
http://www.rpharms.com/home/home.asp The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain – the regulatory and professional body for pharmacists
http://www.rsc.org The Royal Society of Chemistry
http://www.whynotchemeng.com Careers information about Chemical Engineering
Computing / Information Technology
https://www.tpdegrees.com/careers/ TechFuture Careers is the place to find out all about the exciting tech roles available in companies from a range of different sectors
http://www.bcs.org/bcs The British Computer Society (BCS) is the industry body for IT professionals
http://www.bigambition.co.uk Want to work in IT?
Economics / Business
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/ Search for ‘careers’ on the London Stock Exchange site.
English
http://www.nctj.com The National Council for the Training of Journalists Online
http://www.bookcareers.com Advice for those wishing to pursue a career in publishing
http://www.journalism.co.uk Information about all types of journalism
http://www.whystudyenglish.ac.uk Find out why!
Geography
http://www.rgs.org/HomePage.htm The Royal Geographical Society
History
http://www.history.org.uk The Historical Association
http://www.museumsassociation.org/ The Museums association – information on Careers in Museums and galleries
Languages
http://www.whystudylanguages.ac.uk/ks4/ Lots of information about the true value of learning languages
http://www.omniglot.com/ Knowledge of one or more foreign languages can be useful in a wide range of careers – find out more
Maths
http://www.rss.org.uk/careers The Careers pages of the Royal Statistical Society – ideas for careers using Maths
http://plus.maths.org An Internet magazine to introduce readers to the practical applications of Maths
http://www.mathscareers.org.uk The Council for Mathematical Science (CMS) – a unique resource for young people of all ages interested in finding out about careers and opportunities that an education in Maths can present
http://www.maths-jobs.co.uk Take a look at the careers you can consider using Maths
Music and Creative Arts
 www.ccskills.org.uk The Sector Skills Council for Creative and Cultural Skills
 www.skillset.org The Sector Skills Council for Creative Media
 www.ism.org Incorporated Society of Musicians
www.musiciansunion.org.uk The Musician’s Union
https://www.musicalchairs.info/ Advertisements for jobs in orchestras, opera companies, conservatoires and schools worldwide. Vacancies in performance, teaching and administration.
www.thefms.org The FDS brings together established conservatoire training providers to develop discussion, strategy and projects around shared challenges, and to communicate to prospective students the options within and value of these training approaches.
http://www.dramauk.co.uk/ Drama UK
Physics
http://www.iop.org Institute of Physics
Psychology
http://www.bps.org.uk/ The British Psychological Society
Science
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ The Meteorological Office
https://www.renewableuk.com/ RenewableUK – supporting future energy systems, powered by clean electricity
http://www.scitech.ac.uk/  The Science & Technology Facilities Council
http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/ STEM Careers Website
http://www.bp.com BP web site
http://www.shell.com  Shell jobs and careers pages
http://www.ibms.org The Institute of Biomedical Science
http://www.futuremorph.org/ Ideas about future careers in maths or science
Stem Specific Websites (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths)
http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/ STEM Careers Website

CAREERS WEBSITES

  • National Careers Service  – This is the Government’s hub for careers advice for people of all ages where you can find help with drafting letters, CVs, exploring your skills or seeking careers advice.
  • icould – aims to help you to make the most of your potential by showing how others have used theirs, take the ‘Buzz’ personality profile quiz.
  • Careers Box – video based job profile information and skills explorer tool.
  • Success at School – gives clear and comprehensive information about a range of Career Zones (sectors), in an easy to access format. Students can create a profile to help to collate useful information. ’60 second interviews’ giving profile of professionals, provide a useful insight into specific careers.
  • How to become – offers detailed advice on how to access a range of sectors. Also offers the purchase of resources, compiled in conjunction with professionals working in these fields, designed to enable you to achieve your dream career or course. A selection of these books and online psychometric testing access have been supplied to the School by How2Become.
  • Russell Group – represents 24 leading universities, source of careers information & advice including ‘informed choices’ a downloadable guide to making post 16 choices.
  • Prospects – find out which areas you could access after a particular degree.
  • My Career Springboard – Springboard is for students. It is divided into two main sections: the Career Test and the Career Exploration Tool. In tandem, these two interactive tools allow students to find some career inspiration and gain an insight into their different career options.
  • Job Applications – this site has useful videos, demonstrating how to complete the online applications for many top companies in the UK, as well as providing detailed information on salaries and interviews. Applications forms can be printed off directly from this site.
  • Telegraph Jobs  – lots of information about specific sectors as well as advice on how to create a CV and prepare for interviews.
  • All about school leavers – displays current apprenticeship and school leaver programme opportunities, to the latest school leaver job news, and gives career journey advice.
  • StartProfile – Start is a free and comprehensive digital platform, offering schools and colleges a single starting point to help simplify and improve careers guidance in schools. They also have a home learning portal here

