At South Devon College, our priority is to help you achieve your goals and begin a successful career in your chosen sector, no matter what your age. We have a dedicated team of professional, qualified staff, who attend to your individual needs and provide you with the best possible experience.

The start of your journey with us, and one of the most important steps, will be to identify the most suitable course for you.  This will be easier for some more than others and we hope will be linked to your future aspirations.  We want to ensure you feel well informed about this important decision and therefore offer all prospective students the opportunity to speak with a qualified member of our Personal Guidance team who can give you impartial advice and information about courses, support, study routes and careers pathways. 

For those of you looking to retrain or thinking about getting back into education we have a dedicated adult careers advisor, who has specialist knowledge on adult learning and funding options. 

Please see further information about our Personal Guidance and Careers Service here.

Our careers policy also outlines our commitment to providing an impartial, high-quality service.

Careers Policy

To book an appointment please call 08000 380 123 or drop in and see the team.

Once you have enrolled with us you will continue to receive information and support to prepare you for your next steps and future endeavours through our robust Careers Programme.    

Careers Programme 2021-22

The Careers programme has been developed in consultation with the HotSW Careers Hub, Enterprise Advisors, College Senior Leadership Team and Governors having been informed by student and employer feedback. The programme aims to fulfil Gatsby Benchmarks as outlined in our Careers Policy.

The aim of our Careers programme is to ensure every young person has opportunities to explore a wide range of career options and practice skills required for their next steps and beyond. 

These opportunities include but are not limited to, visits from industry experts, local and national employers, University Road Trip, personal careers guidance, work experience, industry placements, social action projects and inspirational speakers.  

An important strand of our careers programme is personal development, where we focus on developing the following skills:

We feel these skills are fundamental for not only a successful career but also a successful life.

Information for Schools and other providers

Feeder Schools

Our Schools Liaison and Transitions Co-ordinator, Georgina Cleasby, is available to support your students through one-to-one impartial personal guidance, or via group sessions and assemblies. Please email georginacleasby@southdevon.ac.uk to discuss your ideas and needs for supporting your students with their transition.

Provider Access Policy

Introduction

This policy statement sets out the College’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to students at the College for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer. This complies with the College’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997.

Student entitlement

All students are entitled:

• To find out about Technical Education qualifications, Apprenticeships opportunities and Higher Education qualifications as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point
• To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including Technical Education, Apprenticeships and Higher Education – through internal and external events, group discussions and taster events
• To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses

Management of provider access requests

Procedure

A provider wishing to request access should contact Jess Tucker, Head of Personal Development and Learner Progress – Advice and Guidance, Careers and Work Experience.
Telephone: 01803 540560 Email: jtucker@southdevon.ac.uk.

Opportunities for access

A number of events, integrated into the College’s careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into college to speak to students and/or their parents/carers including Open Events.