Post 18 options

Ian CooperConnexions Personal AdviserIan.cooper@prospects.co.uk

Post 18 options

• University• Not Going to Uni• Advanced & Higher Apprenticeships• I.A.G (Information Advice &

Guidance)• I.A.G events• UCAS• Personal Statements

University• Increase your job prospects• Increase your employability potential• Increase your knowledge and skills• Move on to “high-status” careers that you wouldn’t have without a degree• There are some careers which require you to possess a specific degree so

that if you intend to become a social worker it helps to take a social work course, but other careers do not require you to take a degree in any specific subject; but do require you to possess a degree. If you are hoping to become a civil servant you tend to find that higher level jobs are restricted to those possessing degrees, which is often the case in private companies as well. Going to university therefore can help you get a better paid job that you are actually interested in pursuing, rather than being stuck in a “dead-end” job.

• There are other advantages of going to university, which are also influencing more and more people to pursue a university education. At university you get to meet an incredibly diverse bunch of people, whether through your studies or by joining various university societies. There are lots of clubs, societies, and activities you can get involved in, so that university is not only about improving your knowledge of a subject and obtaining a degree, but can actually be a lot of fun, as well

University (2)• You will find yourself making lots of new friends at

university, and you can find yourself open to new ideas that had previously never entered your mind. There are often lectures open to all and various campaigns on campus, and thus you can find yourself participating in trying to make the world a better place.

• Going to university also gives you the chance to live away from home and learn to manage by yourself. Without parents to tell you what to do you have the freedom to do what you want, when you want. You therefore start to feel like a 'proper' adult.

• There are many advantages associated with going to university, especially in relation to your job prospects. The fact that you get to meet people, experience new things and fend for yourself shouldn't be overlooked, though, as most people enjoy their university experience immensely.

Not Going To University• Apprenticeships• Higher Ed College• College• Sponsored Degrees• Distance Learning• Work Experience• Volunteering• Employment & Training• Gap Year

• Traineeship

                                                                        

Apprenticeship vacancies

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship components

Advanced & Higher Apprenticeships – Current Vacancies

• Advanced• Construction & Engineering

w/Vinci PLC. £240 per week, applicants needing 5 x A-C GCSE’s and also welcomes applications with AS/A Levels. Opportunity includes supported travel and accommodation

• Higher• Finance Apprentice

(Accounting) w/Compass Group PLC. £250 per week needing A Levels at grade B (including Maths) x2 vacancies

• I.T Apprentice w/Cap Gemini. £307.88 per week needing 7 x GSCE’s (C and above, including Maths and English).To have or expect, three 'A' levels, grades C or above, or their equivalent (e.g. a BTEC National Diploma, likely to include IT, Maths and Science) x5 vacancies

Information Advice and Guidance (I.A.G)

• Students should take the opportunity to explore their options with qualified professionals

• Ian Cooper is the Connexions Personal Adviser in AUEA who students can see to discuss their Personal Statements for University or to do some Action Planning to see if they are making the right choices and to explore non-university options.

• From September Ian will be in AUEA every Monday and available for appointments with students and parents, as well as advertising vacancies and opportunities.

• Teachers, non teaching staff in school, parents can also add value and more perspective

I.A.G events 2014 - 2015• JTL Apprenticeships Open

Evening9th July 13:00pm-19:00pm

Birmingham, B6 4BS

• The Job Show – Birmingham23rd October 10:30am-16:00pm@ Birmingham City Football Club

• World Skills Show13-16th November 2014@ Birmingham NEC

• Compass Jobs Fair (Birmingham City Council) 18th March 2015 @ Think Tank, Millennium Point

UCAS

▪ Central organisation through which applications are processed for entry to full-time higher education (HE) courses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

