Go4SET
Go4SET is an Engineering and Development Trust (EDT) initiative which aims to get young people interested in Science, Engineering and Technology. The scheme is aimed at teams of Year 9 pupils who are offered links to companies and universities. They then get the chance to take part in a 10 week Science, Engineering and Technology experience. For more information visit http://www.go4set.org.uk
New Mentoring Website
Horsemouth is a new website which allows users to receive informal mentoring. The website aims to provide young people with access to good, relevant support, and allows them to find appropriate mentors and role models. Topics up for discussion include careers, learning, student life, where to study, practical courses and business start up. The website can be accessed by visiting http://www.horsesmouth.co.uk
Laying Good Foundations?
Foundation Degree
Forward’s (fdf’s)
primary objective is to support the development
of high quality Foundation degrees. fdf works
in partnership with all relevant agencies, institutions,
organisations and interest groups to ensure that
the development of Foundation degrees is driven
by the needs of students and employers, and satisfies
the requirements of all stakeholders. fdf is
a ‘needs driven’ organisation and where
information or skill gaps emerge in Foundation
degree development, fdf will
endeavour to work with interested parties to fill
them. For more information on Fds including a complete
listing of available programmes and case studies
from the South East region, please visit the Foundation
Degree Forward website at http://www.fdf.ac.uk or
contact the Regional Director, Helen Thomas, on h.thomas@fdf.ac.uk.
Research has shown that it
is difficult for Information, Advice and Guidance
(IAG) practitioners to keep up to date with the
plethora of new qualifications and progression
pathways that are available, including Foundation
Degrees, and that although good quality information
is available it is not always aimed at practitioners'
needs or the needs of particular groups of clients.
Careersbox
Careersbox is a free national web based, careers film library and LMI resource aimed at IAG professionals, parents and students. The website contains over 70 films of people at work and can be accessed by visiting http://www.careersbox.co.uk
Finance for learners
Students Unaware of Bursaries
Around 12,000 students from poorer backgrounds have not claimed bursaries because they were not aware they were entitled to £1,000 grants, the Office of Fair Access (Offa) has said. Students from homes with less than £25,000 income can claim a bursary from their university. Many universities have run bursary awareness campaigns, but Offa has written to others that have not been as proactive.
Source: BBC Online, 24th January 2008
Hefce Wants Employers to Co-Fund Students
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) has launched an “employer engagement fund” of up to £105m over three years to encourage businesses to co-fund students. Overall, universities will receive around £7.5bn in Government funding this year, a rise of 3.3% on the previous year.
Source: The Guardian, 25th January 2008
For information about grants for young adults,
aged between 19 and 30, who are studying more than
12 hours per week, see http://www.adultlearninggrant.com
For an online version of the Money to Learn booklet
targeting both individuals and advisers, see http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/moneytolearn/.
The website covers a range of financial help for
students.
Positive Adult ICT Assessment by Ofsted
The West Sussex Adult and Community Learning Service Information and Communications Technology (ICT) curriculum has been judged to be significantly improved by Ofsted. The recent statutory inspection highlighted significant improvements over the last year. The ICT area of learning was awarded grade two (on a four-point scale), which is classed as ‘good’ by Ofsted. For further information on courses available from the Adult and Community Learning Service throughout West Sussex visit the County Council website at http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/adulteducation or call 0845 0751009.
Source: West Sussex County Council, 11th February 2008
Free
Training for Adults Under 25
From August 2007, adults aged less than 25 who
have not had education and training opportunities
will be able to get free tuition for a level 3
qualification. This entitlement aims to help those
who left education early and want to improve their
qualifications and prospects. The entitlement is
expected to benefit some 60,000 learners in 2007/08,
enabling more young adults to achieve higher level
technical and professional qualifications.
From this August, free training under the scheme
will be available through colleges of further education
and other providers of high quality education and
training who have satisfied the Learning and Skills
Council quality assurance process. For further
information on the Level 3 Entitlement contact
Kevin Street by email: Kevin.Street@lsc.gov.uk
Source: GNN, 22nd May 2007
Support For Adults to Get Online
From January, specially-trained staff at myguide
centres across the South East have offered one-to-one
support in trying out the internet and sending
an email for the first time. By phoning free
on 0800 015 8815, people will be given details
of the nearest myguide centre, where they can
access the service. Sarah Bridges, South East
myguide manager says: "We want to help people
to understand there's no mystery to using the
internet and that everyone can have fun whilst
learning a new skill. You've got nothing to lose
and everything to gain!"
