Careers

In the Spring Term our students will begin the careers programme. In the first week back after the Christmas holidays they will be introduced to Unifrog. Unifrog is an online platform that helps our students compare every university course, apprenticeship, and Further Education course, both in the UK and internationally. It is also a platform on which they can record the activities they have done to support a job or university application. They will then have Future Pathways lessons focussing on the following areas:

Our students will apply to university through the University and Colleges Application Service (UCAS). A detailed overview of the support and process for applying to UCAS can be found here.

www.ucas.com – a thorough and up-to-date guide to university admissions. 

www.university.which.co.uk – a guide to universities – includes a useful budget calculator. 

www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk – a guide to universities that shows ranking by student satisfaction and graduate prospects. 

www.opendays.com – a calendar of university open days.

https://university.springpod.com/ – Explore subjects and universities.

Degree level apprenticeships have grown in popularity in recent years. These can include programmes working with companies in the following fields: Engineering, Cyber Security, Finance, Computer Science. 

Applications for apprenticeships are normally direct to companies/providers and students are able to apply to both traditional university courses via UCAS and Apprenticeships simultaneously. They will need to make a decision when they receive their results. 

Each company/provider’s application window varies during the students' final year, and can even change from one year to the next. For example, Dyson’s degree apprenticeship application window opened for three weeks in November 2021, but the following year it had moved to January 2023.

We share opportunities that are shared with us, but students will still need to be proactive in seeking out this information and expressing interest with companies directly. 

Here are some useful sources of further information about apprenticeships:

www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship – Sign up for apprenticeships here. 

https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/resources-for-parents – Monthly Packs to help your child search for and apply for apprenticeships. 

https://www.ucas.com/further-education/apprenticeships-traineeships – Alternative paths to university on the UCAS website. 

A few examples of higher and degree level apprenticeships that our students might find relevant: 

https://www.dysoninstitute.com/applying/ 

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/our-careers/early-careers/degree-apprenticeships.html 

https://careers.jpmorgan.com/global/en/students/programs 

https://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com/content/Apprentices/?locale=en_GB 

We will share resources and opportunities are shared with our students throughout their time with us. These will include opportunities for work experience, courses, summer schools, degree apprenticeships, and other career insights. We will also share information and links to useful resources. 

A good place to start researching possible careers paths is online. Here are a few websites to get you started: 

Exploring Your Options 

www.mathscareers.org.uk – Full of interesting articles. Try searching the careers profile to get some inspiration. If you love maths but have no clue what you can do with it, this is probably the best place to start. 

https://www.stem.org.uk/secondary/careers – From articles in their Catalyst Magazine, to career profile interviews with STEM professionals, find out more about various careers in STEM. 

https://neonfutures.org.uk/resource/all-routes-into-engineering/ – A guide to different routes into Engineering. 

Work Experience (In Person or Remote) 

An increasing number of organisations are creating virtual work experiences and using platforms to run them, such as: 

https://www.springpod.com/virtual-work-experience

https://careers.startprofile.com/page/home-page

Studying Abroad 

www.fulbright.org.uk – a guide to American universities including the application process. 

www.eunicas.co.uk – a guide to applying to universities in Europe. 

Other Alternatives and Additional Resources 

www.notgoingtouni.co.uk – Information on alternatives to university, including apprenticeships. 

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ – The National Careers Service.  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-technical-qualification-overview/higher-technical-qualification-an-introduction – Find out more about the new Higher Technical Qualifications. 

https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/student-life/gap-year/gap-years-ideas-and-things-think-about – Gap years can be used to enhance your CV, travel, learn new skills, and much more. Find out more and get some inspiration on the UCAS website.