Oaklands Open Evenings - next week!

Visit Oaklands College next week for information about all their courses.
Tuesday 28th April at St Albans Campus
Wed 29th April at Welwyn Garden City Campus
Both events are open 5pm-8pm, no booking required.
See the college website for more information about what they offer.
Here's the link to the flyer for the open events.

School Sports Apprenticeship vacancies

DSSN is looking for sports apprentices to support the delivery of PE and
school sport within Dacorum Primary Schools. The role will begin in
September 2015.
The apprentice will:
 be based in a primary school (4 days/ week)
 work for DSSN (1 day/week)
 earn approximately £4200/year
 receive a NVQ- Activity Leadership level 2 qualification
 be aged 16-21 and not in full time education
The apprentice should:
 Have some leadership experience
 Have good organisational skills
 Be self-motivated and able to use their initiative
 Want to inspire others.
If all of the above sounds like a career for you please contact
Clare McCawley on 01442 278737 or via e-mail to:
C.McCawley@cavendish.herts.sch.uk for more details and an
application form.
Closing date Friday 29th May 2015

Barratt Foundation Degree programme (paid work and study)

Residential Development & Construction Foundation Degree Programme Up to £24,000 + benefits Opportunities nationwide Housing is big news. Just like this opportunity. Demand for all kinds of homes - from the affordable, to the extravagant - keeps rising. Which makes construction a fantastic sector in which to establish a sustainable future. As a FTSE 100, award-winning house builder, Barratt is the place to do it.​ If you're seeking an alternative to full-time Higher Education, we have the answer. Our three-year Foundation Degree Programme in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University combines full-time work with study to give you everything you need to transition into your new career - including accredited qualifications, professional experience and valuable connections. Don't just take our word for it. Here's what our students say: "I was attracted to Barratt as the company has an ethos of improving environments where they build. Each day offers new challenges. The best part of my job is when the home we have been constructing is complete and the street scene is created. There is a huge sense of pride and seeing customers excitedly move into their homes is rewarding. The achievements I have made in such a short space of time have set me up in the industry." Sean Regan Discover more and apply here.

Access Professions

Excellent website for soon-to-be school leavers to find routes into quality work experience, insight days, summer school and other opportunities.  Register with them to get relevant opportunities emailed to you in time to apply.
Currently many opportunities on offer to help you find out about working in Business.
Covers uni route and also alternative routes too.
http://www.accessprofessions.com/ 

Apprenticeships with Aldi - application window opens 9th March

Aldi is the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK today. But that’s not just down to our award-winning products and super low prices. It’s our people. They have that little bit of sparkle, making our stores not only a unique place to shop, but also a rewarding place to work

Our Apprenticeship Training Programme gives ambitious school leavers a three-year springboard to a successful career in retail. Whether you choose Store or Logistics Management, you’ll be given a competitive salary (starting at £5.30 per hour) and a supportive environment where you can learn from the very best. We’re about to open our Apprentice window on 9th March. We tend to have a high response so it’s worth thinking about it now. Have a look at our website and check out Chloe’s video. She’s the perfect person to tell you how it really is and why you need to be a hardworking, determined sort of person to join us. For an Apprenticeship Programme like no other, emailaldi.apprenticeships@first4skills.com and kick-start your career!

Good websites for Year 9 students considering their option choices

Icould.com  Lots of career information, video clips and articles.  In particular for Year 9 option choices, try What's your subject page Click on your favourite subjects and you will find real life examples of people who have used the subjects they are interested in within their career.  Also Information for parents page has good articles and a link to Choices at 14 page

Bright-knowledge     Good articles and advice in the section on Years 9-11

Kudos Online   Online quiz (takes 15 mins, very easy) to help young people think about the work they would like to do.  Results from the quiz show how your preferences are matched to job roles which you can then explore further - what's involved, entry requirements, further career paths.
For this site you will need the Cavendish licence code - email Mrs Shaw for this as our licence is paid for by Youth Connexions Hertfordshire.  But do use this one, it's very helpful and by logging in, your preferences are saved to re-visit later.  Several sites have career-matching quizzes - this one is excellent and specifically designed for young people.

Plotr    Excellent website for young people with a game and lots of advice and information

National Careers Service    This is the official government site with information for all ages. There is lots of advice to explore and links to further information.
The young people's section has articles to help you consider the choices open to you.
The job profiles section is where you can look up a job-role for what's involved, pay rates, entry levels, progression paths, and statistics for that employment sector (how many jobs there are in the sector, growth rates, etc - often called Labour Market Information).

Youth Connexions Hertfordshire  
YCH have advisers that you can meet with face to face at their base on the first floor at XC in Jarman Park.  They are open 1pm-5pm on weekdays, for young people and their parents.  Drop in or phone ahead to arrange a time.  Here are the contact details.
Their advisers are qualified in Careers Guidance, they are impartial and highly knowledgeable, and their service is FREE to residents of Hertfordshire.  They also run lots of other events and projects for young people in Herts.  Wonderful, friendly and helpful!
Their website has advice and links too, try their Choices page and others.

Local apprenticeship vacancies 21/1/15

Latest list of local vacancies is available here, some great opportunities to look out for.

This list is updated regularly and is posted on school website Careers page.   The jobs shown on this list are just a selection of the vacancies available now/soon. They are here to give you an idea of the range of opportunities which are available.
For more information on each of these vacancies and to apply, you need this website, which is the national one. https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

There are other ways to find apprenticeships too. For example the construction industry (from trades to technical) have their own separate website http://www.citb.co.uk/bconstructive/ 

When you want to apply, make your application the best it can be. Give yourself time, ask for help, and get someone you trust to run through it before you submit it.  There is often huge competition for these jobs, but that's because they are worth it!   Ask for help and advice.

Then when you are offered an interview, do plenty of preparation beforehand (again, ask for some help and there are lots of interview tips online).

Apprenticeships are advertised all year round as vacancies become available.  Jobs starting from July onwards might be advertised any time, but particularly from about April onwards - be ready to apply by preparing a draft application which you can customise when you spot the perfect vacancy.  Every vacancy is different, depending on the employer.