In West Sussex, the myguide
centre is located at:
Rewards Training
Mid Sussex Learning Centre
Victoria Gate
119-127 South Road
Haywards Heath
RH16 4LR
In East Sussex, the myguide centre can be found
at
1st Byte - Chapel Park Online
St Leonard’s Baptist Church
St Leonard’s On Sea
TN37 6HR
Global Information Centre
Unit 2
90A Tideswell Road
Eastbourne
BN21 3RT
Hakit / Hangleton Community Centre
Harmsworth Crescent
Hove
BN3 8BW
Impact Initiatives Young
People’s Centre
69 Ship Street
Brighton
BN1 1AE
St Richard's Church & Community
Centre
Hove
Brighton
BN3 7FP
Uplands Community Technology College
Lower High Street
Wadhurst
TN5 6AX
UK online centres engage with adults who have
low or no skills in Information and Communication
Technology (ICT), or who do not have access to
ICT at home or at work. There are approximately
6,000 UK online centres across England, providing
free or low-cost access to technology and support
in using it to more than three million people a
year.
Source: Government News Network, 20th January 2007
Adult Learning Centres
Adult Learning Centres in Chichester and Arun
Bognor Regis Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01243 871040
Felpham Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01243 867845
Midhurst Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01730 816683
Midhurst Resource Centre (IT courses)
Tel: 01730 813711
Selsey Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01243 605030
Southbourne Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01243 379276
Westergate Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01243 546820
Adult Learning Centres in Worthing and Adur
Lancing Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01903 755895
Littlehampton Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01903 722155
Storrington Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01903 744129
Steyning Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01903 814880
Worthing Adult Education
Tel: 01903 703566
Adult Learning Centres in Crawley, Horsham and
Mid Sussex Billingshurst Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01403 787261
Burgess Hill Adult Education Centre (Marle Place)
Tel: 01444 236355
Haywards Heath Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01444 452163
Horsham Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01403 261088
Ifield Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01293 420505
Thomas Bennett Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01293 523811
For more information on Adult
Learning provided by Brighton and Hove City Council
click
here
Robertsbridge Community
College (part of ACRES – Adult
College Rural East Sussex)
Tel: 01580 881406
Rye Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01797 222318
Thomas Peacock Community College
Tel: 01797 222545
Adult Learning Centres in Eastbourne, Lewes and
Wealden
For more information on Adult Learning provided
by East Sussex County Council visit http://www.eastsussexcc.gov.uk then click Education, and Adult Learning.
Robertsbridge Community
College (part of ACRES – Adult
College Rural East Sussex)
Tel: 01580 881406
Rye Adult Education Centre
Tel: 01797 222318
Thomas Peacocke Community College
Tel: 01797 222545
For
information about Adult and Community Learning
in East Sussex, including contact
details for community colleges and those
within the Adult College for Rural East
Sussex (ACRES) visit the local
government website.
Rather than duplicate contact details
for community colleges and those within
the
Adult College for Rural East Sussex (ACRES)
that are available via the East Sussex
County Council please click
here for the full listing.
For the full listing
of Adult Education Centres in West Sussex
please click
here
The
University of the Third Age offers the chance
to continue learning after finishing
work. For information about U3A groups
in East Sussex using ESCIS click
here
For an online search engine of courses
in West Sussex click
here
This section is about learning opportunities
and support for HE in the area.
For information on Higher Education Funding visit the DfES webpage by
clicking here
Finance for learners:
Information on Career Development Loans to help people access lifelong learning is available on: http://www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdl/
To help clients find a university degree course that matches their skills and interests, http://www.ukcoursefinder.com/ offers a study interests questionnaire, location search, information about types of universities and colleges and searches through more than 50,000 HE courses at 500 UK HE Institutions.
New Job Skills Website for Students
A new website, studentgems lets full-time students post a skills profile for themselves that employers can browse to find the skills they need. Many students are now looking for work alongside their courses to reduce the amount they need in student loans. More than 500 students signed up to the website in the first month.
