Careers

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 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 in October 2019 and we will be working towards this award again in late 2023.

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  Employer Advisor

The Delivery of Careers Education and Guidance

Personal development and Careers

The main vehicle for the delivery of our programme is through our 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 OneNote 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.

CAREERPILOT 

Liverpool College has invested in Careerpilot online as we feel the site provides sophisticated testing and profiles to initiate thinking and to form a basis for conversation during individual careers interviews provided by the College.

Careerpilot holds expert careers information and tools for 11-19 yr olds and students will all have their account for life. During Personal Development lessons the students will complete career profiles, a skills profile and have the opportunity to research further education, training and employment. We are now a Careerpilot Superuser School 

Careerpilot 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.

Careerpilot also has a Parent Zone which offers information to parents and carers to help them to support their children in making decisions about their next steps at 14, 16 and 18 years. 

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 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 in C13.

INDEPENDENT CAREERS ADVICE

Image preview

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 is a Registered Career Development Professional with the Career Development Institute and abides by their Code of Ethics. 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 recieve 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 8-13), Mock Interviews (Chapter 11), Alternative Providers Event (Chapter 9) and visits to university and employers throughout the year. We also have school based events for 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

Chapter 12 pupils carry out a block of 8 days work experience at a work placement of their choice.

All students are encouraged to secure work experience and with 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 10 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. Below is the summer program information availbale to our students

Summer Experience 2023

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for further information.

Visits

Pupils experience a range of visits throughout the year to various places of employment including Land Rover Jaguar and universities such as the University of Liverpool.

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:  

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:

Click here to view our Entitlement Statement 

In Chapter 7-13 all pupils are expected to use Careerpilot 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.

The main two websites that are very useful to our pupils are:

Careerpilot Careerpilot

Success at Schools. www.successatschool.org  

SKILLSBUILDER

Liverpool College are a Skillsbuilder Partnership School. Skillsbuilder believe that essential skills unlock learning in the classroom, boosting academic outcomes, perseverance and self belief. They halve the likelihood of being out of work, and increase earnings across a lifetime. They even boost wellbeing and life satisfaction.But access to these skills isn’t fair. And where they are missed, it undermines social mobility, productivity and wellbeing.We think everyone, at every stage of their lives, should have the opportunities to build them. Students at Liverpool College work through the Skillsbuilder programme from Chapter 9, completing lessons and tasks during their Personal Development lessons. More information can be found here skillsbuilder   The Skills Builder logo. Click to return to the homepage.

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; Get The Jump  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 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.


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

Rate My Apprenticeship Parents Hub

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

The UniTaster Days website is 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

Parental Guidance

Clearing for the Confused Parents start here

Degree Courses: Academic v. Vocational
How to Write an Effective UCAS Personal Statement

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

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

Protection against extremism

http://educateagainsthate.com/parents/

Department for Education Website

Compare Schools Performance Tables

Local Authority Website

Liverpool Directgov

ONLINE SAFETY

http://parentzone.org.uk

http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics

http://parentinfo.org/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

http://www.parentalguidance.org.uk/


FURTHER EDUCATION

The City of Liverpool College

Hugh Baird College

Carmel College

Cronton College 

LOCAL UNIVERSITIES

Liverpool University

Liverpool John Moores University

Liverpool Hope

Edge Hill

Not going to Uni


LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION

Liverpool Enterprise Partnership

LCR Creating Careers

Adzuna (Job Search)

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.  Do visit the Find a careers writer pages for more details including special writing interests, and the wide range organisations who have commissioned our work.

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.

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 2. An apprenticeship.

  3. 3. A traineeship with the idea of progressing onto an apprenticeship or education.

  4. 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.

Links

Apprenticeships - a parents' guide

NCS Parents Guide - Apprenticeships

NCS Parents Guide - University and Finances

Labour Market Information - Liverpool, Cumbria and Lancashire.pdf

This information was reviewed in September 2023. Next date for review is September 2024

Print