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Careers Information Advice, Guidance and Work Experience
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Apprenticeships and Employment
Top Tips for school leavers
This is a short video, produced by EY, with top tips from students and experts to help you succeed when making those important job applications for the career of your choice.
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS)
The NAS website: https://www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships has lots of information about apprenticeships for young people, their parents and prospective employers. It also includes listings of current vacancies although you need to be registered in order to actually apply for any of these vacancies. In addition, it contains some excellent support materials for making a successful application:
www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeships-resources-for-teachers-and-advisers#resources-for-learners
The Amazing Apprenticeships website
This website incorporates the ASK (Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge to schools) Service and is full of useful resources, videos and vacancies with large corporations:
amazingapprenticeships.com
Not Going to Uni
Not Going to Uni: www.notgoingtouni.co.uk is a useful website if you want to consider other options, rather than progressing onto university at the end of your A-level studies.
Get My First Job
Get My First Job: www.getmyfirstjob.co.uk contains information about apprenticeships and traineeships as well as a job search function.
School Leaver Programmes
School leaver programmes are increasing in number and provide a fantastic alternative to Higher Education – although many of the programmes also involve you studying for a degree whilst getting paid and gaining important work experience.
www.allaboutcareers.com/jobs/school-leavers
Degree Level Apprenticeship
If you are interested in degree level apprenticeships, then you can use the UCAS Career Finder tool: careerfinder.ucas.com to search for opportunities.
Student Ladder
If you are interested in working for a major national/international company like those listed below, go to the Student Ladder website: www.studentladder.co.uk and do some research on their school leaver programmes or work experience / internship opportunities. The site has information on succeeding at assessment centres and making compelling presentations. There are ICT, financial, engineering, legal, human resource, accountancy opportunities, amongst others, available.
Uptree
Uptree is a professional networking platform connecting young people with the world of work and helping employers to reach young, diverse talent. Create an account and enjoy work experience events at the Head Offices of prestigious companies such as Google.
Similar opportunities are also advertised on:
WhiteHat:
whitehat.org.uk/apprentices
Rate my Apprenticeship:
www.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/top-employers
All About Careers:
www.allaboutcareers.com
Employment
TUC
The TUC website: worksmart.org.uk/careers-advice has some job search advice as well as information about employees’ rights at work. It also has an excellent link to the details of a number of reputable London and nationwide recruitment agencies.
Universal Jobmatch
This is a government website: www.gov.uk/jobsearch that employers can use to advertise vacancies. It is very similar to the National Apprenticeship Service website but it is focussed on jobs rather than apprenticeships.
Civil Service Jobs
The Civil Service delivers public services and supports the government of the day to develop and implement its policies. It includes departments such as the Home Office and the Treasury. Civil Service vacancies are advertised at:
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cgi
Local Government Jobs
LG Jobs: www.lgjobs.com is a website that advertises Local Government vacancies.
Jobs with London Borough of Lewisham
Browse Lewisham Council and Schools vacancies and sign up to get details of jobs emailed to you: lewisham.gov.uk/mayorandcouncil/counciljobs
National Health Service
National Health Service is the largest employer in the UK – find out about different jobs in the health service and NHS vacancies:
www.stepintothenhs.nhs.uk/nhs-jobs
Jobs in the charity sector
The Charity People is a well-established recruitment agency that specialises in opportunities in the charity sector:
www.charitypeople.co.uk
Entrepreneurship
The Prince’s Trust
The Prince's Trust is a youth charity that helps young people aged 16 to 30 get into jobs and start their own businesses:
www.princes-trust.org.uk
Being self employed
If you are interested in setting up your own business, the government has a website that can help you consider what you need to do:
www.gov.uk/browse/business/setting-up
Labour Market Information
National Guidance Research Forum
This very informative website: www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/ngrf contains information about the labour market, including predictions about future trends.
Where The Work Is
This is an interactive tool that enables users to explore demand for particular occupations and the potential salary benefits and likely competition for these positions. The findings can be shown at UK-wide, national and regional levels: wheretheworkis.org