Careers Information and Guidance
Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance is a vital part of the education of our pupils here at Liverpool College. It fills a large strand within our LC+ Curriculum. We are committed to delivering a full Careers Programme to fulfil the 2018 Government’s Careers Strategy (updated January 2023) and we work towards fulfilling all the criteria within the Gatsby Benchmarks and the Careers Development Institute Framework for Careers, Employer and Enterprise Education. We work in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company and achieved the national Careers Quality Standard Award for the second time in April 2024.
Liverpool College Careers Education, Information and Guidance Policy
Careers’ Staff at College
Mrs J Drew (Careers Lead and Careers Adviser)
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. telephone: 0151 724 4000 ext 3181
Mrs S Doran (STEM Coordinator and Careers, Wilton Scholars)
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Advisors
Ms K Wyke Enterprise Co-ordinator, LCR Careers Hub
Mr K Quirk Enterprise Adviser
Dr C Whitford Enterprise Adviser
The Delivery of Careers Education and Guidance
LC + (Personal development) and Careers
The main vehicle for the delivery of our programme is through our LC+ (Personal Development) and Careers lessons, which take place on a weekly basis for K3/4 and KS5. Our programme is measured and assessed through staff and student reviews and feedback surveys. Teaching staff have access to their year group on Microsoft Teams where all lessons and resources are uploaded each half term and pupils, parents and employers can find the careers strand of the programme can be found here
Employer Masterclasses
Our pupils experience many meaningful Employer encounters. A wide variety of Employers are invited to deliver masterclasses or workshops. Interested pupils are invited to attend these sessions. Pupils are identified from the results of a pupil survey which highlights their areas of interest. We welcome new employers who would like to work with our students and support our careers programme. Any employers who wish to support strategically can also sign up to become an Enterprise Adviser.
Unifrog
Liverpool College has recently invested in Unifrog online as we feel the website provides sophisticated testing and profiles to initiate thinking and to form a basis for conversation during individual careers interviews provided by the College.
Unifrog helps students with the whole progression process - from exploring their interests, to recording the great things they've done, to finding education and training opportunities, to drafting their applications. Unifrog also helps teachers and school staff to manage the process - from delivering engaging lessons using our off-the-shelf teaching resources, to tracking careers interactions, to drafting References, to submitting applications.Unifrog also provides detailed Labour Market Information (LMI) and an area where pupils can record their progress in school, activities, skills and qualities, volunteering and work experience.
careers guidance; the gatsby benchmarks
In 2013, Gatsby commissioned Sir John Holman to set out what career guidance in England would be like if it were good by international standards, resulting in the Good Career Guidance report. The eight benchmarks set out in the report serve as a framework for improvement in careers provision and have been adopted as part of the Government's Careers Strategy and statutory guidance for schools and colleges. The Gatsby Benchmarks were updated in 2025 to remain relevant for the next decade, focusing on inclusion, leadership and meaningful experiences. The updated framework is now mandatory for schools, colleges, and independent training providers in England starting from September 2025. Key changes include greater emphasis on tailoring careers programs to individual student needs, integrating careers into the whole institution's strategy, and ensuring more meaningful and varied workplace and educational encounters. More information can be found here
The eight Gatsby benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance
In addition, The Careers & Enterprise Company now supports the implementation of the benchmarks in schools and colleges with a national network of support, resources and targeted funding. Through the CEC, and with the shared understanding of what works, we implemented Compass, the online evaluation tool,to self-assess our careers programme and track students improvements in 2019. In 2021 we upgraded to Compass+ which offers the facility to collect student level data. Compass+ helps schools benchmark, manage, track and report on their school’s careers provision. Compass+integrates with a school’s Management Information System and pulls in pupil level data.Schools can then personalise careers interventions to the individual student, with the supporting more targeted careers programme planning and delivery.
Liverpool College is a member of the Liverpool City Region Careers Hub which provides support with our careers programme and also provides network links with local schools, colleges, universities and employers. Click here for more information.
individual careers guidance interviews
Liverpool College students have impartial careers guidance interviews at pivotal points during their time at the College. The interviews start at the beginning of the Michaelmas term when Chapter 11 have their next step interview to discuss their options for post 16. Towards the end of this term Chapter 9 students have a short guidance interview to discuss their option choices and GCSE pathway. Finally our Chapter 12 students are all interviewed in the Lent term to discuss their post 18 options. Careers guidance is not limited to these Chapter groups and any student can request a careers guidance interview by speaking to their House Mentor or Mrs Drew . All students with an EHCP will have an informal meeting in every chapter to try and support their post 16 choices.
INDEPENDENT CAREERS ADVICE
Although employed by the College, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.our Careers Adviser, ensures that all guidance is presented in an impartial manner, showing no bias or favouritism towards any particular institution, education or work option. Mrs Drew abides by the Code of Ethics set out by the Careers Developement Institute. Information is shared on a wide range of education or training options, including apprenticeships and technical education routes. Guidance is given to promote the bests interests of the student who receive it.
STEM
Our pupils experience a vast range of activities and competitions. Click here to view Careers and STEM LC+ overview to see the full range of activities offered.