CAREER QUIZZES

  • Sort organises over 1000 job types based on your interests and strengths, making … for your future, and discover opportunities you might not have known about
  • Buzz Test – short test that analyses your personality to see which job might suit you
  • University of Kent – quick test that analyses your skills and gives examples of jobs that you may like. More suitable for older students
  • What’s working for you? – fun work personality test
  • UKSP Careers quiz – quick quiz that tells you which careers in hospitality/leisure/travel/tourism would suit you

CAREER VIDEOS

  • Careersbox – free online library of careers related film, news and information
  • Careers4u – videos on loads on different jobs and students talking about apprenticeships, uni, jobs etc
  • icould – videos of people in different occupations describing what they do

UNIVERSITY

  • UCAS – official site where you can search and apply for your degree
  • Complete University Guide – does what it says on the tin
  • Bestcourse4me – shows link between your course and the kind of jobs you can get/money you can earn
  • Unistats – search, review and compare courses and universities; reviews by students
  • Studential – university guide written by graduates. Includes examples of thousands of real-life personal statements broken down by subject
  • Which?University – what to study, where to go and how to get there
  • Open Days – search open days at unis
  • Push – independent and brutally honest site about life at uni
  • Prospects – helps students consider what they can do after their degree. Includes free psychometric test to determine suitable degrees.

FINANCE

  • Student Finance – official site for applications
  • Care To Learn – help pay for childcare costs if you are studying and under 20
  • Student Cash Point – guide to finding financial support (bursaries/awards etc) to assist with the cost of uni
  • Save the Students – The student money website for everything student finance. Get the latest student discounts, student jobs, make money ideas and more.

GAP YEARS

  • Gap Force – How does a gap year bridge the gap between education and employment
  • Gap Year – official government information on gap year travel
  • Gapyear.com – commercial site giving information and ideas
  • Year in Industry – offers internships to undergraduates and HE students in Engineering, Business, Marketing and IT

APPRENTICESHIPS

INTERVIEWS

PARENTS & CARERS

  • Parent Adviser – advice for parents/carers about career options for their children

JOBS

SELF EMPLOYMENT

  • Livewire – support, information and advice for 16-30 year olds wanting to set up their own business
  • The Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme – support for unemployed young people age 18-30 to determine if their business ideas are viable and whether self employment is right for them

STUDENT/PART-TIME JOBS

  • Natives – ski and seasonal jobs at home and abroad
  • Thebigchoice – part-time/temp/summer/seasonal jobs for students
  • Studentjob – part-time jobs and internships
  • E4S – part-time, holiday, seasonal, temporary, festival and gap year jobs at home and abroad
  • Just Student Jobs – part-time, holiday, seasonal, temporary, festival and gap year jobs at home and abroad
  • Your Rights at Work – Citizens Advice Bureau guide to working whilst studying, young people’s employment rights, minimum wage and working conditions

STUDYING ABROAD

STUDENT SITES

  • The Student Room – online student community – help with revision, statements, applying to uni etc

VOLUNTEERING

  • Vinspired – volunteering guide for 14-24 year olds. Search and apply for opportunities
  • Do It – national volunteering site, search for current opportunities

WORK EXPERIENCE

Information for Specific Jobs

Accountancy

Aerospace

Animal, Land-Based and Environment Jobs

Armed Forces

Construction

Art and Creative Media

Electrical and Engineering

Health, Social and Personal Care

Hospitality/Leisure/Tourism

  • Hospitality Guild – information on careers in hospitality. Includes a careers quiz which tells you which roles would suit you best
  • Tasty Careers – careers in the food and drink sector
  • CruiseShipJobs – information on working on cruise ships and job search
  • CareerScope – information on jobs in hospitality, tourism and leisure

Digital/Web

Law

  • All About Law – guide to degrees and careers in Law
  • LNAT – guide to the test you may have to take to gain entry onto a Law degree
  • LawCareers – comprehensive guide to becoming a lawyer

Mechanics

  • Autocity – careers in the motor industry including apprenticeship vacancies

Media TV & Communications

Medicine

  • BMAT – find out about one of the tests for entry onto a medical/dentistry degree
  • UKCAT – is the other test you may have to take for entry onto medical/dentistry degree
  • Medlink – four day course at Nottingham Uni for 6th formers on getting into Medicine
  • Gap Medics – medical work experience abroad during school holidays/gap year
  • Job Medic – the UK’s number one employment site for nurses, midwives and social and health care assistants, with a large pool of nursing vacancies across the UK

Music

Podiatry

  • Careers in Podiatry– information on entry requirements, course finders, salary expectations and useful blog posts

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

Science and Pharmaceuticals

Sport

Theatre

Transport and Logistics

Uniformed and Public Services

* This is not a list of recommended sites but a guide to help direct you to useful sources of information

Choosing your GCSE options can be tricky it can leave you wondering where to start, firstly you don’t have to make these decisions on your own, there is a lot of help and support available on this next part of your journey.

