CAREERS NEWSLETTER
2017-‐18
ISSUE 14 – Friday 11 May 2018 Please note all previous issues of our 2017-‐18 Careers Circulars are now available as
a ‘stack’ on Bablake’s Issuu page. We hope they stand out as well as our EES teams did last week at their Celebration Day. (Pictured Above: Arup Team.)
CAREERS IN SPORT – CAREERS FORUM 15
“THE SPORTS BUSINESS IS A TRILLION-‐DOLLAR INDUSTRY. ACROSS THE WHOLE SPORTING SPECTRUM, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS POURED INTO SPORT NOW IS REMARKABLE.”
Brian Barwick, Chairman of The National League a nd former Chief Executive of The FA.
Jordan Hearne from UCFB, a university with campuses at both The
Etihad (Manchester) and Wembley Stadium (London), delivered an
excellent presentation about the very unique study model offered
by UCFB to students looking to study degrees in sport and, in
particular, football. Being located in such iconic venues for sport and media, it is no surprise that the networking and work experience opportunities for those studying broadcasting, business, coaching, events management, finance, journalism, leadership, marketing, PE or psychology are very clear. UCFB Students are in regular contact with inspirational public figures from sport and spoilt for choice as regards exciting placement opportunities both in the UK and abroad. Jordan conveyed the excitement and professional atmosphere felt by UCFB students very well, making a solid case for the ever-‐ increasing variety of jobs available in a sector that contributes vast revenue to the national economy. This is a sector that will only continue to grow and UCFB is already producing talented graduates whose love of sport links perfectly with their future career path. For more information, see www.ufcb.com. We are also delighted that UCFB has th agreed to return next term to talk to our 4 Year PE pupils.
#18Before18 #SkillsForYourFuture #RealisingYourPotential
@BablakeCareers
SUMMER READING
New publication ‘The Successful Law Student: A n Insider's Guide to Studying Law’ is a comprehensive companion for prospective law students. Full of insight, advice and perspective from current and past law students, it offers the inside track on how to m ake the most of your law degree and time at university. Experienced law tutors Imogen Moore and Craig Newbery-‐Jones focus on making a smooth transition to university level study, getting the most out of lectures & feedback from tutors, and how to approach law exams.
We thank Oxford University Press for sending us a complimentary copy.
TALKING ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS/ SCHOOL LEAVER PROGRAMMES
When discussing options beyond Bablake, we always urge every student to choose the option that suits the individual best. With wise guidance and awareness of all options available, we trust the majority of students make an informed choice. Whether that route involves university education or training as an apprentice, or even both aspects as a degree apprentice, this is possibly the hardest choice for our current Sixth Form students. With the rise in popularity of apprenticeships, it is very important to dispel certain myths, so here is our list of positives: • You may still gain a degree-‐level qualification by doing an apprenticeship/ completing the levels. • Apprenticeships are not only available for technical or blue-‐collar industries; the variety of options is now vast and exciting. • You may apply for both university courses and apprenticeship programmes, before making a final decision on your preferred route. • As an apprentice, you have many of the rights of the rest of the workforce: e.g. a wage, holiday entitlements and other benefits. Wages vary, but the best-‐paid schemes will be approaching £15-‐ 20k per year. This is a wage that will rise, and there is no student loan to repay. • After completing an apprenticeship, the majority of people stay with the same employer. This is a wise investment for all parties and reassuring for those wanting a job guarantee after studying. • Apprenticeships are most definitely not just for people who cannot get into university. • Apprenticeships are not an inferior/ second or third class route into employment. • Apprentices are capable of earning as much as graduates and start earning from day 1 of training. • Apprenticeships are available for all ages, not just 16 – 25 year olds. • Degree apprenticeships are fee free – hard work, but with excellent rewards and challenges. • Apprentices still experience independence, have excellent social lives and make new friends. The most common concerns in finding suitable apprenticeships are: • Identifying specific areas of study, providers, suitable locations, application deadlines and starting dates. • Official listings of apprenticeship opportunities do not yet match the efficiency and clarity of the UCAS system that exists for degree courses. • Unlike UCAS, where you apply well in advance for a degree and complete a relatively simple application procedure, there is greater variety for apprenticeships. Some employers will only advertise when positions arise. • Even where there is a regular annual intake, we have seen a massive difference in the scale of ‘work’ involved in applying for an apprenticeship. A few students have almost interviewed the company of their choice or been offered a post after a relatively informal interview, while others have undergone procedures as tough and competitive as those for graduate schemes. If uncertain of an apprenticeship path and not targeting a large/ key employer or sector, it may be wise to use the Upper Sixth year to attend suitable job fairs and do your research, while completing A levels and gaining the best grades possible. Students can then apply for schemes, using what would be a gap year afterwards to think carefully and test the ground in a few industries. It is more important to get the decision right than rush a decision. ONLINE ASSISTANCE
Amazing Apprenticeships, Get My First Job, Milkround School Leavers, National Apprenticeship Service (www.gov.uk/apply-‐ apprenticeship), Not Going To Uni, Rate My Apprenticeship, Target Careers, Which?Uni. Please note UCAS is beginning to list opportunities and do not be shy of approaching specific employers: e.g. Accenture, Civil Service, Deloitte, Dyson, EY, IBM, KPMG, PwC et al.