Special Events
These include a Careers Fair (Chapter 9-13), Mock Interview Day (Chapter 11), Alternative Providers Event (Chapter 9) and visits to The National Apprenticeship and University Show (Chapter 12 and 13) and the UCAS Discovery Day (Chapter 12). We also have school based events for National Apprenticeship Week in February and National Careers Week in March each year.
Wilton Scholars
A wide variety of Career related activities are undertaken by our Gifted and Talented pupils. Click here to view the Wilton Scholars Programme.
Work Experience
From March 2026 Chapter 10 students will carry out 2 days of work experience as part of the new Government work experience guarantee. This guarantee means students, from Chapter 7 to 11, will have access to 2 weeks worth of work expericne, virtually, in school and in placement, across their secondary school journey.
Chapter 12 pupils carry out a block of 5 days work experience at a work placement of their choice.
All students are encouraged to secure work experience and after the Covid 19 pandemic ,there are more opportunities than ever for our students to complete valuable work experience virtually. The College has built links with Speakers For Schools, Springpod and Uptree to offer our students the best virtual work experience, free of charge.
Speakers For Schools
Springpod
Uptree
Liverpool College also has a partnership with InvestIn which offers life changing, immersive careers programmes for students aged 12-18. As a partner school we have 3 bursaries a year to offer to our students who fit the egibility criteria who get to experience as many of these high quality, certificated experiences as they want, within the academic year. Any student can apply and pay for one of InvestIn's careers programmes independently of College and we have a 10% discount code for use.
Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for further information.
Lessons
We include Career Education, Information and Guidance, within our lessons, linking subject learning to the world of work.
Careers Information and Guidance for Pupils
PROVIDER ACCESS LEGISLATION
The updated provider access legislation (PAL) has now been enacted. It specifies schools must provide at least six encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education for all their students:
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘first key phase’ (year 8 or 9) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘second key phase’ (year 10 or 11) that are mandatory for all pupils to attend
- Two encounters for pupils during the ‘third key phase’ (year 12 or 13) that are mandatory for the school to put on but optional for pupils to attend
This new legislation will become a key mechanism to further help learners understand and take-up, not just apprenticeships, but wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.
Please click here for our Provider Access Policy
Entitlement statement:
It is the policy of this College that all pupils should be given the opportunity to:
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Know and understand themselves better and develop their capabilities
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Investigate education, training and career opportunities
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Implement their career plans by making informed choices, in a supportive atmosphere, about their own continuing education and training.
Click here to view our Entitlement Statement
In Chapter 7-13 all pupils are expected to use Unifrog to carry out career profiling and career research. In addition pupils should use the Log in facility to record skills and qualities, progress and targets, activities undertaken and volunteering and work experience.
National Careers Service helpline for students
National Careers Service free helpline – 0800 100 900 - is open from 8am to 10pm every day and you are more than welcome to get in touch with trained advisers, to ask any questions you may have about your child’s education or career opportunities. Callers to the helpline will have direct access to experienced careers advisers who can advise on all the different options available to them, including A levels, GCSEs, BTECs, apprenticeships and other vocational options. Other support will be available on topics such as clearing, university, gap years, moving away from home and re-sits.
The National Careers Service; Skills For Careers is available for anyone aged 13+ providing advice and information on a range of topics including careers, education, employment and training/apprenticeships.
The National Careers website has a range of contact channels which are accessible to all; they offer a free online chat with an adviser, you can send an email, text or arrange a call-back and they also have minicom (for customers who are deaf or have hearing difficulties).
Your child can complete a free Skills Health Check test through our website which will suggest specific job sectors they may be suited to, based on their skills and strengths. They can also research their career ideas using our popular job profile.
CAREERS INFORMATION AND EMPLOYERS
We are very grateful to our Enterprise Co-ordinator from the Liverpool City Region Careers Hub @LCRCareersEnt and our link Employer.
We are also indebted to our Employers who deliver our Masterclasses.
If you an employer and you are interested in visiting the college and providing Education, Information and Guidance to our pupils please contact Mrs S Doran This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SUMMER TERM 2025
Careers Newsletter 25 June 2025
Careers Newsletter 9 July 2025
MICHAELMAS TERM 2025
Careers Newsletter 10 September 2025
Careers Newsletter 24 September 2025
Careers Newsletter 8 October 2025
Other Useful Websites
TRANSITION SUPPORT
Post 16 options
Local council support for students with SEND
Halton Local Offer
Knowsley Local Offer
Liverpool Local Offer
Sefton Local Offer
St Helens Local Offer
Wirral Local Offer
APPRENTICESHIPS
Apprenticeships; what parents need to know
Apprenticeships: support for parents and guardians
A guide to Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
Be More apprenticeships
Amazing Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship Assessment Centres
Apprenticeship Interview Questions
T-LEVELS
What are T-Levels?
T-Levels website
INTERNSHIPS
An internship is a period of work experience, offered by an organisation, lasting for a fixed period of time anywhere between a week and 12 months. They are typically undertaken by students and graduates looking to gain relevant skills.Employers use periods of work experience to assess a student or graduate's capability and often recruit employees from their interns, rather than advertise their vacancies externally.