▪ UCAS operate on behalf of all full-time courses at member institutions

▪ Number of institutions▪ Number of courses

372

35,000+

The competition for university places

Acceptances464,9105.5%

Acceptances464,9105.5%

Applicants653,6376.9%

Applicants653,6376.9%

Source: UCAS End of Cycle report 2012

The applicant journey

The new ucas.com

Choosing a university or college

▪ Universities and colleges are not all the same, nor is it easy to put them into simple categories

▫ University v college▫ Large v small▫ Old v new▫ Taught v research▫ Selective v recruiting▫ Campus v city v rural▫ Near v far

Choosing a university or college

▪ There are different guides and league tables that can help, but check the source as the data may be skewed▫ Some universities post league tables on their websites which show

their courses at number one▫ Assess what is the most important data criteria for you

// www.thecompleteuniversitygui

de.co.uk▪ University league tables▪ University profiles▪ Student crime statistics▪ Careers

▫ By subject▫ By graduate v non-graduate salary

▪ Student finance and fees calculator

Choosing a course

Choosing a course

Key features of the application process

▪ You can only make 1 application per cycle▪ Maximum of 5 choices

▫ Primarily realistic, but also aspiration and backup▪ Some choice restrictions:

▫ Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry – max 4▫ Oxford or Cambridge

▪ Simultaneous consideration▪ ‘Invisibility’

▫ A single personal statement

The UCAS calendar – key application dates

▪ Apply available for student registration

▪ First date for receipt of Apply applications

▪ Early ‘on-time’ deadline:▫ Medicine, Veterinary and Dentistry▫ Oxford or Cambridge

▪ Deadline for all other ‘on-time’ applications

▪ Some Art and Design courses

▪ Last date for submission prior to Clearing

Mid-June

Mid-September

15 October

15 January

24 March

30 June

The UCAS points calculatorA Level and VCEA* - 140A – 120B – 100C – 80D – 60E – 40

AS and AS VCEA – 60B – 50C – 40D – 30E - 20

BTEC National DiplomaDDD – 360DDM – 320DMM – 280MMM – 280MMP – 200MPP – 160PPP – 120

University League tables:http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings

Top Engineering Universities (UK)• University of Cambridge• University of Oxford• Imperial College London• University of Manchester• University College London (UCL)• University of Edinburgh• University of Nottingham• University of Southampton• University of Bristol• Brunel University• University of Leeds• University Of Birmingham• University of Sheffield• Staffordshire University

Top Engineering Universities (UK, 2)

• The full list of Engineering & Technology subjects used to create this ranking is:

• Acoustics• Aerospace Engineering• Automation & Control Systems• Biomedical Engineering• Chemical Engineering• Civil Engineering• Computer & Information Science• Construction & Building

Technology• Earth & Environmental Engineering• Electrical & Electronic Engineering• Energy & Fuels• Imaging Science & Photographic

Technology

• Imaging Science & Photographic Technology

• Industrial Engineering• Instruments & Instrumentation• Marine Engineering• Materials Science• Mechanical Engineering• Mechanics• Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering• Mining & Mineral Processing• Nuclear Science & Technology• Operations Research & Management

Science• Robotics• Telecommunications• Transportation• Engineering & Technology - Other

topics

Making a UCAS application

Personal details

Additional information

Student finance

ChoicesEducation

Employment

Personal statement

Referee responsible for final section:

▪ Reference UCAS Universities /

colleges

Transparent selection process

▪ Qualifications▫ Past, present and future▫ Predicted grades for ‘pending’ qualifications

▪ Personal statement▪ Reference▪ Interview▪ Piece of written work▪ Portfolio▪ Audition▪ Admissions tests

What are admissions tutors looking for?

▪ Evidence of...

▪ Potential to...

▪ Evidence of...

▪ Depth of...

bility

enefit

ommitment

iscernment

From the admissions tutors...

STRONG personal statements are ones that have been well-researched, carefully prepared and worked upon to eliminate errors and maximise effect.

They demonstrate reflective thinking, showing that the applicant has spent time working out what information is most relevant and important to include.