The website is currently free, as the website will be funded through sponsorship and advertising. To visit the website click here
Source: Education Guardian Online, 19th December 2007
Private Sector Company to Award UK Degrees
A subsidiary of the education company BPP has been allowed to award degrees for the first time. BPP College of Professional Studies will be able to award Masters degrees in commercial law and degrees in other business-related subjects from September 2008. Such private sector initiatives could help the government reach its target of 50% of young people engaging in higher or further education. For further information, visit http://www.bppuc.com/
Source: BBC Online; Montrose Reports, 24th September 2007
Aim Higher
Aim Higher South East promotes
inclusion and access to Higher Education. Follow
the link to the South
East webpage for more information. Aim
Higher South East
A programme of summer schools
to help young people experience and prepare for
university life is held
each year at various universities. Click
here
for details from Aim Higher South East about the
programme.
UCAS
UCAS is the central organisation that processes
applications for full time undergraduate courses
at UK universities and colleges. The web site http://www.ucas.com provides
a valuable source of information on course searches,
applications, finance, news, statistics and publications
and
is a useful tool for young people, parents and carers and guidance professionals
Visit www.open.ac.uk for
the Open University’s
web page, which outlines everything you
need to know about courses, research opportunities,
and employment opportunities.
The Nursing and Midwifery Admissions Service has information
on local diploma training. Visit http://www.nmas.ac.uk
Visit Aim
Higher…Sussex for
more information about the preparation days
and other projects.
Click
here for contact information for the Sussex
Area Partnership.
Aim Higher South East promotes
inclusion and access to Higher Education. Follow
the link to the South East webpage for
more information. Aim
Higher South East
For profiles of UK universities and FE colleges
offering HE courses, see http://www.hero.ac.uk
For up to date information about the quality of
higher education in universities and colleges,
see http://www.tqi.ac.uk
Year In Industry
Year In Industry helps young people find paid, degree
relevant work placements in the year out before or
during their university course. To visit the website
click here
Private Companies to Run National Qualification Schemes
The Government plans to allow private companies such as Network Rail, Flybe and McDonald’s to run national qualification schemes that could enable their staff to go to university. Network Rail has set up its own diplomas training staff in track engineering which will now be officially recognised.
Source: The Observer, 27th January 2008
Careers Conferences - Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Doctor
GCSE or A level students thinking of becoming a doctor may be interested in Careers Conferences which are due to be held in London soon. There will be opportunities to get practical advice about getting into university and the medical profession, specialist fields, academic options, alternative and related careers, and talk with qualified doctors and university students.
University College, London - Saturday 1st March 2008 (10am - 4.30pm)
For full details and an application form visit http://www.epoc.org.uk
Careers Conferences - Improve Your Chances Becoming a Lawyer
GCSE or A level students thinking of becoming a doctor or a lawyer may be interested in these Careers Conferences which are due to be held in London soon. There will be opportunities to get practical advice about getting into university and the legal profession, specialist fields, academic options, alternative and related careers, and talk with qualified solicitors, barristers and university students.
The College of Law, London - Saturday 8th March 2008 (10am - 4.30pm)
For full details and an application form visit http://www.epoc.org.uk
Click
herefor information on financial
support for post 16 education including
travel expenses from the Support4Learning
website.
For information about opportunities for
young people (post 16) with a learning
difficulty or learning disability please
visit the Sussex LSC pages.
South East Employers Encouraged to Enter Apprenticeship Awards 2008
Employers from across the South East region are being encouraged to enter the apprenticeship awards 2008 run by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The awards seek to highlight and congratulate the work of apprentices who have improved themselves and their organisation’s performance as well as employers for trying to combat skills shortages. Employers of all sizes can enter the awards whose regional winners will be held on May 22nd 2008 at Ascot Racecourse. These winners will then be considered for a place at the national awards which will take place on July 10th. Entries must be in by February 29th. For more information, call 0800 954 8896 or visit http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/awards.
Source: Kent Messenger, 3rd Jan 2008
Wealdon Skills Centre Open Day for Employers
Employers in the Wealden area are invited to an open day at Wealden Skills Centre in Uckfield on Wednesday April 25 2008. As well as the chance to see how the centre operates, businesses will be able to talk to a number of experts regarding training programmes, apprenticeships, the Skills 4 Work project and will also be invited to give feedback on what services they would like to access through the centre. Interested employers can drop in anytime between 10-00am and 3-00pm on the day. For more information contact Wealden Skills Centre on 01825 767755.
New Work Experience Website Set Up
A new nationwide website named www.myworkexp.com has been set up to help students and businesses negotiate work experience placements. Employers who sign up for the service will be able to build links with local schools so that they can control when they accept students and which students they take on. Students will also be able to register and search online for placements that suit their needs and interests. It is hoped that with the introduction of the site, more businesses will be encouraged to offer placements to students. To find out more, Click here to visit the service’s website or call 0845 6034410 for more information.
