Some of us have a very clear idea of what we'd like to do career-wise, whereas some of us find this topic much more difficult. Wherever you sit in this range, there is much guidance we can offer at Varndean School.
Where to begin? For younger students, the options for the future activities are a great place to start. As you progress through school, thoughts turn to colleges and post-16 options, and information about their open days and the courses on offer is vital to keep you up to speed.
Our overall aim is to provide a world-class careers programme which supports and encourages students to develop high aspirations, sustain employability and achieve personal and economic wellbeing throughout their lives.
Careers Delivery Statement
The Varndean Careers Journey
Careers Lead: Tim Clarke 01273 561281 timclarke@varndean.co.uk
This has been put together by Ms Carroll, Independent Careers Advisor at Varndean School, available in school every Wednesday during term time.
During Enrichment week students in Year 10 have the opportunity to attend a work experience placement. Work experience offers students a first-hand encounter with various professions, allowing them to explore different career paths and gain valuable insights into the working world. This experience goes beyond the classroom, providing practical knowledge that can significantly contribute to their personal and academic development.
Work Experience Guide for Families
Varndean School uses unifrog, a complete destinations platform which supports all students with discovering, exploring, researching, planning and deciding on their next steps.
Every student is set up with a unifrog account when they join Varndean School. Unifrog is a one-stop-shop where students can explore and compare post-16 and post-18 options, including universities in 30 other countries across the world. This is alongside getting access to labour market information and advice on careers and subjects for all routes.
Students can use unifrog to record and evidence their activities and competencies, prepare a CV and write a personal statement.
Parents can also be linked to their child's unifrog account to receive regular updates on their progress.
Unifrog Subject Library
Login to unifrog and click on the 'subjects library' tool. From here you can search subject to study at post-16 or university including entry requirements, recommended reading, films and podcasts.
https://www.unifrog.org/student/subjects
If you already have career ideas, you can use the National Careers Service to search for the job or, better still, use the Job Families (groups of jobs) to explore. Use of the groups allows you to discover similar or related jobs.
Tip: Make use of the links at the end of each article.
Career matching quizzes.
These take a bit longer - but the quizzes make a logical match between the things that interest you/your values and potential job roles.
Compare jobs using the Careerometer
The Careerometer tool lets you compare the average wages and working hours of up to three jobs in England. Simply type in the first career that you think you might be interested in and select from the drop-down list, then add your second and third choices to see the comparison.
http://www.lmiforall.org.uk/widget/
Labour market information tells you about the local or national demand that there is for different skills and from different industries. Labour market information tells you:
Unifrog Careers Library
Use the unifrog Careers Library tool to search for careers of interest that are linked to different subjects, learn what different jobs entail, skills needed, number of jobs and salaries.
https://www.unifrog.org/student/careers
The Pay Index
The Pay Index is a set of easy-to-use online tools to support school and college students in Years 9-14 as they consider their further education and career options at this important stage of their lives. Using up-to-date and comprehensive labour market information, the Pay Index helps students take a close look at:
https://www.thepayindex.com/login
Username: teacher.sln@thepayindex.com
Password: Sussex_teach2021!
National Careers Service
If you're looking for job market information by region, then the National Careers Service website is really useful. Using their interactive map, simply click on the area that you'd like to find out about and you'll be presented with lots of information about the local labour market. On this website, you can find out about the employment rate, skills shortages, growing industries, employment forecasts and the types of jobs that are popular in that area.
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
The Peak Earnings Predictor
What's the highest salary you'll earn in your career? Use this interactive tool to calculate when you'll hit your 'peak earnings' and how high your salary could climb.
https://www.totaljobs.com/insidejob/peak-earnings/
Education Development Trust (EDT) Bulletin
Read the Education Development Trust's (EDT) LMI Bulletins to find out more about current and future work opportunities.
A full-time paid job, with training for job-related qualifications. Search for, shortlist and apply for apprenticeship vacancies using unifrog.
What is an apprenticeship?
How to apply for an apprenticeship
Additional apprenticeship search websites:
www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk
https://www.apprenticeships-in-sussex.com/
https://www.springpod.com/apprenticeships/opportunities
https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/
https://www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk/
Training organisations who provide apprenticeships, traineeships and pre-employment training in Sussex:
https://www.apprenticeships-in-sussex.com/providers.php
Find apprenticeship programmes:
This year's annual online event is on Tuesday 17th October https://www.getcareerconfident.co.uk/what-next-sussex
Our main post-16 providers are listed below:
Varndean College
BHASVIC
Brighton MET and Northbrook MET
Below is a link to the full list of post-16 local providers and information about their open events.
UCAS If you know what degree subject interests you, you can look at the entry requirements and A level subjects needed. At GCSE level, most universities will require English and Mathematics, some degree subjects will also ask for Science. They may ask for a grade profile. Always look at a few different universities - they can have different requirements.
Which? University Offers an overview of degree course content and most frequently required subjects. It also provides some useful advice for choosing GCSEs and how it relates to university.
www.informedchoices.ac.uk is a tool produced by the Russell Group to help young people match A level subjects to future degree subjects.
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/a-level-explorer - also gives advice linking A level/BTEC subjects to future university study.
Some careers require you to get work experience - but sometimes you can achieve this through volunteering. Find out more on the Do-it be More website and https://wearencs.com/
BBC Bitesize
Looking for job inspiration? Check out our job profiles to help you get started. Hear from people who are using subjects that interest you, see how much you could get paid for different roles and find out what qualifications you might need to follow in their footsteps.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zhst2sg
Unifrog
Take the 'interests profile' quiz on unifrog to find out your interest areas and explore your subject matches!
https://www.unifrog.org/student/interests-profile/quiz
Working in...
Learning4Life Sussex
The aim of Learning4Life Sussex is to bring together in one place a wide range of useful links to trusted websites that will provide you with information to inspire, enable and support you to learn, whatever your stage of life or area of interest.
https://www.learning4lifesussex.org.uk/
Get Career Confident
Get Career Confident is Sussex-based and provides advice and guidance to young people, their parents or carers and teachers.
https://www.getcareerconfident.co.uk/
‘See To Be’ films - local people showcasing their jobs and what they involve
‘How To’ films - tips on choosing GCSE’s
Youtube channel - tops tips for talking to your teens about careers etc.
Newsletter
Other parent/carer focussed resources
icould
icould.com uses the power of personal stories to inform young peoples' career choices. Free and simple to use, icould.com features over 1000 videos of people talking about their careers - explaining their job role, career path, and how different factors have shaped their direction.
Each video is matched with labour market information - such as salary, qualifications and future employment.
Careermap
A comprehensive web-based source of information about a wide range of careers.
Success at School
A web resource that contains a wide amount of information about different careers.
National Careers Service - Get the Jump
The Get the Jump content hub on the National Careers Service website can help take the stress out of young people’s next move.
The hub brings together all post-16 and post-18 education and training choices in one place, so it’s easier for young people to make an informed decision – whether that’s T Levels, A Levels, university, apprenticeships, a Higher Technical Qualification, or something else.
