POST-16 ADVICE AND GUIDANCE

Students

Reaching Year 11 at Handsworth Grange does not have to mean you have reached the end of your educational journey. There are many fantastic directions that you can choose to go in in order to reach your full potential and achieve an amazing career! There are some options below about where you could go.

FE college

• Look at college websites and the college provider pages in the Sheffield Progress Search.
• Go to college open days – they’re great opportunities to talk to students and tutors.
• College is an adult environment where you take more responsibility for yourself and your learning – there's support and guidance available, but it‘s also a chance for you to prepare for work and life post-education.
• There's usually a range of sport and leisure opportunities – employers and universities look for evidence of your wider interests and achievements, so check out college clubs and activities!
• Sheffield College
• Thomas Rotherham College
• Barnsley College

School sixth form

• Look at a variety of schools – sixth forms vary in size, course offering, and subjects, as well as extra activities and opportunities you might like.
• Check whether they offer the courses you want – wherever you choose to go, make sure you'll be studying subjects that interest you.
• Every school will have a sixth form open evening and will welcome you to have a look around.

Sixth form college

• Sixth form colleges can be more informal than school sixth forms.
• They’re usually bigger, and they can often offer you more study options.
• You'll get to make new friends from different schools

Training providers

• There are lots of training providers offering a wide range of work-related training and qualifications, including NVQs and apprenticeships.
• Some are specialists focusing on particular sectors and job roles – such as construction, business administration, childcare, or hair and beauty.
• Training providers work closely with employers who offer work-based training as part of placements or employment.

Which qualification is right?

• There are a lot of options to gain the right qualifications, but they fall into four main types:
• Academic – studied at school/college and can lead to university, an apprenticeship, or a job
• Applied General – studied at college/school and can lead to university, an apprenticeship, or a job
• Tech levels – studied at college or an apprenticeship and can make you job-ready or lead to university
• Occupational – taken in apprenticeships or work and can be described as on the job training
• A Level Explorer- see where your A level choices will take you
• Apply for apprenticeships locally and nationally
• A Guide to Apprenticeships
• National Apprenticeship Service- search for apprenticeship vacancies or register for alerts and to apply
• What are T levels?

Parents/ Carers

Parents and carers are the most influential factor in students’ decisions about the future. Your support and encouragement influences their choices, and the guidance you provide will be invaluable to their eventual achievements and career pathways.

There are some very simple and practical steps you can take to support your child.

• Talk to them about their current educational attainment and estimated grades and encourage them to aim high (the skills shortages of the future will be in higher-level jobs)
• Discuss where they want to be and research how to get there (there are links below to some great resources)
• Encourage them to get the advice and experiences they need to help them achieve their goals

Links

• Careers advice for parents
• Advice for Parents - planning futures
• A Parent's Guide to Apprenticeships
• Paths to Professional Careers - A Parent's Guide
• Student Finance - Parent information

Employers

If you can help support HGCSC in any way, we would love to hear from you. You could support the school in a variety of ways by assisting with:

• student mentoring
• mock job interviews
• careers talks to a group of students
• motivational and inspiring assemblies
• career and/ or personal finance workshops
• social, moral, spiritual or cultural activities

Premises and facilities

The school will make the sports hall, seminar room and classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available projectors and other specialist equipment to support provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Leader.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature at the Reception.

Links

• National Careers Service: job profiles, course searches and more
• Careers4U: information and videos about different careers
• Careers Yorkshire and the Humber - impartial advice and guidance, local Labour Market Information
• Sheffield Futures- helping Sheffield's young people to reach their full potential and achieve the best out of life, whatever their starting point
• Future Finder - personalised careers advisor, helping you decide which A-Levels to choose, based on your needs.
• Target Careers - a Guide to your future
• Informed Choices - a Russell Group Guide to making decisions about post-16 education
• Qualifications Guide - a brief overview of qualifications from GCSEs through to PHDs, as well as Vocational qualifications from NVQs to Foundation Degrees, including information on the new T levels.
• Labour Market Information- Shape Your Future in South Yorkshire - flipbook (requires Adobe Flash version 10)
• Careers advice for teenagers
• https://www.sheffieldprogress.co.uk/
• What are Key Skills?
• What are Facilitating Subjects?
• How to write an effective CV
• National Citizen Service
• Target Careers
• Prince's Trust
• Sheffield Volunteering Centre

Student finance

• 16-19 bursary fund guide