Source: Kent Business, Oct 5th, 2007
National Education Business Partnership
Network (NEBPN) The National Education Business Partnership Network
(NEBPN) provides a national voice for Education
Business Partnerships, and looks at the 126 partnerships
nationwide. For information on the NEBPN click
here http://www.nebpn.org/aboutus.htm
Sussex Education Business Alliance (SEBA)
There are a variety of organisations across
Sussex developing and delivering programmes
for teachers, young people and businesses
to work together. The Sussex
Education Business Alliance (SEBA)
represents many of these organisations,
including the Education Business Partnerships
(contact details below) as well as the
following organisations. Please click on
the links to visit the website of these
organisations.
Young
Enterprise in Sussex Business
in the Community CITB – for
information about initiatives in the
construction industry SETPOINT – for
information and support about initiatives
in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics Mentoring – a
national programme supported by the Department
for Education and Employment
West Sussex Education Business Partnership
(EBP) delivers its services through 8 local
delivery groups (see contact details below).
The EBP supports a wide range of programmes
including placing teachers with businesses,
student work experience, e-mentoring, and
support for work-related learning, enterprise
and vocational courses. Click here to link
to the West
Sussex EBP home page
Mary Holder
Room 16
Durban House
South Bersted Business Park
Durban Road
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
PO22 9RE
Phone : 01243 642604
Fax : 01243 642601
E-mail : mary.holder@westsussex.gov.uk
Madeleine Scott
North Eastern Area Professional Centre
Furnace Drive
Furnace Green
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 6JB
Phone : 01293 435692
Fax : 01293 435601
E-mail : madeleine.scott@westsussex.gov.uk
Contact Jacqui Scerri (see above for Adur and District EBP)
This site provides information and resources
to support the curriculum, and was developed
by Horsham District Council in partnership
with West Sussex EBP.
Horsham Teacher Resource http://www.horsham.gov.uk/teacherresource
East Sussex Education Business Partnership
(ESEBP) was formed in 2000 to bring a coherent
approach to activity that was happening
across East Sussex. There are five local
delivery sites as well as some county-wide
programmes such as Young Enterprise and
SETPOINT. Click
here for the ESEBP website.
Brighton & Hove EBP is based at Brighton
Town Hall. Since September 2002, the EBP
has been part of the wider 14 - 19 team
working with schools and sixth form colleges,
and is managed by Jenny Mullett. Thérèse
Cole is the EBP Consultant for Brighton & Hove,
and maintains direct contact with schools
and businesses to deliver the EBP Action
Plan.
Jenny Mullett
3rd Floor Brighton Town Hall
Bartholomew Square
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1JR
Telephone : 01273 294923
Fax : 01273 294924
Email: jenny.mullett@brighton-hove.gov.uk
The University of Sussex will be holding its next open day on Saturday 14th June. There will be the chance to tour departments with specialist facilities, attend subject and service talks, speak one-to-one with subject tutors, and take a tour of the campus and residences. Those wishing to attend can register from April either online at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/schoolsliaison/visit/opendays.php or by telephone on 01273 876787
Chichester College’s next main open day will be 10am-3pm on June 14th (both campuses). Their next mature students (21 and Over) open evening will be held on Thursday, 15 May 2008 from 6 - 8 pm, at Chichester Campus Only. To book a place on an open day at the college please click here.
Plumpton College has designed free taster courses for year 10/11 students to give pupils aged 15-16 an insight into the subjects and courses on offer. The course take place at Plumpton College and some are based at The Netherfield Centre, Ivyland Farm, Netherfield, nr Battle, Hastings, East Sussex from 9 am-4.30 pm.
Taster courses dates:
Monday 30 June–Thursday 3 July 2008
Haywards Heath Campus
Taster days are available in the following vocational subject areas:
Agricultural and Plant Machinery
Agriculture (Plumpton College and Netherfield Centre)
Amenity Horticulture and Sports turf
Animal Care
Blacksmithing
Countryside and Conservation
Equine (riding available on a mechanical horse, so no need to bring riding boots, etc)
Floristry
Forestry and Arboriculture
Gamekeeping
Rural Pathways (Plumpton College and Netherfield Centre). A programme specifically for pupils who have not achieved, or are unlikely to achieve, high academic qualifications through school.
Sport (Outdoor Education).
