WORK EXPERIENCE, HIGHER EDUCATION AND GRADUATE CAREERS

YEAR 13 PARENTS’ EVENING 2015

Beyond the Sixth Form

Work experience

Highly valued by employers

School work experience seen as evidence of commitment to a career path

(Ulster University Careers & Employability Service)

Work Experience

When?

18th-20th Jan.

Pupil holidays

Open Days (Charter) : www.charter-ni.com/

Check amount needed.

How?

Own contacts

Work experience supervisor

Charter : deals directly with school

New arrangements for medical work placements

Special Cases

Ballyclare Primary School : 2 places

Roddensvale Special School : anapier455@c2kni.net 2 referees -2 places

Mossley Primary School : application form

Kainos : https://www.kainos.com/careers/work-experience-2/ 4 places

Documentation

School/own letter and CV

Record on work experience management system :

www.ballyclarehighcareers.com

Record generates indemnity forms sent by school

By 13th Oct – complete record/speak to supervisor

Post-16 Options

Higher Education*Higher apprenticeshipsApprenticeshipsEmploymentArmed ForcesSelf employment

*>95% of BHS pupils

Key Messages

Take responsibility.Start now.Research, research, research!

What do universities and employers want?

Take opportunities.

Good grades in all 4 AS levels.

Higher Education Research

What to study?

Where to study?

How much will it cost?

Need to research and visit.

What to study?

Two decisions…

1. What type of qualification?2. What subject?

What Qualification?

2-year courses: HND; Foundation Degree.

Ordinary Degree, eg. BA

Honours Degree: single/with/joint?

Masters Degree, eg. MEng.

Sandwich degree.

What subject?

Academic, similar to school subjects?

Vocational, preparation for a career?

40%+ of graduate jobs – degree subject is irrelevant.

www.prospects.ac.uk

Same subject may be different at different universities – research details

League tables

High Demand Courses

Subjects vary among universities, but can include:

Medicine/Dentistry/Vet. ScienceAllied Health ProfessionsNursingLawTeachingEnglish/History/Economics/International RelationsBusiness Management/Accounting/Actuarial ScienceSports Science/StudiesPharmacy; STEM subjects.

QUB & UU: Impact of Budget Cuts

Ulster University1250 places cut over 3 years.210 staff cut this year.

Course consolidations:Psychology only at ColeraineSociology only at JordanstownComputing only at Jordanstown and Magee

UU Course Closures

Mathematics at JordanstownInterior Design in BelfastDesign at MageeFinancial Engineering at ColeraineMarine Science at ColeraineFinance & Investment Analysis at ColeraineBusiness Management at ColeraineBanking & Finance at ColeraineModern Languages at Coleraine.

Where to study?

Location (Ease Of Access)Academic Reputation (Quality of Teaching and

Research)Type (City, Campus, Technological)Type of Course

(Vocational/Non-Vocational/Sandwich)Assessment (Formal Exams, Continuous

Assessment, etc)SizeAccommodationFacilitieswww.unistats.ac.uk - Key Information Sets

The Russell Group

24 major research-intensive universities

Account for 65% of UK universities research grant.

Seen as elite – visited by blue chip companies seeking to recruit.

Includes QUB.

How much will it cost?

Tuition fees£9k; £3.8k; 2.5k Euro; £1.8k; $20-50k+

Accommodation costs

Other living costs

Bursaries, scholarships & sponsorships

Compare on www.unistats.direct.gov.uk

Universities Outside British Isles

Netherlandswww.studielink.nlTuition fees : £1535/year£588 ave. living costs/yearUSAHigh tuition feesScholarships – academic, sport, Fulbrightwww.fulbright.org.uk

Entry Requirements

A and AS level performance is expressed in 2 ways…

Grades in 3 or 3.5 A levels

New UCAS tariff points for 2017 entry: A* : 56; A:48; B:40; C:32; D:24; E:16.

Points for 4th AS : A : 20; B : 16; C : 12; D : 10; E : 6.

Other requirements eg work experience, volunteering, admissions tests, extra-curricular activities, skills.

Admissions Tests

LNAT : some law schools.

