Students

All students are able to request a meeting with Mrs Colgan, Careers Adviser at any point. A careers meeting is an opportunity to discuss your ideas and can help you to make informed decisions about your pathways and future careers.

Mrs Colgan is based in the Careers Office, located next to the Sixth Form Common Room. If you would like to arrange a one-to-one careers meeting, please ask your Form Teacher or Head of Year or email at: e.colgan@bishopchalloner.bham.sch.uk

The online careers platform Unifrog - www.unifrog.org, has a wealth of information that you can access at home 24/7 and is a good starting point for your career exploration and planning. See the tab above for more information on Unifrog.

You can also get support from the National Careers Service - www.nationalcareers.service.gov.uk

Their Careers Advisers can talk to you about your choices online or over the phone on 0800 100 900. Advisers are available from 8 am to 10 pm.

You can get help from Birmingham Careers Service if:

• You have left school.
• Are aged 16 to 19 (up to 25 if you have a learning difficulty or disability).
• Are unemployed and looking for a college course, job, training or apprenticeship.

Call 0121 675 6105 or visit www.birminghamcareersservice.co.uk for information on where their outreach centres are.

LMI stands for Labour Market Information. In short, it refers to any relevant information about the current state of the jobs market.

The world of work is complex, even for adults who have had long professional careers. Many people feel that they fell into their career “by accident” or had to take the available opportunities rather than follow their passions.

LMI helps to demystify the jobs market. It helps to take the confusion out of career planning, job hunting, career progression, and changing career. When people have accurate and up-to-date information, they are better equipped to make an informed choice and to plan appropriately.

Learning about LMI will help you to understand what opportunities are available to you and how you can best take advantage of them. This video explains what LMI is and how you can use it.

Labour Market Information (LMI)

When you are in Year 9 you will have the opportunity to choose some of the subjects you want to study in Years 10 and 11. This is called the Year 9 Pathways Process. You can find more information about choosing your GCSE Pathways here.

At age 14 you can also study at places other than school. The range of places you can study other than school are:

• University Technical Colleges (UTCs) - government-funded schools that offer 14 to 18 year olds both academic and technical education, related to specific job sectors. Each UTC has one or more technical specialism linked to their local industry partners.
• Studio Schools - teach through enterprise projects and real work. This approach ensures students' learning is connected to the real world and helps them develop the skills they need for life and work.
• Free Schools - these are like academies but are set up to meet the needs of a local community. 
• Some Pre-16 college courses - a few students may go to a Further Education college to study vocational courses through a specific pre-16 programme while they are still learning at school.

You can find more information about Post-14 Options on the Career Pilot website.

Students now need to stay in some sort of education, employment or training until the age of 18. 

What can I study?

At the end of Year 11 there are 4 main pathways to choose from:

A-Levels - academic qualifications in a school, sixth form college or college. Study a subject you took at GCSE in greater depth or choose a new one like economics, law or psychology. You could take 3 broad subjects you are interested in to keep your career options open or choose ones you need for a specific career. The following websites can help with choosing your A-Level subjects:

• Informed Choices - guidance is written by admissions directors from the 24 Russell Group universities and provides information on why subject choice matters.
• Career Pilot - tips on choosing your A-Levels and information on what to consider

Vocational, Technical or Applied Qualifications (e.g. BTEC, OCR Cambridge Awards) - qualifications in a college or training centre. A mix of classroom-based learning with the chance to get some practical skills.

Traineeship or Apprenticeship - working towards work-related qualifications (learning on the job). You’ll spend 80% of your time in the workplace and 20% off-the-job with some study in a college, training centre. You can find more information on apprenticeships here:

• Skills for Careers - facts about apprenticeships
• Amazing Apprenticeships - get inspired by hearing apprentice stories and search apprenticeship vacancies

T-Levels - technical qualifications in a school, sixth form or college. T-levels combine classroom learning with industry placements to prepare you for skilled work or higher level study. Find out more about T-Levels here:

• T-Levels: The Next Level Qualification - information on different T-Level subjects

Where can I study?

There are a range of both academic and vocational courses available at further education level (after GCSEs) at the following places:

• Sixth Form – Sixth Forms are a continuation of Secondary School and refer to being in Years 12 and 13. You can follow on from your study at GCSE onto A-Levels or some vocational qualifications.
• Sixth Form College - A Sixth Form College is separate to a secondary school, however only has students in Years 12 and 13. They are usually bigger than school Sixth Forms and most commonly offer A-Level courses and some vocational qualifications.
• Further Education (FE) Colleges - Colleges are different to schools because people of all ages can attend. Colleges offer vocational and technical courses in a range of academic and vocational areas. Again, they are usually bigger than schools and may have specialised facilities and resources (e.g. engineering workshops and animal care centres)
• University Technical Colleges (UTCs) – UTCs deliver technical education as well as core curriculum subjects. They are located in areas of high skills demand and are driven by local industry needs.

You can find information on local college and sixth form open days on the Birmingham Careers Service website.

There are a variety of choices available to students after age 18. When thinking about your next steps it is important to consider what might be the best option for you, considering your skills, interests and career aspirations.

Your Post-18 choices include:

Higher Education (University) - there a huge variety of higher education courses available. Students often have the option of moving away from home, or studying more locally. Funding for higher education study may be available through Student Finance. The following websites have more information about a range of aspects of higher education:

• UCAS - The University and Colleges Admissions Service. The central system for applications to higher education. This website has a wealth of resources on all aspects of university study.
• The Uni Guide - compare universities and courses
• Student Finance - information on funding your higher education studies

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) - HTQs include higher national diplomas, higher national certificates, foundation degrees and higher education diplomas. They are qualifications that sit at a level between A-Levels and a full degree. Although HTQs are primarily designed for entry into skilled employment or those looking to retrain or upskill, you could also progress to further study and/or training. You can find out more here:

• UCAS - Information on who HTQs are for, and what and where you can study

Apprenticeship - working towards work-related qualifications (learning on the job). You’ll spend 80% of your time in the workplace and 20% off-the-job with some study in a college, training centre. Many students go on to Higher or Degree Level (Levels 4-7) apprenticeships after Year 13. You can find more information on apprenticeships here:

• Apprenticeships Website - everything you need to know about apprenticeships
• Not Going to Uni - information on work based routes after school and college

Gap Year - many students benefit from a year away from work or education to develop their skills and consider their options. A well planned gap year could include travelling, volunteering, earning money and developing skills.

The following websites have more information on gap years:

• National Careers Service - advice on different gap year activities
• Prospects - different gap year options

Employment - Once you’re 18, you can choose to begin full-time work. You could begin an entry level role where you could work towards your desired career, join a specific school leaver programme or start your own business. These links have more information:

• Indeed - job search website
• Kings Trust - support with starting your own business
• UCAS - Information on traineeships and school leaver programmes