Making this decision doesn’t have to be difficult a great starting point is to think about what subjects you enjoy and are doing well in. The next couple of years are about laying the foundations to map your future, Look at the bigger picture and choose a broad array of subjects this will help keep your options open in the future.

What are GCSE’s?

GCSE’s are up to level 2 qualifications that young people are required to take, some are compulsory and others are optional. Everyone must study Maths, English and science and depending which school you go to there may be other compulsory subjects too.

GCSE’s are graded from 9-1, 9 being the highest, and grade 4 / 5 being the pass required to move onto level 3 qualifications. Having 5 GCSE passes will give you more options, If you do not pass English and Maths as a minimum grade 4 you will be required to carry on studying these subjects till you turn 18.

Different levels explained

You are currently studying level 1 qualifications, your GCSE option choices are level 2 qualifications .if you achieve  5 GCSE’s at grades 4 and above you have competed your level 2 and you will then move onto level 3 (level 3 is the equivalent of A’levels ) If you don’t achieve your GCSEs don’t worry, you still have plenty of options and can study on the level that’s right for you.

Choosing your options

Whilst choosing your options you should think about what Interests you and motivates you. Questions you can ask yourself are:-

What subjects do you enjoy the most? Do you have any career ideas? How do I like to learn? you may need specific subjects if you do have career ideas and you may want to also study these at post 16.

Think of how you learn, do you like completing practical tasks? Or do you prefer to sit an exam? If you like more practical tasks you may want to choose more coursework-based subjects, these are called BTECS or if you prefer to just sit an exam the academic root may suit you better.

Your school will give you information on all your options, this may be via a booklet with all option subjects to choose from and there may be an options evening planned in, make sure you and your parents / carers attend this!

Do’s and Don’ts

  • Do your research, gather as much information from your career’s lessons, from careers booklets and your schools option booklet.
  • Do choose wisely, it may feel like a long way off though these choices may affect what you do after GCSE’s
  • Do think about how you learn in class, Does the subject suit you and how you like to learn
  • Do speak to your parents, teachers and careers adviser, they are all there to support your choices.
  • Don’t choose a subject because you think it’s easy
  • Don’t leave it till the last minute to choose your option choices. Spaces on popular choices fill up quickly.
  • Don’t choose a subject because your friends are doing it, you may be put into different classes,
  • Don’t choose a subject because you like the teacher, the teacher may be teaching a different subject or key stage.

Other options

From age 14 you could look at studying at other places, your local Further education college have options at 14 -16 to study vocational / academic subjects

A University Technical college (UTC) offer vocational and academic subjects that specialise in specific subjects usually in engineering or Sciences

studio school for students aged 14 to 19 provide project-based work placements fall vocational and academic qualifications

Checklist action points

Whatever path you decide you don’t have to make all these decisions on your own, Speak to those around you

  • Your form tutors, teachers, and mentors know you well and have specific subject knowledge
  • Book a careers interview with your career’s adviser, even if you don’t know what you want to do or know where to start, they will give you the tools to make a start
  • Speak to your family, they also know you well, older siblings will have gone through this process and can support you on where to look
  • Research, use online careers portals and careers platforms, find out how to apply to other places, you can apply to more than one place and decide later where you would like to attend.
  • go to schools open evenings, taster sessions give you an insight to that subject. The more information and research you do the more equipped you are in making a great decision

When you complete your GCSE’s the law says you must continue in education or training till you are aged 18. There is an option to suit you regardless of what you have achieved so far. Staying on at school is one option, however you may decide you would like to change environments and look at a different sixth form or further education college, an apprenticeship or a job with training.

Qualifications

The whole reason you require qualifications is to open up opportunities, qualifications are required for the vast majority of jobs, employers are asking for the minimum of maths and English To gain an entry level position. The main types of qualifications are either academic or vocational you can choose from Alevels, BTECS, Applied vocational CTECS, T-levels. T levels are the newest qualification on the market.

Different levels explained

You are currently studying level 2 qualifications, if you achieve  5 GCSE’s at grades 4 and above you have competed your level 2 and you now have the option to move to level 3 (level 3 is the equivalent of A Levels ) If you don’t achieve your GCSEs don’t worry, you still have plenty of options and can study on the level that’s right for you.

What are your options and what are the differences?

As we have said there are a fair few choice as to what to study and where. Things to ask yourself, is would you like to be in a new environment or stay where you are.

School sixth form / Sixth form college

Staying on at your sixth form school may be an option for you, you have been at your school for 5 years and you may like the familiarity of it. The sixth form maybe in a different part of the school and can be more formal than going to college. There could be a specific dress e.g. business dress. You will find there will be more subjects, and some different ones  that you may not have studied before. Make sure you do your research and find out about them.