To apply for a taster course contact Kristina Ford, Student Administrator, Plumpton College, email: Kristina.Ford@plumpton.ac.uk, tel: 01273 892058.
Plumpton College will also be holding an informal Information Morning on Saturday 8th March 2008: 9am-12.30 pm where prospective students can meet staff and current students, find out about course options and get careers advice. For more information about this contact:
Plumpton College
Ditchling Road,
Plumpton, Nr Lewes, East Sussex BN7 3AE
This
section provides links to opportunities and case
studies of apprenticeships.
5,000 Cultural Apprenticeships Created
By 2013, 5,000 apprenticeship places will be made available in the arts and media at institutions such as the Tate Liverpool, the Royal Opera House, Universal Music, EMI and Aardman Animations. Government will put forward £70.5m funding for the initiative, which will also give opportunities at the National Trust, Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
Other cultural schemes include:
A Find Your Talent pilot initiative offering young people five hours of culture per week inside and outside of school
A £500,000 pilot scheme to provide young musicians in deprived areas with opportunities to practise and perform live, as well as 10 new spaces for rehearsals
A global conference for the “creative economy” in the mould of the annual World Economic Forum meeting
An academic hub to encourage schools and further and higher education institutions to collaborate and share contacts and facilities
Currently, the “creative industries” in the UK employ over 1.8 million staff, which is a higher proportion of the workforce than in other countries.
The "creative industries" and their offshoots employ more than 1.8 million people, a higher share of the UK workforce than other countries.
Source: BBC Online, 22nd February 2008
Report about Young Apprenticeships Programme Published
A report commissioned by DCSF about the Young Apprenticeship (YA) programme has been published by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). In light of the Government’s ambitious target of 90% post-16 participation, the research aimed to find out more about Young Apprenticeships and training and careers opportunities, through case studies, workshops and the development of information about YAs with sector skills councils. Findings included: the need to set more recruitment targets, especially for minority groups for non-traditional subjects for boys and girls; raising awareness of YA, and embedding IAG within recruitment processes; models of support; and ways to encourage wider choices by young people.
Firms Commit to an Increase in Apprenticeships
Six large UK employers have announced their commitment to provide over 4,000 extra apprenticeships by 2009. The announcement comes after the Government backed Apprenticeship review that took place in January this year. The review detailed the Government’s plans to make apprenticeships a mainstream option for adults and young people by growing and strengthening current provision. The employers that have promised to provide apprenticeships are:
Vodafone – 2,000 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
Superdrug – 1,000 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
Sainsbury’s – 400 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
Barchester Healthcare – 350 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
Veolia – 250 apprenticeships to start in 2008-9
Phones4U have also recently begun an apprenticeship scheme and will offer over 200 places by the end of this year.
Source: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills website, 25th Feb 2008
Campaign to Encourage Vocational Learning
Edge is a campaign which is attempting to encourage people to re-think their views on practical and vocational learning. The campaign intends to make people more aware of the range of careers that are available, by completing practical training and experience through routes such as work experience, apprenticeships and trainee schemes. Edge also aims to make vocational qualifications more valued by students, teachers, parents and employers. Vocational learning will also be promoted in schools, colleges and universities. To find out more about Edge visit http://www.edge.co.uk and to view the campaign website visit http://www.edgecampaign.co.uk
Optical Adviser Apprenticeships
Dolland and Aitcheson is accredited with Optical Retailing NVQs. They offer Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships for Optical Advisers which includes the completion of an NVQ Level 2 in Customer Service and then an NVQ Level 3. For more information click here.
Hairdressing and Beauty Salon Apprenticeships
Saks Education is an approved training provider where individuals can be trained to government recognised qualifications in any hairdressing or beauty salon. Participants will be able to work towards NVQs in Hairdressing or Beauty Therapy Levels 2 and 3, and key skills. For more details click here.
Young Merchant Training Scheme with Jewson
Jewson building suppliers run a Young Merchant Training Scheme. This is targeted at young people aged 17 to 20 years who are looking for an alternative to university. The programme provides structured training in a sales and service environment along with the chance to gain qualifications. For more details click here
Southern Electric
Southern Electric have a number of apprenticeship opportunities. For full details click here.
Npower Apprenticeship Programme
Npower run advanced apprenticeships on electrical, control & instrumentation and mechanical engineering. In order to apply candidates need at least five GCSEs, grade A-C, including Maths, English Language and a Science or Technology subject. For more details and to apply click here
E.ON-UK Apprenticeship Schemes
E.ON-UK offers gas, energy and electrical apprenticeship schemes. For more details and to apply click here.
