National Careers Service’ Job Profiles: Use the following link to access job profiles. Use these profiles to explore your career ideas – National Careers Service

Career Pilot – : Careers information and tools for 11-19 year olds – Career Pilot

Career Pilot for parents– Careerpilot : Parent zone

National Apprenticeship Service: use the following link to search and apply for vacancies – Apprenticeships

Icould: Free access to over 1000 personal video stories, detailed job information, plus practical tips, insight and advice and Labour Market Information – icould – Career

Careers box: National online careers film and video library. You will be able to watch real people doing real jobs to help give you more of an insight – CareersBox

‘Get my first job’: a website to look at Apprenticeships and Traineeships – GetMyFirstJob

Gatsby Benchmarks (padlet.org)

All the resources, all in one place | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk) 

NHS careers: NHS Careers 

Careers in Sport: Sport England 

Construction Industry:  Go Construct

Engineering Industry Training Board: ECITB

Careers in law: AllAboutLaw 

Apprenticeships in the Motor Vehicle Trade: Remit Training

Future Morph- Science and maths careers: www.futuremorph.org

Public Services: 

• RAF Recruitment
• The British Army 
• Royal Navy Jobs
• Careers and volunteering | Northamptonshire Police
• https://www.northantsfire.gov.uk/work-for-us/

The Local Authority that a student lives in has a duty to publish potential intended destinations (including FE, HE and local colleges) on their Local Offer. This is regularly reviewed and updated by the LA. The links to the Local Offers in the area are here:

Local Offer | West Northamptonshire Council

https://localoffer.northnorthants.gov.uk/home

Central Bedfordshire SEND Local Offer

Bucks SEND Local Offer | Family Information Service

Apprentices are employees, paid to work and follow a course of study to become qualified at their job.

Apprenticeships are an excellent way of gaining qualifications and workplace experience at the same time. As an employee, you can earn as you learn and you gain practical skills from the workplace.

Apprenticeship training is offered by FE colleges and other training providers, often on a day release basis.

All apprenticeships offer a package of qualifications which are vocational (practical), knowledge-based (theoretical) and include literacy and numeracy skills. Many also include IT or communication skills.

Visit the Apprenticeships website where you will find lots of information about what apprenticeships are available, how to find an apprenticeship as well as the real-life experiences of young people who have already followed this route.

Higher education (HE) may be an option from age 18 if you have already achieved A Levels or a Level 3 qualification.

If you want to get into higher education, there are different options available. It’s not necessarily about getting A levels – you can study full time for work-related qualifications or for an apprenticeship. You may also be able to take an Advanced Diploma qualification.

There are universities across the United Kingdom or even overseas where you could apply to study. Please see some of our local universities below:

• University of Northampton
• University of Bedfordshire
• Open University

Universities and colleges set their own entry requirements, so they vary from course to course. When you’re choosing what you need to do at 16, it’s important to find out what qualifications and grades you’re likely to need for the type of higher education course you want to do.

For full time courses, you can look up entry requirements on the UCAS website

A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last from 6 weeks up to 1 year, though most traineeships last for less than 6 months.

You will receive:

• help with getting work, such as writing a CV and finding a job
• a work placement of 70 hours or more
• help with the skills you’ll need for an apprenticeship or job in the area you want to work in
• a job interview or feedback from an employer
• help with English, maths and basic digital skills (if you need it)

You won’t be paid, but you may be given expenses for things like travel and meals.

If you are interested in finding a traineeship please click the following link – Traineeships

Supported internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds, who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The core aim of a supported internship study programme is a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach.

Supported interns are enrolled and supported by a learning provider, for example, a school or college, but spend most of their learning time – typically around 70% – in a workplace.

The internships provide the opportunity for young people to achieve sustained, paid employment by equipping them with the skills they need for work, through learning in the workplace.

Supported interns are in full-time education and their supported internship work placements are part of their course. There is no legal requirement or expectation that the supported intern will be paid.  Supported internships last for a minimum of 6 months, and up to a year.

The supported internship should contribute to the long-term career goals of the young person and match their capabilities. Alongside their time with the employer, supported interns complete a personalised study programme delivered by the college, which includes the chance to study for relevant qualifications, if appropriate, and English and Maths at an appropriate level.

Every young person is supported in the work placement by a trained job coach, put in place by their education provider. The job coach provides in-work support that tapers off, if appropriate, as the supported intern becomes familiar with their role. Job coaches also work with employers, increasing their confidence in employing individuals with additional needs and helping them to create and support a diverse workforce.

The aim of supported internships is to support young people with EHC plans to gain paid employment by:

• supporting them to develop the skills valued by employers
• enabling them to demonstrate their value in the workplace
• developing confidence in their own abilities to perform successfully at work.

You can apply for supported internships through your local colleges and independent training providers

Working as a volunteer can be unpaid work in a workplace; this is useful if you are unemployed and looking to get work experience, stay engaged and remain in the habit of working. 

Volunteering can also be for a charity or on a project of some kind. Volunteering projects are always looking for more people to help them out.

You can volunteer alongside education or training or it can be something you do full time or away from home. You can also do a range of different voluntary projects in different settings.

It can be something you do to gain experience while looking for employment or simply to add to your skills, for example, team working or communication.

Volunteering is suitable for all young people, regardless of ability; there are many different opportunities that can match your particular skills and interest.  Volunteering can give you the edge at a college, university or job interview. 

You need to decide if volunteering full time or part time suits you better in order to plan whether or not you will need to apply for something else as well. Researching the different options available will allow you to make a better choice.

You can approach organisations direct or go through national volunteering organisations that support your application process.

• V – is a volunteering charity who support young people in volunteering on local projects
  www.vinspired.com
• National Citizen Service provides summer opportunities for 16 and 17 year olds
  nationalcitizenservice.direct.gov.uk
• GoVo is a digital volunteering platform in the UK (England, Scotland & Wales) that connects people who want to volunteer with charities and community groups needing support GoVo

The government has increased the age to which all young people in England are required to continue in education or training meaning that you now have to combine this with work until at least your 18th birthday. Find out more about Raising the participation age.

The following government link provides a range of information on how to find a job, including a job search function – GOV.UK: Finding a job

You may have a great business idea and want to set up your own business. There is plenty of advice and support out there for you to research and decide if this is for you. Big businesses do this before they start a project so you don’t need to go it alone. Look at these websites as a start:

• The enterprise programme from the Prince’s Trust
• GOV.UK – Setting up