If a school sixth form is not for you, you can look at sixth form colleges that accommodate year 12 and year 13’s only.

An apprenticeship or traineeship

An apprenticeship is a where you earn and learn, you have a full-time job within a specific sector and you also work towards a qualification in that sector. Apprenticeships can take 1 – 4 years to complete.

Traineeships

Traineeships are where you undertake work experience in a specific sector, you can apply for a trainee ship if you are struggling to get onto an apprenticeship, you may just need to learn some extra skills before embarking on an apprenticeship. Traineeships usually take 26 weeks to complete, and you can move into an apprenticeship after.

Employment with accredited training voluntary work with training

You can decide to gain employment, either employed or self-employed or hold voluntary work for a minimum of 20 hours a week, however you must also study towards an accredited nationally recognised qualification at the same time

More information can be found in the further education tab on the website

Calendar To Do list

In the Autumn term (September to December)
  • Research all your post 16 options find out what courses interests you, go to open days, look online at schools and colleges websites, check entry requirements.
  • Check to see where you make the application, you may apply through a careers platform or on separate applications, speak to your careers adviser about this.
  • Create an email address that looks professional enough to share with external companies, colleges and schools. You will need access to this so don’t loose your password.
  • Attend post 16 assemblies and tutor time where post 16 options will be discussed
  • Check deadlines with your school, this is really important, you may only have this term to complete all your post 16 applications especially for A’Level courses
  • Write up a personal statement, you will need this to apply to some places, you will also need a section of this statement for a CV
  • Be prepared for a post 16 interview. Your colleges or other schools will want to interview to see if you are suitable for the course you have applied to.
  • Have a Plan A and a plan B
In the spring term (January to April)
  • Check your emails regularly, you will have had invites for interviews, and you may need to confirm these
  • Have you made enough applications? It’s ok to change your mind however you still need a back up plan, the longer you leave it the less choice you have and you may not get a place on that course.
  • Are your grades on track? If you are falling behind you need to speak to your teachers sooner rather than later, your school may put on extra catch up lessons.
  • If you want to apply to Further Education college you should also be putting in your applications.
  • It’s a great time to create a CV especially if you are interested in an apprenticeship, you will see more apprenticeship vacancies start to appear.
  • Attend any apprenticeship events, go and network with employers and speak to them about your goals, remember they want you on board too.
Summer term (April – July)
  • If you have not made any applications you need to go and speak to your careers adviser, they will help you get something in place before you leave.
  • Keep checking your emails and online applications and confirming your choices. If you don’t confirm your choices you may loose your place.
  • Now is a great time to do some work experience or voluntary work, speak to a teacher or careers adviser about this.

Checklist action points

What ever path you decide to investigate you don’t have to make all these decisions on your own, Speak to those around you

  • Your form tutors, teachers, and mentors know you well and have specific subject knowledge
  • Book a careers interview with your career’s adviser, even if you don’t know what you want to do or know where to start, they will give you the tools to make a start
  • Speak to your family, they also know you well, older siblings will have gone through this process and can support you with where to look
  • Research, use online careers portals and careers platforms, find out how to apply to other places, you can apply to more than one place and decide later where you would like to attend.
  • Look at FE websites, go to open evenings, taster sessions give you an insight to that subject. The more information and research you do the more equipped you are in making a great decision

Your choices at 18

Now that you have completed year 13 your next part of your journey is:

  • Doing a higher education level course – either full-time, part-time or by distance learning, at a university or a college
  • Doing an Intermediate, Advanced, Higher or Degree Apprenticeship
  • Getting a job that offers training
  • Doing a vocational course at a Further Education College
  • Taking a year out (a gap year)

As always, getting advice and support from those who know you or are career specialists is very important, as is finding out about the different employment options available to you and the qualifications and skills you need for a particular career.

What You Need to Know
  • There are times in your life when you will need to decide what to do next such as making option choices throughout school and deciding what to do when you leave school.
  • It can be difficult to make the right choice, especially when there are so many options available.
  • It’s important that you have the right information about each of your choices so that you can make the right decision.
  • It can help to have some career ideas as this can help you decide which route to take
Things to Think About
  • Make sure you have all the information about each option including how you can progress, as some options may limit what you can go on to do afterwards.
  • Make sure you choose a route that suits your learning style – look at how each option is taught and assessed and how you will learn. For example, Apprenticeships are competence-based and involve you carrying out tasks in a real work environment.
  • Pathways can be complicated, if you are unsure, speak to an adviser.
  • Don’t just apply for one option, apply for as many as you can, that way you will have longer to find out more and make up your mind.
To Do
  • Find out all your available options in your school or area:
  • If it’s school options – read through the options booklet carefully.
  • For after Year 11 – get all your local sixth form and college prospectuses and register on the Apprenticeships website.
  • If you’re 17 or 18 – register for the Apprenticeships website, find out about jobs and look on the UCAS website for Higher Education courses.
  • Attend options events and open days to help you find out about what is available and where they’re delivered.
  • Make applications in good time so that you can confirm your places and concentrate on final exams and coursework. Some places may even have a specific closing date you need to be aware of.
  • Find out who to speak to in your school if you’re unsure what to do.

