National careers award makes College leaders in the field

Birkenhead Sixth Form College has cemented its place as a leader in careers provision with a re-awarding of the national Quality in Careers Standard accolade.

The award recognises careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) provided to students throughout their time at College, with students leaving with all of the information and support to make informed choices about their next steps.

The College became the first sixth form college in the country to be award the Quality in Careers Standard three years ago, and a reassessment from inspectors confirmed that the award would be renewed due to the high class provision of careers across both subjects and through the tutorial programme.

All students at the College are allocated an assigned tutor for their two years with us, and the tutor is the first port of call for all careers support. The tutorial programme includes support for university, apprenticeship or employment progressions after College, with both small group tutorials and one-to-one sessions creating the backbone of the student experience.

Online careers hub Unifrog is used for all students for the latest labour market information, course options at university, personal statement writing and more. As well as the assigned tutor, students have access to our in-house careers specialists and can make appointments for personal bespoke advice. 

A range of fairs throughout the year sees visitors coming to the College to let students know more information of the vast range of options at their fingertips, and the first year culminates in Futures Day, where more than 60 organisations come to speak to students to get them as informed as possible.

The Quality in Careers Standard assessment summarised: “The College takes the delivery of comprehensive CEIAG very seriously. There is clear commitment from the Senior Management Team and Governors.

“Students are very well supported and have access to an enriched programme that includes activities and experiences provided through a range of employer and FE, and HE encounters. The College continues to provide dedicated support to all students. The College is committed to the provision of high quality CEIAG.”

The College was also praised for making the assessors job ‘easy’ as the provision was so comprehensive yet easy to understand.

Director of Student Development and Careers Leader at the College, Jo Wood, said: “Careers at Birkenhead Sixth Form College is not an afterthought or something that’s done once in every while to tick a box – careers advice and support runs through everything we do.

“From the moment a student applies to come to the College in their last year at high school, we support each person to make informed decisions on their course choices at sixth form, influenced by their future goals. And that’s just the start of what we do.

Jo continued: “The teachers here work careers advice into their subjects and let students know about potential career paths utilising their subjects, while tutors all have a wealth of experience in supporting students to open doors to jobs and careers that suit them as individuals. The careers programme at the College is delivered in a structured framework, yet we continually drive home messages of support, and will always strive to evolve to give the best to all of our students.”

For more on the College’s careers programme, click here.