DISCUSSING OPTIONS BEYOND BABLAKE
CLEARING THE PATH FOR TOMORROW’S FEMALE ENGINEERS
Helen Jackson, senior consultant for Ove Arup and Partners Limited (one of our Engineering Education Scheme partners) has previously documented some of the hurdles she has faced in her engineering career, and what can be done to remove them for the next generation.
Whenever I see the statistics about the proportion of women in UK engineering, I am no longer astonished; I am resigned to a gender imbalance in engineering, even in these modern and otherwise diverse times. Only 8 per cent of professional UK engineers are women, and the figures for current engineering first-‐degree courses show that the proportion of women is only around 14 per cent. In 2013/14, nearly 9,000 young women opted for level 2 apprenticeships at post 16 in hairdressing, while only 80 opted for an engineering apprenticeship at the same level. It seems that whatever factors limit the number of women going into engineering in the UK, they are still in full play. Let’s not underestimate the issue here. These numbers are disturbingly low, the worst in Europe, and an indictment of how engineering is sold to the younger generation. We commonly think that in this country we are world leaders in diversity, but somehow every other European nation is doing better than the UK in removing the hidden obstacles to women having a career in engineering. It is hard to conceive how this could be the case but, when I start considering my own history, I realise that at every turn I have had to fight to remain on course for an engineering career. At each crucial point I have had to resist the pressures and alternative attractions that led my peers to follow different paths. My starting point for any consideration of the gender split in engineering is that there is absolutely no difference in the innate ability of men or women to be excellent engineers. I was astonished to read that research from King’s College London indicated that some teachers still perpetuate the myth that physics, a subject central to an engineering career, is somehow a subject more suited to ‘boy brains’. How these ideas remain credible today I don’t know, but I hope that one result of International Women in Engineering Day is to show young women that, if you have an aptitude for physics and maths, there is no reason why you will find it any more difficult than a boy. Showing that there are plenty of women like me, with a successful engineering career, shouldn’t be necessary, but apparently still is. I went to an all-‐girls independent school and, to be honest, I had little support from the school when I decided to pursue engineering. In year 8, I took part in a careers planning exercise – engineering wasn’t on the list of options for a girl – but because of my obvious technical abilities coupled with a love of music, I was told that being a piano tuner was my ideal career! This lack of encouragement at school continued and I had to find my own ways of gaining work experience, spending my holidays working with an Indycar team, at the sportscar manufacturer TVR’s Blackpool site and at my local car garage. The only support from school to my engineering aspirations was the ability to take part in the Engineering Education Scheme (EES), run by the charity EDT, in Year 12. This was supported by my A-‐Level physics teacher who accepted that whilst we were all being taught medical physics modules to become doctors, there may have been the odd girl interested in engineering. There was only one team of four from my school and it contained the only two girls in the year who, out of a group of 78, were sufficiently resilient to still maintain a drive to pursue engineering at higher education and beyond. EES was a revelation. Our team was paired with a company in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter that was looking to improve efficiency in the heat treatment process gold to save money. We visited the factory, spoke to the workers and had an engaging mentor who explained the mechanics and thermodynamics of the problem. We felt we could really make a difference for this firm, despite being 17 years old, despite being girls. I am still in touch with my school as it is one of a number of schools Arup supports in EES, which I co-‐ordinate. When discussing my experiences, teachers now acknowledge that not enough was done to encourage girls with engineering capabilities during my time. They are now changing the approach and the culture with some positive results. As I have continued my career, I have become used to being one of the few females in the room. Sadly, whenever I have undertaken high-‐ level presentations, it continues to be remarked on that I have had the task of capturing the attention of male-‐dominated audiences. My own view is that encouraging young women into engineering is no different from encouraging anybody into engineering; you need to show them, at an early an age as possible, what engineering involves. Show them role models (male or female) in engineering that they can relate to, and let them undertake realistic commercial projects that give them an understanding of what engineers can achieve. I think it is important that such experiences should take place early in young people’s journey towards deciding their careers, ideally in years 6 to 9, so that they get the