Pathways

Hermitage Academy

Local Information on your
next steps…

Welcome to your local information page, here we have listed all the localised labour market information, opportunities and tips. There are lots of ways you can explore careers ideas and consider the choices and pathways available to you. Making sure you have the right information and guidance could help you progress into the career you want.

Further Education

Higher Education

Apprenticeships

Local Information

Further Education (College & 6th Form)

When thinking about the future, your next steps are an exciting part of your journey. There are lots of options available, so you need to do some research. Not everybody knows what they want to do, and this is quite normal, so you need to take the time to speak to your teachers, parents / carers and Careers Adviser to gain support.

It is a legal requirement to stay in full time education until you are 18 and you have 4 key options that you can look at going into:

  • Full time education at your current school (sixth form), an external sixth form or a further education college
  • you could look out gaining an apprenticeship or traineeship
  • or your other option is to look at employment or volunteering with training

Deciding what to study and where, really depends on how you like to learn and what has motivated you over the last few years. You could look at academic qualifications such as A-levels or vocational qualifications such as BTECS.

A levels

A levels are academic qualifications studied over 2 years and you would normally choose to study 3 or occasionally 4 subjects.

A levels are exam based however in some subjects there may still be some coursework

To be able to study A levels you will normally need 5 GCSES including Math and English at grades 5 and above (some subjects may require a higher GCSE grade so make sure you check with the school or college)

How to choose your A levels

Things to think about

  • choose subjects that you feel you are good at and will enjoy, think about your strength’s
  • Research the content of the course, some subjects may not be what you think so it’s important to look at the modules and see if they are what you expected.
  • Do you have a particular job or university course in mind for which you require specific A levels?

If you are thinking about going onto University (Higher Education), some courses will require you to have specific A level subjects, this may also be the same with you GCSE’s, so make sure you do your research when picking your course. Speak to your teachers and Careers Adviser to help support your choices.

BTECS

BTEC qualifications are vocational and are often based on an area of study such as Health & Social Care, Engineering, Catering & Hospitality… This type of study is mainly practical and ‘hands-on’ in nature and features assignments and practical tasks for assessment (some courses will still have exams). There are lots of different BTECS at various levels, so there will be one to suit you. If you are unsure whether to take A levels or BTECs some sixth form colleges will allow you to mix both A levels and BTECs together.

Cambridge Technicals

Cambridge Technicals are also a vocational qualification and you can study them at level 2 and level 3. They are work related qualifications. They are flexible in the units studied so if you want to specialise in a particular area, you can choose a unit on that area. Make sure to explore this type of qualification fully.

What are T levels?

T levels are a new post 16 qualification, these qualifications have been designed alongside employers and business to enable students to gain both theory and industry-based experience. They are the equivalent to 3 A levels and take 2 years of full-time study.

These qualifications are available to study at some schools sixth forms, sixth form colleges and Further Education establishments

How do they work

Students spend 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% of their time on an industry-based placement. This equates to 45 days within the workplace during which time you will develop the skills required to work within that industry.

T Levels are not currently available in all subject areas so you need to research which schools and colleges offer which courses.From 2023 and over the coming years more subjects and sectors will be available. As these qualifications have been designed alongside employers and business, the skills and the industry placement you engage with should help you gain easier access into the workplace.

Sixth Form

Sixth form is quite a popular choice. Depending on the type of sixth form (some are based in schools and some at colleges), you can study a blend of academic A levels and more vocational BTECS. Most sixth forms have a wide variety of subjects that you can study, with a great extra-curricular programme. Sixth form colleges are usually more informal than sixth form schools.

Understand the difference between BTEC, A Levels, T Levels, Cambridge Technicals and all other qualifications and styles of learning on offer.

  • Have a good understanding of the kinds of grades that you should achieve in your exams. This will help you to understand which pathways you could apply for.
  • Explore the colleges and sixth forms in your local area. Consider how far you would travel for a great opportunity.
  • Use the options checklist below to help you decide which course or provider to choose. You should also think about:
  1. What subjects you want to study and what providers offer the courses you are interested in
  2. If there a work placement as part of the course – and whether you have to find that yourself
  3. How far you need to travel to get to sixth form or college and how you will get there
  4. Explore the facilities on offer which are important to you, for example, sports clubs, enrichment activities and extra support to help you with your studies.
  • All colleges and sixth form colleges offer open days. These are a great opportunity to find out about the courses on offer and to talk to staff and students about the courses and the kind of support you can expect.  It is also a chance to ask tutors questions about how courses are delivered and assessed to make sure they suit your needs.
  • Attend a careers fair or options event at your school to find out what is on offer in your local area.
  • Find out if you can arrange some work experience in the industries that interest you – gaining some experience will give you real insight into working life and you may gain a few contacts along the way!
  • Complete an application form for each sixth form or college. Application forms are usually available on each sixth form or college website or you can ask your Careers Adviser.