They use concrete supporting evidence to demonstrate assertions rather than simply state or tell.

Personal statement

Content▪ Motivation, aspirations, commitment

▫ Subject▫ Career

▪ Insight into current studies▫ Unit information?

▪ Hobbies, pastimes, interests▪ Work experience or voluntary work▪ Reasons for deferred application

Personal statement (2)

Structure▪ Skills, qualities, experiences – reflective and insightful

▫ What you have done▫ What you have learnt▫ Why this is relevant to chosen subject / career

▪ Structured, clear, concise, precise▪ Avoid waffle, slang and inappropriate language▪ Check GRAMMAR and SPELLINGGRAMMAR SPELLING

Redrafting a ‘reasonable’ personal statement

How many experiences or key points have been included?▪ Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme▪ Voluntary work▪ Year 7 Friends Scheme▪ Drama club technician▪ Seen ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘Les Miserables’▪ Young Enterprise Scheme▪ Working with staff to redesign school website▪ Keen hockey player▪ Member of Venture Scouts

Personal statement extracts

▪ “A strong sense of duty, teachable, trustworthy and reliable, strong sense of leadership and flexibility. Articulate and highly motivated scholar with great enthusiasm towards law, confident communicator with good technical, written and oral presentation skills.”

▪ “A good dentist is like a good cake decorator – always aware of the customer's needs, a steady hand, and a keen attention to detail. Dentistry draws on the skills of one of my favourite hobbies – cake decorating.”

▪ “I am a responsible, caring, and sympathetic person with good comunication skills, aspiring to a career in teaching.”

The reference – supporting the application

▪ Essential part of the UCAS application process ▫ Each reference is read and considered

▪ Close relationship between personal statement and reference▫ Potential to discuss / negotiate who covers what▫ Direct repetition undesirable

▪ Purpose of both is to:▫ Highlight potential▫ Progress application▫ Supplement or replacement for interview

What does a reference add to the application?

▪ If you were an admissions tutor, what would you be looking for in the reference?

“Selection is based overwhelmingly on academic potential.”University of Cambridge

“The most important part of your reference is your assessment of the applicant’s suitability for the higher education course they have chosen.”University of Liverpool

‘Standard’ reference process model

▪ Centre encourages applicants to ▫ Register on UCAS Apply before the summer break▫ Research their application in the break▫ Mindful of early 15 October deadline

▪ Subject teachers ▫ Record evidence throughout Year 12 study▫ Write subject reports, using the above plus▫ Previous school reports▫ Course profiles ▫ Supplementary data?

▪ Referee compiles a reference using the above plus▫ Own knowledge of student▫ Contextual information

Information on school /collegeCould include school type / size, year group size, class size, numbers usually progressing to HE, information on qualifications available and school policies or opportunities that might affect learning, environment or contextual information

Special circumstancesIncluding explaining discrepancies between past academic performance, profile of performance and predicted grades

Subject by subject reportMost relevant subject first and in most detailAllow each a separate paragraph, starting with subject e.g. “In English...”Profile of performance and potential

Endorsement

Suitability for chosen coursePreparedness for HE experiencePersonal qualities, experience, transferable skills

An illustrative format model for a UCAS reference

Main points

• Focus on the course / career – skills, qualities• Professionalism – understand the demands• Research (preparation) – what does the

course/career entail?• Relevance – experiences, hobbies, employment• Adaptability• Structure – enthusiasm throughout• Visual – spelling, grammar, space

Qualities we look for…

Academic Skills:

Ability to handle information, research,

analyse, interpret, ability to defend your opinion

Core Skills:

Numeracy, Literacy, ICT, communication

Personal Characteristics: Motivation, self-

organisation, creativity, flexibility, honesty,

integrity

Social Skills:

Teamwork, negotiation skills, helping and supporting

others

Thank youIan Cooper

Connexions Personal Adviser

Ian.cooper@prospects.co.uk

07876 745552