BMAT : some medical and vet schools.

UKCAT: most medical & dental schools.

HPAT Ulster : UU professions allied to medicine. HPAT Ireland: some ROI medical schools.

And others.

ROI ( www.cao.ie)

Grade A2 points AS points

A* 150 -

A 135 65

B 120 60

C 100 50

D 75 35

E 40 20

What can I do with my A levels?

Higher Ideas

BHS Licence

Code strictly for BHS pupils only :-

rbdkma38

Comparing Universities

Key Information Sets : www.unistats.direct.gov.uk

League tables : - UK : - Times Good University Guide Guardian University Guide Complete University Guide

Subject tables University Rankings

World Times Higher QS World University Rankings

Useful Websites

www.ucas.com ( parent zone)

www.unistatsdirect.gov.uk www.studential.com/

www.thestudentroom.co.uk

university.which.co.uk/

Other Resources

Higher Ideas

Books – Brian Heap

BHS intranet – careers e-folder for pupils

Careers classes and university talks next term.

Events

12th Sept : QUB family open day27th Jan : BLC Careers ConventionMarch : UCAS HE Convention5th Oct : UU Health & Life Sciences30th Sept : QUB School of ManagementAutumn & Summer : University Open Days

Is a degree worth it?

Higher earnings: up to £200 000.

Better job opportunities

Not all get ‘graduate’ jobs

More well qualified people

Upward shift in qualifications

Degree is a necessity not a luxury

Other qualities increasingly important

Qualifications Demanded by Employers

Year Batchelors Degree Masters Degree

2002 23% 6%

2012 31% 9%

2022 37% 14%

Why Higher Education?

Employers want:Good intellectual abilityProblem solving and analytical skillsIT skillsGood communication skillsGood interpersonal skillsAbility to work with others – teamworkFlexibility / adaptabilityUnderstanding of strengths and weaknesses

Graduate Employment

Many enter professions relevant to their degrees BUT many do not - eg: Humanities and Social Sciences.

Many proceed to further study/training Others enter jobs unrelated to degree subject eg. Administration, marketing, sales.

Graduate Employment – 2 sectors1. Vocational2. General

Over 40% of graduate jobs are open to graduates of any discipline.

2015 Graduate Labour Market

Approx 400,000 UK graduates

<200,000 graduate level job vacancies

58.8% employed in non-graduate jobs

Entry qualifications to Higher level apprenticeships lowered, eg by PWC – skills valued.

Career Pathways

Which Degree?

QUB survey of employers:

41% : no subject preference41% : STEM14% : Business

Where will a degree take you?

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/ - graduate careers

www.prospects.ac.uk - graduate careers

www.highfliers.co.uk – The Graduate Market 2015

www.nidirect.gov.uk/careers - LMI factsheets

Emerging Sectors in NI with Graduate Opportunities

Business Services ( incl. ICT)Financial ServicesRetailFood & Drink/Agri-FoodAdvanced EngineeringAdvanced Manufacturing & MaterialsRenewablesHealth & Life SciencesCreative & Digital Media

Universities Targeted by the Largest Number of Top Employers in 2014-15

1. Manchester2. Nottingham3 Warwick4. Cambridge5. Oxford6.Durham7. Bristol8. UCL9. Imperial10. Leeds

11. Bath12. LSE13. Birmingham 14. Edinburgh15. Loughborough16. Sheffield17. Southampton 18. Exeter19. Newcastle20. King’s

College,Lon.

Graduate Recruitment

The UK’s leading employers expect to recruit significantly more graduates in 2015.

They are offering 7.9% more entry-level vacancies than last year – the biggest annual rise in graduate recruitment for four years.

This takes graduate recruitment beyond the pre-recession peak in 2007.

Graduate Recruitment

The biggest growth in vacancies is expected at public sector employers, accounting& professional services firms, banking & finance employers, retailers and the Armed Forces which together intend to recruit almost 1,200 extra graduates in 2015.

Recruiters have confirmed that 31% of this year’s entry-level positions are expected to be filled by graduates who have already worked for their organisations – either through paid internships, industrial placements or vacation work.