Here is some key information about the local colleges and Sixth Forms in your area:

New College Durham

Subjects | Gateshead College

Newcastle College (ncl-coll.ac.uk)

New College Durham 6th Form Centre

Hermitage 6th Form College

Durham 6th College Durham 

 

Specialist colleges

Park View College, Chester-Le-Street – Specialist Sport Provision –

East College Durham – Houghall Campus, Durham – Specialist Land Base provision

South Tyne Coast College

Local Information

Higher Education (University)

Higher Education

Higher Education (also known as HE) doesn’t just mean going to university. You have lots of other options, and alternative routes to gain a degree. If you want to study a degree you can do this either at University, or a further education college.

Going on to study at HE level may give you further opportunities in the workplace, however this route may not be suitable for everyone, it also doesn’t mean that you won’t succeed!

You may decide you are ready for a break from study and take a gap year, you may want to gain more skills through work or volunteer for a period of time.

Why choose University?

University offers a huge variety of courses (there are more than 1200 separate degree subjects and over 50,000 joint courses!). Don’t restrict your applications to the well-known universities and well-known courses, make a wider application base and you will have a great deal of options. Base all of your applications on sound research and exploration.

University offers academic, vocational and practical degrees. Therefore you may decide to choose your degree through the subjects you picked at school or through any career ideas you have already formed. Your school, college and Careers Adviser will be able to support you with your choices.

Degree Apprenticeships

Degree apprenticeships (also known as level 6 or level 7) are a type of higher qualification that allow you to gain a full university degree during the course of your apprenticeship.

These specialist courses are offered by employers who have teamed up with universities and training providers to create a degree-course. These special courses help train students to succeed in all sorts of different sectors and areas of business.

Most students have to make a choice whether to find a job or to study at university, but degree apprenticeships offer the chance to do both!

Things to do to enter Higher Education
  • Start looking into the higher education option as early as possible. Your school or college will guide you through your research and application and you can talk to an adviser to get the help you need.
  • If you know what career you want to do in the future, check out what qualifications are needed and the routes you can take.
  • Get to know your way around the UCAS website. It guides you through each stage of researching and applying for higher education.
  • If you’re not sure what course you want to do, do a questionnaire to help you find the courses that suit your interests.
  • Find out what options the course you choose might lead to through Prospects.
  • Attend as many university open days as possible, so you can compare different places and courses.

Below are some of the local Higher Education opportunities in your area. Lots of young people choose to go away to University so we have also included some information about UK wide universities here:

Teesside University – Middlesbrough

Teesside University – Darlington Campus

Newcastle University

Durham University

Northumbria University, Newcastle

The University of Sunderland

St John’s University,  York

Local Information

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are definitely not the easy pathway. They are probably the hardest to find, they are almost always the hardest to secure and they come with a lot of responsibility. As an apprentice you will be working alongside full time employees and will have a contract of employment. You will no longer work school term times and you will be expected to fulfil your job fully, every day.

That being said, they can be the most rewarding as you gain a qualification, some real work experience and also get paid!

Apprenticeships are growing in popularity as they offer an alternative to full time study and they are a cost-effective way of gaining a qualification up to degree level. As an apprentice you will work full time hours and complete a qualification which maybe 20% of your time.

There are several levels to an apprenticeship intermediate is level 2 advanced is a Level 3 higher can be 4, 5, 6 and upwards.

Name Level Equivalent
intermediate 2 5 GCSE’s grades 9-4
Advanced 3 2 A level passes or level 3 diploma
Higher / Degree 4,5,6,7 Foundation Degree, Batchelors masters

There is a huge variety of apprenticeships available covering different sectors. Some examples include Finance, Business administration, Nursing, Childcare, Law, Digital, Construction, Architecture.

Entry requirements to do an apprenticeship can be dependent on the employer so you need to double check this on their advertisement.

If you are aged 16 – 19 You can apply for an apprenticeship through a further education college. You must however, be mindful that you may still have to find the employer yourself. Not all colleges can support you in finding an employer. Double check this with the college.

There are other websites that are specifically for apprenticeships or you can look directly at employer websites. You will need an up-to-date CV to apply for an apprenticeship, demonstrating the skills you have and what you are looking for.

Employers should pay the national minimum wage.