Apprenticeships with BT
BT runs an apprenticeship scheme, candidates must have 3 or more GCSEs grade C or above including Maths and English Language. The next national recruitment campaign begins in February 2008. For more information click here.
Rolls Royce Apprenticeship
Applications are invited from those wishing to apply for apprenticeships in engineering or places on the accounting technician programme at Rolls Royce’s Ansty (Coventry) and Bristol plants from the 5th November to 21st December. For more information visit http://www.rolls-royce.com/careers/uk/apprentices/
BAA Apprenticeship
World leading aviation company BAA offer advanced engineering apprenticeships to young people wishing to find a practical alternative to studying for A Levels or going to university. E-mail paulspence@baa.com for more information.
HSBC
HSBC has an apprenticeship scheme, known as Right Direction. For further details, please click heret. The Bank also has a Management Academy Programme for non-graduates in addition to their Graduate entry scheme, visit http://www.jobs.hsbc.co.uk/
Toyota Advanced Apprenticeship
Toyota offers an Advanced Apprenticeship scheme in the following areas: Vehicle Technician, Parts Advisor, Body Technician, Paint Technician, Service Advisor and Maintenance Engineering. For more information and to apply visit http://www.toyota-apprenticeship.co.uk/toyotaapprentice
Ford Motor Company Apprenticeship
Ford Motor Company offers Apprenticeships in Manufacturing Engineering. The Apprenticeship leads to a nationally recognised qualification which is equivalent to two A Levels. For more information and to apply visit http://www.ford.co.uk/apprenticeships#
Training Opportunities with Carillion
Carillion plc is one of the UK's leading support services and construction companies. Every year the company recruits 800 school leavers through their two training schemes – Carillion Training and Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. For entry requirements and more information visit http://www.carillionplc.com/careers/careers_apprenticeships.asp
Hair and Beauty
Habia is the standard setting agency for hair, beauty,
nails, spa therapy, barbering and African-Caribbean
hair. The standards it sets form the basis of all
qualifications including NVQ, SVQ, Apprenticeships
and codes of practice. The agency provides information
on careers, business development and training and
skills. To visit the website click
here
JTL Training Provider
JTL is a training provider that manages apprenticeships
in electrical installation, plumbing, engineering
maintenance and heating and ventilation. For more
information visit http://www.jtltraining.com or
call 0800 085 2308.
Retail Apprenticeships with Tesco
Tesco offer a retail apprenticeship for workers in
their stores. The programme starts every September
in selected stores and participants work towards
NVQ qualifications in retail. For more information
on the scheme and to find out if your local Tesco
store is running the apprenticeship click
here
John Lewis Retail Skills Training Programme
John Lewis offers a retail skills training programme
at their stores. Participants first complete a Personal
Development Programme (PDP) and then they have the
opportunity to gain an NVQ in the following areas:
Customer Service, Visual Merchandising and Display,
Security Guarding, Distribution and Warehousing and
Business Administration. For more information click
here
Kwik-Fit Apprenticeship
Kwik-Fit is currently recruiting for their new intake
of apprentices. They offer a two year apprenticeship
scheme for young people aged 16-18 with an interest
in cars. For more information visit http://www.kwik-fit.com/apprenticeships.asp or call 0845 601 1888.
SEAT Advanced Apprenticeship
SEAT offers an Advanced Apprenticeship Programme
which takes three years and is aimed at 16-19 year
olds. Each year apprentices spend up to seven weeks
at the Volkswagen Group Apprentice Training Centre.
For more information click
here.
BMW Apprenticeships
BMW offer a number of apprenticeships. Trainees
need to have or expect to have four GCSEs or equivalent
including English, Maths and a Science subject.
For more information click here
The AA offer Advanced Apprenticeships to those interested
in a career in the motor industry. They are looking
for people ideally aged between 16 and 19 years old
who have a good interest in motor vehicles, at least
three good GCSEs and the ability to work in a team.
