Careers Guidance

Careers Strategy

Matrix Report June 2020

Gatsby Benchmarks

Careers Programme

So where do you start? You have probably been at school for the majority of your life and now you are being asked what to do with the rest of it!

How about starting at the END?

Sounds a bit strange doesn't it! However, starting with an end goal does help. Even if you don’t know what career you want, you might already know that you don’t want to sit at a desk all day, you might like to work for yourself, or maybe that you definitely want a career helping people or animals.

Clues might be found in those lessons you have really enjoyed or maybe didn't enjoy so much. This will give you hints around the path you might want to take, or more to the point the path you definitely don’t want to take……. and we haven't even mentioned any hobbies, sports or interests you have outside of school – are there any clues there?!

Talking really does help!

Talk to your family, carers, friends, teachers, a Careers Adviser, the helpers at any clubs you attend, talk to everyone!

Here are some useful links to help you get started:

School leavers - Abingdon & Witney College (abingdon-witney.ac.uk)

OXME.INFO | For young people in Oxfordshire

Stonewall Young Futures | Stonewall

Parents and carers often come to us in search of advice for their children, whether it is about progression options after college, a change of direction during their studies, or what support is available for them.

Our team is here to help parents and carers understand the many different routes that are available and what might work best for their children.

Please get in touch careers@abingdon-witney.ac.uk

Developed by the Careers Writers Association, also has lots of useful information for parents looking for impartial and clear advice on careers.

http://www.parentalguidance.org.uk/help-information

Transitions can be challenging for young people, YOUNG MINDS has some great advice on this: Transitions, Change & Mental Health | Parents Guide | YoungMinds

It is also important to recognise that other factors might affect the way a young person makes decisions about their future, Young MINDS A-Z guide of supporting your child is a great place to start: Parents A-Z Guide to Support | Mental Health Advice | YoungMinds

Check out our Carers Programme to get an overview of how we support students at college:

Careers Programme

The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership's (OxLEP) role is to champion the county's economic potential, establishing partnerships between businesses, academia and the public sector.

To help broaden young people's knowledge and understanding for Oxfordshire's labour market and career sectors, OxLEP provide up-to-date insights via their Labour Market Information reports.

You can find these reports on their website.

Maybe you are leaning towards earning and learning! If so, an apprenticeship could be the right path for you! Follow the links to find out more about what an apprenticeship could offer you:

Apprenticeships Explained - Abingdon & Witney College (abingdon-witney.ac.uk)

Apprenticeships: Our Services - Abingdon & Witney College (abingdon-witney.ac.uk)

Apprenticeships

Find an apprenticeship (findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk)

Apprenticeships | Learn About Apprenticeships And Find The Right One For You (ucas.com)

From careers evenings to our open days, our School Liaison Coordinator works to get the right information to the students in our local secondary schools to support them with the decisions around their next steps in education.

She does this through:

• Giving presentations and seminars for pupils about what the College can offer, how it is different to school and how our qualifications work.
• Helping run taster Days, either at the College or at school, for students to try out various subjects in interactive and practical sessions with tutors.
• Giving campus and facilities tours for students and teachers.
• Attending careers fairs and other events to talk informally to students and parents.

If you'd like to know more about the College or to arrange any of the above events, you can contact: marea.brown@abingdon-witney.ac.uk

Have some fun, take a quiz!

Buzz quiz - icould

Careers Quiz | UCAS

Career Planner | What job should I do? | Prospects.ac.uk

Or complete the National careers Service Skills assessment (more suited to mature learners) Skills assessment | National Careers Service

Have you thought about what you could do to support your own development towards your next steps? What skills do you need to build on? What new skills do you need? How much research have you done?

Take a look at these useful websites:

Stonewall Young Futures | Stonewall

Apprenticeships

Prospects.ac.uk

Careers advice - job profiles, information and resources | National Careers Service

Develop your soft skills | National Careers Service

UCAS | At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Apprenticeships | Learn About Apprenticeships And Find The Right One For You (ucas.com)

Are you thinking about your next steps after college? Wondering where to start?

Try here:

UCAS | At the heart of connecting people to higher education

Prospects.ac.uk

Student finance for undergraduates: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)