To Do
  • Register on the Apprenticeships website to find Apprenticeship and Traineeship vacancies suitable for you.
  • Explore companies in your local area.
  • Write a winning CV that you can give to employers – don’t forget to include a covering letter to ask about possible Apprenticeship vacancies.
  • Ask families and friends to help you identify people and places you might approach to ask if they are recruiting apprentices.
  • Find out more from your teacher/tutor in school or your Careers Adviser.
  • Consider volunteering opportunities to demonstrate your employability skills.
  • Have a back up plan – Apprenticeships are very competitive and there is no guarantee that you will be successful. Play safe and have more than one option.

Here is the link to the Government vacancy apprenticeship website:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

Here are some local providers:

Chameleon Vocational Training in Sunderland –

BL Training – Hairdressing and Barber

SAKS – Hairdressing and Beauty

Learning Skills Partnership

Northern Skills Group

Browse apprenticeships before you apply

Hermitage Academy

Supporting Your Child’s
Career Choices

At Progress Careers, we are committed to bridging the gap between parents and the CEIAG their children receive. We want you to have full oversight of what information and guidance your child receives and enable you to support your child with making the important decisions about their futures.

What You Need to Know
  • You are one of the biggest influences on decisions your child will make about their future. You know them better than anyone so you can help in ways that no one else can.
  • To be ready for the world of work young people need to carry on learning for longer. This doesn’t have to mean staying on at school, but from Year 11 they will need to choose whether to carry on in full time education, start an Apprenticeship or get a job with training.
  • There are lots of exciting options available, but choice can be confusing. The earlier you help your child to find out about what they could do, the better prepared they will be to make the right decision for them.
  • There is lots of help available including websites that tell you about different jobs and how to get into them as well as careers events at school and local colleges. Teachers and careers advisers can also help with applications and keep their plans on track.
  • You can help by taking an interest, getting involved and making sure your child is making use of all those sources of help.
Things to Think About
  • Education and careers may have changed a lot since you were at school, so try to find things out alongside your child – discovering options and ideas together.
  • It’s difficult to hold back if you feel you know what your child should do but helping them to make their own decision – with your support – is likely to mean they will enjoy it and do better at what they choose.
  • The pressures of being a teenager and doing well at school can make decisions about the future another thing to worry about. By staying positive and calm you can help make it exciting rather than stressful.
  • Keep a balance between being realistic and encouraging. Dreams and ambitions can be kept alive by exploring all the options and having back up plans.
  • Information about courses and careers can be complicated. If you’re not sure about something you can contact an adviser for help.
To Do
  • Look out for the help available – you can look at the school website or you can ask your school what’s coming up, and when. Parents’ evenings, options evenings and open days at schools and colleges are all a good time to get help. CareersInc advisers will normally be there to talk things through, answer questions and make suggestions.
  • Your child may have a careers interview at school. You are very welcome to attend, just contact the school to arrange. If you are not able to attend you can find out what was discussed and help your child with their action plan. It’s worth making a note of dates of open days and deadlines for applications.
  • If you want to help your child get started, try i-could or the Skills Explorer on Careersbox. Both websites have quick quizzes to help with career ideas and useful links to other sources of information.
  • If you want to find out about a career and how to get there look at Job Profiles on the National Careers Service website.
  • Help your child to think about what they’re good at and enjoy, the sort of personality they have, how they learn best and whether they need extra support.
  • If you have family, friends or colleagues who have inside knowledge of a career or a course they may be a great source of information and advice.

What You Need to Know
  • Your child will have to make decisions about options and pathways throughout their time at school and after school.
  • You can help them to decide which option is right for them but first you need to understand them yourself.
  • Years 7 to 10 – your child will have subject choices to make which will determine what qualifications they will leave school with.
  • Year 11 – your child will need to decide whether to stay in full-time education at a college or sixth form, do an Apprenticeship or Traineeship, or get a job with training.
  • At 17 and 18 years old – your child may need to decide whether to progress in education – either at college or university, do an Apprenticeship or get a job.
Things to Think About
  • Make sure you have all the information about your child’s options including how they can progress, as some options may limit what they can go on to do afterwards.
  • Encourage your child to choose the option that suits their learning style – look at how each option is taught and assessed and how your child will learn. For example, Apprenticeships are competence-based and involve them carrying out tasks in a real work environment.
  • Pathways can be complicated, if your child is really unsure, encourage them to speak to an adviser.
  • Encourage your son or daughter to apply for as many options as they can, that way they will have longer to find out more and make up their mind.
To Do
  • Find out all your available options in your child’s school or area:
  • If it’s school options – read through the options booklet carefully.
  • For after Year 11 – complete the options checklist together and encourage them to get all local sixth form and college prospectuses and register for the Apprenticeships website.
  • If they’re 17 or 18 – encourage them to register for the Apprenticeships website, find out about jobs available and look on the UCAS website for higher education courses.
  • Attend options events and open days to help you and your son or daughter find out about the options and where they’re delivered.
  • Remind them to make applications in good time, usually before the end of January, so that they can confirm places and concentrate on final exams and coursework.
  • Find out who to speak to in your school if they’re unsure what to do.