For more information on how to apply visit http://www.aa-academy.com/who.html
Renault has a three year apprenticeship scheme to
develop technicians who are needed for the future
of the Renault Dealer Network. The scheme is aimed
at school leavers who are interested in becoming
Renault Technical Experts, Parts Consultants or Paint
and Vehicle Body Repair Specialists. For further
information visit http://www.renault.co.uk/apprentice_ApprenticeshipProgramme.aspx
Landrover is currently one of the largest employers
of apprentices in the automotive industry. They recently
came runner-up in the Employer of the Year award
at the Apprenticeship Awards 2006. To find out about
their current apprenticeship programme visit http://www.landroverapprenticeships.com/
Retail Apprenticeships
Skillsmart Retail (the Sector Skills Council for
Retail) has launched its new website, with pages
dedicated to resources for careers advisers as
well as resources providing information about apprenticeships
in retail. Follow the link for a guide to apprenticeships
in the retail industry for careers professionals
and a guide for parents, as well as sector specific
information. Click here for the Skillsmart
Retail website.
Sainsbury’s runs a Bakery Apprenticeship
scheme where you can gain a retail apprenticeship
qualification. For more information visit http://www.schoolsoutforsainsburys.co.uk/earn.php Royal Mail
For details of The Royal Mail Apprenticeship
scheme click
here.
Engineering
Apprentice Recruitment http://www.apprentices.co.uk/home.html is a website
for engineering apprentice recruitment. It gives
general information on engineering apprentices
as well as allowing you to search and apply for
engineering apprentices in your region.
British Gas
British Gas currently employs 650 apprentices.
It has recently been named as an Employer of
the Year at the Apprenticeship Awards 2006. For
information about British Gas training schemes
and apprenticeships visit http://www.britishgasacademy.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=185
www.apprenticeships-in-sussex.com is
now up and running with up to date information
on current apprentice vacancies, as well
as information for employers seeking apprentices.
The site also contains information about
occupations covered by apprenticeships
as well as success stories.
For information from the LSC
about opportunities in Sussex, please click
here.
Latest Citizenship Survey Results
Results from the latest Citizenship Survey are now available. In the survey period (April to June 2007) almost three quarters (73%) of all adults had volunteered, formally or informally, at least once in the last 12 months and almost half (48%) having volunteered at least once a month. Although overall levels of volunteering have not changed since 2001, there has been a move towards formal volunteering and away from informal. Women were more likely to volunteer (53%) than men (42%). Forty three percent of people from groups at risk of social exclusion had volunteered at least once a month which represented no statistically significant change from 2001 (41%).
Source: Statistical Release Citizenship Survey: April-June 2007 Communities and Local Government, 4th October 2007
Volunteering and Charitable Donations are Growing in Popularity
A national survey has found that more and more people are likely to volunteer or give money to charity. ‘Helping Out: A National Survey of Volunteering and Charitable Giving’ found that more than half of people in England had both volunteered and donated to charity in the last twelve months, and over 80% had given to charity within the last four weeks.
The study of 2,705 people in England revealed that the most common reasons for volunteering were 'to improve things or help people' (53%), 'because the cause was important' (41%) or 'because they had spare time' (41%).
Source: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk, 5th September 2007
Volunteers Could Gain Academic Credits
The Prime Minister’s public service review
has proposed that university students should
be given credits towards their degrees for time
spent volunteering. The Russell Group of prestigious
universities has welcomed the recommendations.
Source: Montrose reports, 20th March 2007
The
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) have schemes
to encourage all types of members of the community
to volunteer, including a Retired and Seniors
Volunteer Programme (RSVP) for older people.
For more information, go to http://www.csv.org.uk/Volunteer/Senior+Volunteers/
Vinspired is a volunteering website for young people in England aged 16 to 25 offering advice and guidance on how to volunteer. It also has a search engine covering nationwide volunteering opportunities. Visit http://www.vinspired.com for more details.
Reach matches the skills of individuals to local
community volunteering opportunities. For more
information see http://www.volwork.org.uk/index.htm
i-to-i offers a variety of volunteer projects
and training to teach abroad as well as working
holidays. For further details, go to http://www.i-to-i.com/
Community Service Volunteers
The CSV (Community Service Volunteers) Hotline
is available for students who want to take
a gap year. CSV offers
UK based gap years lasting between 4 months to a
year, where volunteers live away from home
with free accommodation,
food and travel expenses on top of a weekly allowance.
More information is available on 0800 374 991 or
on
http://www.csv.org.uk/Volunteer/
Volunteering opportunities
in West Sussex are posted on the Noticeboard
pages of the ICIS service. Click
here to go to the Noticeboard. ICIS is an
information ‘bank’ helping
people in West Sussex find information through
difficult or challenging circumstances, and enabling
people to find care, support or advice services.
The service operates a telephone and text helpline
on 0800 859929 for enquiries as well as the website, http://www.icis-info4life.org.uk/index.htm.