For more information click here
For more information on supported internships for students with SEND and an EHCP click here
UNIVERSITY AND UCAS ADVICE
University Compare is a student-friendly website that lets you compare courses, university rankings, and browse personal statement examples. It's a valuable resource for post 16 students thinking about higher education and is designed to make university planning less overwhelming.
The UniTaster Days website is also a very useful wesbite for all students, parents and guardians. Here you will find subject guides, information on university events, advice and podcasts UniTasterDays.
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Parents Guide To University 2025
Russell Group Universities
University and Your Future: Career Planning and Making the Most of Your Degree
DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS
What is a degree apprenticeship?
Degree apprenticeship information and vacancies
Degree apprenticeship vacancies
SUPPORT FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Elevate Parent Support Series
CAREERS ADVICE
Job Centre
Target Careers
Career Connect
I Could
Student resource: Spring into success careers roadmap
Talking Futures- advice for Parents
USEFUL LINKS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Department for Education Website
Compare Schools Performance Tables
Local Authority Website
Liverpool Directgov
FURTHER EDUCATION
The City of Liverpool College
Hugh Baird College
Carmel College
Cronton College
LOCAL UNIVERSITIES
Liverpool University
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool Hope University
Edge Hill University
Not going to Uni
LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION
The Liverpool City Region is made up of over 44,000 businesses which are grouped into Growth Sectors. Ranging from sole traders through to multinational organisations, these businesses have contributed over £32 billion to the local economy since 2014. The growth sectors are; Advanced Manufacturing, Construction and Built Environment, Digital and Creative Industries, Green Growth, Professional Business Services, Healthcare and Lifesciences, Maritime and Logistics, Visitor Economy and Innovation. Students at Liverpool College are introduced to LMI through their use of Unifrog and the websites listed below are some we use to plan lessons and book guest speakers.
Amazing Apprenticeships
Be More
Growth Platform
LMI For All
nomis
Parental Guidance
Parental Guidance is another useful website written by members of the Careers Writers Association. The Association consists of highly experienced careers writers of articles, books and web-based materials for the 14-25 age group. Many are also experienced and qualified careers advisers who have worked in schools, colleges and universities in the UK as well as overseas.
GENERAL ADVICE
The most important thing you can offer is the knowledge of where to find the right information, so you can do the research into their options together.
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To begin with, it’s important your child knows what are their strengths, their skills and abilities. You will undoubtedly know what they are good at but it’s difficult to recognise your own skills and strengths. You can use the Skills Health Check test on the National Careers website to help your child become more aware of their strengths, weakness and career sectors they may be suited to.
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The Skills Health Check is a great starting point and can help your child with researching specific career sectors and understanding more about themselves as an individual. It’s important to remember that any careers related test you take is purely meant as a guide.
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The career choices which the test may offer up can be researched further on the ‘Job Profile’ pages. The National Careers Service have over 800 different types of career options, from gardener to graphic designer and everything in between! Each one explains which skills and qualifications you need to get into that job. You can also read about what the work would be like, the average salary you could expect and what the career prospects might be.
One of the most popular search methods for the Job profiles is through the ‘Job Families’ list. This groups similar jobs into one area so you can browse all the different jobs within this field. For example, if your child knows they want to work with animals but isn’t sure what jobs are available, you can look through the profiles for a vet, a kennel worker, a Police dog handler, a farm worker or even a beekeeper!
Benefits of Parental Involvement
Children have better self-esteem, are more self-disciplined, and show higher aspirations and motivation toward school. Children tend to achieve more, regardless of ethnic or racial background, socioeconomic status, or parents' education level. Children generally achieve better grades, test scores, and have better attendance. Research indicates that when students feel supported and loved by their parents, they have more confidence in their own ability to research careers and to choose a career that would be interesting and exciting.
Choices after GCSEs
The choices, which your child makes after completing their GCSEs, are dependent on a number of different factors including their own ambitions, the opportunities offered locally (see Local Labour Market Information link below) and the grades they have achieved.
These choices will really allow your child to tailor their own education and study towards subjects they feel passionate about and allow them to gain the knowledge and experience needed to progress onto their desired career path.
When thinking about steps after compulsory education, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no one size fits all style of education and that everyone learns in different ways. There is no right or wrong or better or worse but with the raising of the participation age coming into effect, this now means your child needs to stay in some form of education or training until their 18th birthday.
Education until their 18th birthday isn’t quite what it sounds; in-fact school leavers have a range of choices:
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1. To stay in full time education working towards, A-levels, BTEC, NVQ or an alternative level 1/2/3 qualification at a local college or sixth form.
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2. An apprenticeship.
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3. A traineeship with the idea of progressing onto an apprenticeship or education.
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4. Employment or Volunteering of 20 hours a week whilst working towards an accredited qualification part time with the study hours adding up to 280 guided learning hours over the course of a year.
This information was reviewed in September 2025. Next date for review is September 2026
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