What you need to know
  • Your child will need to apply for different opportunities – work experience, jobs, Apprenticeships and courses. You can help by taking time to understand what they need to do, by supporting them through each stage and making sure they get the help they need.
  • You might not feel confident but remember you have a lot more experience than they do, so you can help. The ways you apply for things might have changed, but how to present yourself well hasn’t.
  • Your son or daughter may not have had the chance to build lots of skills and qualifications yet, so think about things they’ve done at school, through hobbies and in the family and put these on their application.
  • There are lots of useful websites – visit the local info page – that tell you about different types of application and give tips for how to go about it.
  • Your child can apply for more than one course, job or Apprenticeship at a time, so encourage them to keep options open.
Things to Think About
  • Don’t do it for them! Your child will need to live up to what they’ve said and will be found out if they don’t use their own words.
  • Stay positive. We all have experience of not getting something we apply for, so help your child to understand that they may not be successful every time. Encourage them to keep trying and to have back up plans if their first choices don’t work out.
  • You might never have had a phone interview, or done an aptitude test or even had to use a CV, so if you’re unsure find out more or get help from an adviser.
  • When your child is applying for learning after Year 11, include anything they may need additional need help with, as well as what they are good at and enjoy. It won’t go against them, and means they’ll get the support they need. Talk to an adviser or check with the provider what additional support is available.
  • Leave plenty of time. Suggest doing a draft application first, or planning how to get to an interview before the day. More preparation means more confidence!
  • Keep an eye on important dates, usually before the end of January, to make sure you don’t miss deadlines.
To Do
  • Find out what needs to be done, how and when. Go through instructions and guidance with your child so you’re both clear.
  • Point out skills and qualities that your son or daughter might not think of – volunteering for things at school, putting in extra effort to get better at something, doing things for other people and organising themselves.
  • Get family, friends or colleagues to help. They might have more experience of interviews, or be better at checking spelling and grammar, so use them!
  • Encourage your child to get feedback if they’re unsuccessful. They probably won’t want to, but it will help them to do a better application next time. Feedback can also point to the experience, skills or qualifications they need to work on to get where they want.

What You Need to Know
  • There are many people and places that can help you and your child make decisions about their future.
  • As options and pathways can be so complicated, it’s important you look at the right information and get the right advice.
  • Your child’s tutor or subject teachers are available to discuss subject choices and support their applications for further study.
  • There are also other staff in school that can help such as a learning manager, mentor, support worker or head of year.
  • CareersInc advisers are working in your child’s school and are there to give external, independent, impartial advice based on the needs of your son or daughter.
  • Careers advisers from the National Careers Service are available over the phone to give information and advice about different careers and pathways.
Things to Think About
  • Make sure the information and advice you and your child are given is from an external, independent and impartial person who is not tied to one school, college or training provider.
To Do
  • Find out who to speak to in your child’s school and what help they will get throughout their time at school.
  • Visit the National Careers Service website to find out how to speak to an adviser.
  • Attend open evenings and options events at your child’s school and with local schools, sixth forms, colleges and training providers.

What You Need to Know
  • You can get financial help to support learning after Year 11, but what’s offered and how it’s provided depends on the route your son or daughter chooses.
  • If your child stays in full-time education after Year 11, you will still get child benefit, up to the age of 19. Full-time courses are run by school sixth forms, colleges and work based learning providers.
  • If your son or daughter starts an Apprenticeship and are employed, you won’t get child benefit, but they will get a wage of at least £2.68 per hour.
  • You can get child tax credit if your child is over 16 and still in full-time education, depending on your household income.
  • Sixth forms, colleges and work based learning providers all have 16-19 Bursary Funds you could apply for depending on individual circumstances. They decide how much you get and when they are paid.
  • Financial support for higher education depends on your household income and comes in two forms – a loan and a grant.
Things to Think About
  • To continue getting child benefit, you’ll need to tell the child benefit office that your child is staying in full-time learning. You’ll get a letter to remind you what you need to do just before the end of Year 11.
  • Make sure you know about all the things you’re entitled to – schools and colleges will explain what’s available. Make sure you attend the relevant open days/evenings.
  • You will apply for some of the financial help available, but sometimes your son or daughter has to apply. This is the case for higher education finance, although they will need your help and support.
  • The prospect that your child might accrue student debt can be quite daunting but higher education is affordable through the student loan system and they don’t start to pay back until they start work. Find out what Martin Lewis the money saving expert has to say about the myths of student loans.
To Do
  • For information about the 16-19 Bursary Fund when you find out about the schools, colleges or work based learning providers your child might go to, and apply as soon as they’re offered a place.
  • Make sure you’ve told the child benefit office if your son or daughter is staying in full-time learning after Year 11.
  • If your child is applying for higher education, don’t wait for a place to be confirmed, tell them to apply for financial support from January before they start in September.

Hermitage Academy

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