Volunteering organisations and charities can be
searched for on the East Sussex Community Information
Service (ESCIS), which is a computer database of
local and community information developed and managed
by the Libraries, Information and Arts service
of East Sussex County Council in association with
Brighton and Hove Libraries. It can be accessed
at www.escis.org.uk/index.asp.
Volunteer Centres can provide information to organisations
seeking volunteers as well as details of current
volunteering vacancies. For more information visit
theVolunteer
Development Agency websiteor contact one of the centres.
http://www.do-it.org.uk – search
almost 70,000 volunteering opportunties and apply
online.
Click
here
for a special feature about overseas volunteer
opportunities with information for young people
from disadvantaged backgrounds.
VSO’s overseas development youth programme, Global Xchange, is open for applications until Friday 28th March. The programme consists of a six month exchange programme for young people aged 18 to 25, partnering them with a young person from a developing country. The volunteers live and work together on community projects for three months in the UK and three months in the partner country. Volunteers will receive support to raise funds for the experience. To find out more, email Vivienne.Nwabuzo@vso.org.uk or call her on 020 8780 7344
Please click
here for information on learning opportunities
abroad recognised by the West Sussex Grid for
Learning
(WSGFL).
For gap year opportunities:
Payaway is a comprehensive site covering paid employment suitable for funding a Gap Year. For more information, visit http://www.payaway.co.uk/
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office site gives travel advice, country profiles and information about visa requirements. For further information, visit: http://www.fco.gov.uk/
Based on the Gap Year Guidebook http://www.gap-year.com gives advice and links to work, volunteer placements and study in the UK and abroad.
http://www.yearoutgroup.org.uk/ is an association of organisations providing gap year placements, with links to these organisation and information for students, advisers and parents/carers.
Holiday Job-Match Site for Students
A new online "matchmaking" service has been launched offering students the chance to put their skills to work during the holidays. Studentgems allows anyone in full-time education to post a profile listing all their skills. Potential employers can then look at the profiles and find the student with the skills they need. The Studentgems founders, Joanna Ward and Sue Harrison, said they were surprised by the response from students. 500 signed up in the first month for the service which is currently free for both students and those posting a job and Studentgems hope to fund the site through advertising and sponsorship.
Source: Education Guardian Online, 19th December 2007
Raleigh International
Raleigh International is a charity which organises
overseas and UK programmes which are designed
to help young people develop skills and self-confidence
in a fun and challenging environment. For more
information click
here
For learning opportunities in Europe:
The Euroguidance network helps guidance professionals
and others to understand opportunities for learning
and careers in Europe. For more information, visit
http://www.euroguidance.net/En/Welcome.htm
The PLOTEUS portal provides information about
life-long learning in Europe, supplying information
about studying in Europe to students, job seekers
and guidance professionals http://europa.eu.int/ploteus/portal/home.jsp
European Vocational Training Association (EVTA)
aims to promote pan-European training. For further
information, visit: http://www.evta.net
The Socrates programme offers a range of projects
for adult learners, teachers and trainers. For
further information, visit http://www2.britishcouncil.org/Socrates
The Leonardo da Vinci project offers vocational
work placements across Europe for people of all
ages. Placements are a minimum of 3 weeks. For
more details, see http://www.leonardo.org.uk
Set up in West Sussex in 1992 by a geography teacher asked by some of his students to help them plan a work and travel experience in eastern Europe, Teaching and Projects Abroad now has 20 staff members based in Goring, West Sussex, and over 150 at their destinations. They offer worthwhile projects and teaching in more than 20 developing countries across the world. Click here to visit their site for further information.
Careers Europe provides help and advice to guidance
professionals. For more information, visit http://www.careerseurope.co.uk
Eurodesk provides information about European opportunities
and funding for people under 30. For further details,
visit: http://www.eurodesk.org
For learning opportunities beyond Europe:
British Universities
Transatlantic Exchange (BUTEX) supports exchange
programmes between the UK and
US, please click
here.
UK NARIC – The
National Academic Recognition Information Centre
gives details about the compatibility
of British and overseas qualifications, see http://www.naric.org.uk/
The Association of Commonwealth Universities has
a large collection of information about study in
Commonwealth countries. For further information,
visit http://www.acu.ac.uk
The Fulbright Commission is the first point of
contact for those wishing to study in the USA.
For further details, visit http://www.fulbright.co.uk/eas
