Career Information Advice and Guidance
Imagine a world where you have the power to shape your future, make informed decisions, and pursue a career that truly excites you. This is where the Gatsby Framework and Careers Information, Advice, and Guidance (CIAG) come into play, offering you the tools and support to navigate your career journey with confidence.
The Gatsby Framework is like a treasure map, guiding you through eight key benchmarks that ensure you receive top-notch career guidance. These benchmarks cover everything from learning about the job market to gaining real-world experience through workplace visits. By following this map, you’ll uncover valuable insights and opportunities that can help you make informed choices about your future.
One of the most exciting aspects of the Gatsby Framework is the chance to connect with professionals from various industries. Imagine meeting someone who works in your dream job and getting the inside scoop on what it’s really like. These encounters can spark new interests, provide inspiration, and help you see the possibilities that lie ahead.
CIAG is your personal toolkit for success. It offers you access to up-to-date information about different careers, personalized advice tailored to your strengths and interests, and guidance on how to achieve your goals. Whether you’re unsure about what career path to take or need help preparing for a job interview, CIAG has got you covered.
Participating in CIAG activities can be a game-changer. By taking part in these activities, you’re not only investing in your education but also setting yourself up for long-term success.
So, why not take the plunge and explore the world of career guidance? Embrace the opportunities to learn, grow, and discover your potential. With the Gatsby Framework and CIAG by your side, you’ll be well-equipped to make your dreams a reality. Your future is in your hands—let’s make it an exciting journey! 🚀
Would you like to know more about any specific career paths or guidance activities?
Speak with your tutor, who will be able to help, and give you the opportunity to speak 1:1 with our recruitment specialists who can give you tips and advice on career growth.
So how do STC commit to helping with CIAG?
The eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:
1. A stable careers programme
We’re committed to providing you with consistent and reliable career guidance throughout your time on programme with us. This means you’ll have regular opportunities to explore different career paths with your tutor, sector specialists and our own recruitment specialists in the team, along with the opportunity to learn about various industries, and receive support in planning your future.
2. Learning from career and labour market information
We’ll help you understand the job market and what employers are looking for. This may include learning about industry regulations and expectations, as well as discussing different careers, the skills needed for them, and the opportunities available. This information will empower you to make informed decisions about your career path. For those of you who are not already economically active, we also do our best to link you with agencies or companies that have opportunities to widen your choices.
We read government and sector reports, and ensure that we are bringing you the latest, most relevant courses and content available to help you succeed.
3. Addressing the needs of each person
Everyone’s career journey is unique. Remember those questions we asked you at enrolment about your goals and aspirations? Well, the CIAG started there! Once we know what you want to do, we’ll provide personalised guidance tailored to your interests, strengths, and goals. Once we have worked with you for a bit, we offer reviews to help you realign, and meet those goals, and hopefully push a bit further for a few more!
Whether you need help choosing a career, finding work experience, or preparing for interviews, we’re here to support you. Our vocational programmes have access to CV building sessions, support to register with agencies, and self-employed workshops (including right to work support). If you don't know when the next one is, just ask your tutor!
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
What you’re learning in your classes connects to real-world careers. For example, if you’re studying construction, we are supporting you towards a relevant CSCS card, and if you are studying beauty therapy, we are providing the latest regulated qualifications ready for that pending licence requirement. We have a whole host of these examples, but hopefully this helps you see the relevance of your studies and how they can lead to exciting job opportunities.
5. Encounters with employers and employees
You’ll have the chance to meet professionals from various fields. These encounters will give you insights into different careers, help you build networks, and inspire you with real-life stories of success. We can also support with creating profiles on LinkedIn, agency portals and CV building to get you in front of the right people.
Our HBA Masters group on social media is a bit quiet, but we are building it slowly. We also have employers and events regularly in our Main Site to visit our construction learners. It's all exciting stuff, and we hope it gives you the start of a platform to grow your network.
6. Experiences of workplaces
Aside from our talented apprentices, we appreciate you need a taste of the sector to make your decision. So we brought it to you!
Our construction and beauty courses are delivered in realistic working environments, where you will get to experience hands on study that is as closely linked to industry as is safely possible. We do try to support you into a work placement, where possible, and if this is something that you specifically want, please just let us know (at any point in your programme), and we will do what we can to make that happen!
7. Encounters with further and higher education
Want to know what might be next?
We’ll provide information on courses, entry requirements, and how further education can help you achieve your career goals, including advice on any specific qualifications you may need to hold to make that happen. This will take place in reviews, however, we can make it happen at any time, so please don't be afraid to ask! At the end of your course, we will ask you for information on your next steps, and try to give you some guidance and feedback to help you in your next steps.
8. Personal guidance
You’ll receive support from your tutor who can help you with everything from choosing a career path to writing your CV and preparing for interviews. This personalised guidance ensures you have the support you need to succeed, and will be recorded on your reviews so that you can go back to this at any time. We can also arrange for 1:1 and group support from our dedicated recruitment specialist.
What if I am unsure of the career that I want?
Firstly, this is perfectly normal,! Many people do not settle into a lifelong career, and lots of people realise what they really want to do long after leaving school or college.
We have found a reliable, free, online career assessment that only takes around 15 minutes to complete! Click the link below to find out more...