insight into engineering before they start thinking about their GCSE and ‘A’ level subjects. Programmes like EES at Year 12 are excellent for confirming an engineering aspiration, but may be too late to inspire those who have already closed the door on engineering earlier in their school life, without any real insight. I am also in sympathy with the IMechE report that emphasises the need to reposition engineering as a people-‐focused, problem-‐solving, socially-‐beneficial discipline, to appeal to a broader range of young people. We tend to be very product focused; “become an engineer and design the next generation of ultra-‐supercritical generator-‐based power stations” means little to a young person. “Become an engineer and design the solutions which will help roll back global warming” is much more likely to inspire them. It is commonly suggested that young women are particularly responsive, perhaps more empathetic, to messages that emphasise their potential role in enhancing the public good and global sustainability through engineering. So, what can engineers and engineering companies learn from my experience? I would give two main pieces of advice. Firstly, engage with young people at school, both boys and girls, as young as possible through schemes like EDT’s Go4SET or any Industrial Cadet accredited programme for Years 6 to 9. Give them the engineering work experience that I found so hard to get. As an engineering community, we must recognise that to get more young people into engineering, particularly young women, we need to inspire and mentor them before they have started thinking about possible careers, so they study the subjects that engineering needs. Secondly, let’s not undersell ourselves by talking about products all the time. OK, the technical stuff excites us, that’s because we’re engineers, but to communicate with young people we need to communicate why the technical stuff helps build a better world. That’s the message that interests them. That’s the message which will bring them, particularly young women, to consider engineering as a career.
This excellent article was previously published on www.theengineer.co.uk. In the Sixth Form, Bablake has an excellent relationship with EES via our Design and Technology department, but younger pupils should not disregard taster courses available at our local universities and vacation opportunities with organisations like Smallpeice Trust.
TALKING POINTS
#STEAM NOT #STEM We have acquired an excellent resource from Creative Skillset, allowing students to explore options in screen-‐based creative areas.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT FOCUS ON OUR U6TH
SESSION 16 Friday 25th May (L6th only)
‘Beyond Bablake’
Presentations on CV writing, interview technique, gap year opportunities, UCAS, and alternative routes post 18 will be delivered by: James Catterall (Gapforce), Ruth Forster (Wagstaff Recruitment), Emma Goodman, Mrs Tumber (Head of 6th) and Mr Woodward (Head of Careers).
This promises to be an excellent, crucial day for our L6th students.
CAREERS FORUM
See http://creativeskillset.org/ for more info
#18BEFORE18 A reminder of the categories pupils using our planners should use to create their programme:
CALLING FOR ASSISTANCE
Thank you to the parents who have responded to our appeal for help supplementing our guidance. If you are still keen to assist, http://www.2morrow-‐2day.com/help-‐ we-‐need-‐somebody.html has more info on what we are looking for.
• • • • • •
Networking Qualifications Help with Decisions Challenging Yourself Beyond the Classroom Bablake Opportunity
www.18before18.co.uk has more info.
Well done to Riley McGuire who will begin an apprenticeship with Jaguar Land Rover, after completing his A level studies. Krina Mistry’s outstanding performance at interview -‐ all of which differed in format -‐ has led to her receiving 4 offers for Optometry/ Orthoptics. We also congratulate Lewis Coleman and Deepra Sinha on receiving offers from all 4 of the medical schools they applied to.
CAREERS FORUM
Our final 2 sessions for 2017-‐18 will take place after half term. We hope to offer sessions on: • Finance and Accountancy • Fashion/ Social Enterprise. We are already planning an exciting new programme of talks for 2018-‐19 and would always welcome suggestions for areas to cover.
A REMINDER!
‘BEYOND BABLAKE’ WEEK (L6th) – Monday 2 July to Friday 6 July All L6th students are planning a schedule for the week and many of the year group have exciting plans already in place. Involvement with Sports Day (Senior/ Junior School), Bablake’s T20 festival, hosting a business day for our 4th years, CREST or EPQ research, and university open day/ taster day visits are all suitable options. If you are lacking ‘inspiration’, please talk to your form tutor or see MGAW a.s.a.p. to discuss further.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
CONTACT BABLAKE CAREERS
Mr Mark Woodward
“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” Albert Einstein ‘The World As I See It’
Email: mgw@bablake.coventry.sch.uk
Twitter: @bablakecareers FB: www.facebook.com/bablakecareers Website: www.2morrow-‐2day.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin/markwoodward Blog: http://bablakecareers.tumblr.com/ Spotify: http://www.spotify.com/18before18 Instagram: @bablakecareers Careers Circulars: http://issuu.com/bablake/stacks