This blog is designed to keep you up-to-date with Careers Education, Information and Guidance (CEIAG) available locally, nationally and through the school. I’ll be posting information about employment and training opportunities available locally as well as details of open days and useful websites. The world of education, employment and training opportunities is changing rapidly so keep checking in for the latest information.

Mr Cross


Friday 25 October 2013

Oaklands College Open Evenings

Oaklands College has two Open Evenings next month to which students and their parents are invited to talk to Tutors and view what courses are on offer.  Both evenings run from 5.00 - 8.00 p.m.  St Albans Campus is open on Tuesday 12th November and the Welwyn Garden City Campus is open on Wednesday 13th November.  For information about what courses are on offer and the campus where they are based, click here.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Year 11 'Moving On' Evening

As promised, here are the presentations from the evening:
All the websites mentioned, and several other useful ones, are listed at the top left of this blog.
As always, any questions, please contact me at school.
Mr Cross

Tune in to UCAS TV

As the name suggests, UCAS.tv is a website offering a range of video clips which can help students in a range of areas, such as Personal Statements, how to apply to a particular college or university and how to choose a course.  There are also "vox pop" films made my students to give you the inside track, for example, on how to survive "freshers' week"...

Wednesday 16 October 2013

"What's happening in the Jobs Market?"

  • There are approximately one million young people in the UK ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET). 
  • A CBI survey in 2012 revealed that 51% of businesses are not confident they will find recruits of a sufficient quality to fill their vacancies.
  • 23% of businesses report that they face difficulty in getting experienced staff with expertise in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths.
  • Recent studies have highlighted that there is a significant mismatch between the career aspirations of young people and the reality of the job market. For example, in a survey of 11000 teenagers, 36.3% were found to be chasing employment in just 10 highly competitive occupations.
  • An OECD report has found that ‘skills mismatch is a very real phenomenon impacting on people’s earning prospects and their productivity. Knowing which skills are needed in the labour market and which educational pathways will get young people to where they want to be is essential’.

Thanks to the hard work of Jackie Duffy, our Youth Connexions PA, Beaumont has repeated its success this year in ensuring that no students leaving Year 11 were NEET.  Our curriculum is designed to provide our students with the maximum opportunities to gain the qualifications universities, FE colleges and employers seek, supplemented by a Curriculum Enrichment programme which includes Careers and Work-Related Education(CWRE).  Last month, all Year 11 students participated in a day's activities developing their confidence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths; next month a 'Careers Fair' will form part of the 'Moving On' CED.  This learning is supplemented by CWRE experiences such as Year 7 'Work-Shadowing' and Year 10 Work Experience as well as provision within the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHCEE) and Sixth Form pastoral programmes.
 
Parents and students are encouraged to use the links on this blog to explore a range of sources of Impartial Advice and Guidance, such as ChannelMogo, Careers Box and the National Careers Service.
 
If you need more information about any aspects of Beaumont's Careers Education, Information and Guidance, please contact me at school.
 
Mr Cross
 

Friday 4 October 2013

Sunday Times University Guide 2014 published

The Sunday Times has published its guide to UK universities.  Click here for the web version.  There are plenty of other useful sources of impartial advice and guidance on higher education opportunities, including the Which University website so take the time to get as much useful information as you can before making your choices.

Thursday 3 October 2013

Careers Library updates

The school regularly receives prospectuses from UK universities and FE colleges as well as information about Apprenticeships and Open Days.  These are kept in the Careers Library which is in the main school Library, next to the Reference Section.  Please ask the Librarians if you need help in locating specific course information.  The 2013-14 university prospectuses are starting to come in, most recently, information about Engineering courses at Loughborough University and careers in Hotels and Catering.  Take a look ...