Careers Advice Support for Schools
This week, schools, colleges and education providers across the country are celebrating National Careers Week.
But careers advice and guidance is important all year round. Solid careers advice helps students discover their interests, better understand the world of work, and make informed decisions about their future.
At RNN Group, we’re passionate about building better, brighter and more career-focused futures for young people.
If you’re part of the senior leadership team at a secondary school, you may be looking to further enhance your CAG in line with the Gatsby Benchmark. Our experienced Schools’ Liaison Team deliver a range of careers services to schools across South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire.
Whether you’re interested in taster sessions and college tours or want more representation at your in-house careers events, read on to find out how RNN Group can help you ensure every young person at your school finds their best next step.
Careers Fairs and Parents Evenings
Do your students know what T Levels are? Have they considered an apprenticeship? Are they thinking of going to university but don’t know what qualifications they need to get there?
Careers fairs are a great way for students to hear first-hand what opportunities are available once they finish school.
Our staff can attend your in-house careers fairs to talk to students about our vocational study programmes, what ‘vocational’ actually means, and answer any questions they have about taking this route instead of traditional A-Levels.
We can also attend parents evening events to speak to their grown-ups about the benefits of vocational options like T Levels and apprenticeships and what higher education options are available after college.
Find out more about our College careers services
GCSE Options Support
How many 13-year-olds know what they want to do when they’re older? Some students may find it hard to pick relevant GCSEs that will benefit them in their future careers.
Our schools’ liaison team can come speak with Year 8 and 9 students about what progression routes are available for their consideration pile of GCSE subjects.
We can talk about what their perfect job is, what qualifications they might need to achieve that dream, and what course options would suit their skills and learning style.
We can also discuss gender stereotypes in certain careers, such as boys becoming primary school teachers or girls working in construction, helping to break down any misconceptions that younger teenagers might have.
This often helps students make more informed and confident decisions about their GCSE options and choose more relevant subjects they will enjoy and thrive in.
Taster Sessions
One of the best ways for students to get an insight into their future is through taster sessions at college. Your school pupils can come to one of our three college campuses in Rotherham, Dearne Valley or Worksop for hands-on activities in a range of vocational subjects.
Whether you have a group of students who are unsure of their next step or others who would benefit from practical learning over the academic intensity of A-Levels, these taster sessions are a fun way for students to get up to speed with their options.
Taster sessions can be tailored to your requirements – whether that’s small focus groups in a particular subject area or whole year groups such as years 10 and 11.
There is also funding available to cover transport costs, on a first-come first-served basis.
VIP Campus Tours
As well as taster sessions at college, we can arrange VIP tours of the campus so that students can see some of the amazing facilities we have at RNN Group.
At Dearne Valley Campus, there is an animal management suite with a range of animals, a state-of-the-art health centre with AI mannequins and simulation wards, an esports centre with the latest gaming equipment, a gym and outdoor sports centre, and vast outdoor space used by our land-management students.
At Rotherham Campus, we’ve got a restaurant and hair and beauty salon that are both open to the public, a brand-new construction centre, a virtual reality suite, motor vehicle and engineering workshops, art and design studios, a performing arts theatre, and a dedicated FLEX department for SEN students.
And over at North Notts Campus there is a brand-new T Level building with an early years classroom, healthcare suite, joinery workshop and hair and beauty salon.
Again, these tours can be bespoke based on students’ interests or a general tour of the whole campus.
HE Masterclasses and Away Days
As well as having three college campuses, we also have a dedicated higher education site called University Centre Rotherham.
This has proven to be a game changer for the Rotherham community since opening in 2018, encouraging more young people into higher education thanks to the opportunity to stay at home while they study.
There are now more options than ever for higher education, from HTQs to traditional degrees and higher apprenticeships. Our HE masterclasses are a way of cutting through that jargon and looking at the benefits of each option.
Our HE taster days are a chance for sixth form students to come down to University Centre Rotherham and tour the facilities, meet staff and get a feel for what uni life could be like here.
Schools Partnership Programme
We have developed strong links with schools across South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire to ensure more young people have access to FE.
By signing up to our schools partnership programme, your students will be guaranteed a place at one of our three colleges.
They will still need to apply in the usual way and achieve the grades required for their course of choice. But this partnership programme is a way of reducing the number of NEETs in our region and ensuring the future workforce have the right skills and knowledge required by employers.
As a leading provider of career-focused further education in South Yorkshire, we have developed strong links to industry. Our students benefit from things like employer academies, guest lectures, high quality apprenticeships, and T Level work experience placements.
To arrange an activity or to find out more, contact the Schools’ Liaison Team on 01709 513333 Ext 1010 or email schoolevents@rnngroup.ac.uk.