5th March 2024
Celebrating National Careers Week here at South Devon College is a great opportunity to highlight the skilled and exclusive careers provision available to all our students, whatever their age or stage, equipping them with support and employability skills to progress successfully into their work sector of choice.
For some, completing education and stepping out into a career or workplace can seem a daunting prospect but our students don’t have to navigate it alone.
We have a knowledgeable and approachable Careers Guidance Team, who are all Level 6 qualified Career Guidance and Development Practitioners, to offer information and advice to everyone throughout their student journey and beyond. The team keep a close eye on Labour Market Information and understand how economical, political and societal influences impact the local and national jobs market and recruitment processes.
In fact, our support and advice can start for prospective students before they are enrolled with us. A vital step is to identify the most suitable course for the individual, so we offer all prospective students the opportunity to speak with a qualified member of our Personal Guidance team who can give impartial advice and information about courses, support, study routes and careers pathways.
That support will continue throughout student life, with one-to-one Personal Guidance meetings, tutorials and workshops, paired with a robust Careers Programme, so our students are well prepared to branch out and make their mark in the world.
Of course it’s not just students leaving College that we can support – for those 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.
Our careers learning journey has been developed to ensure all our students get opportunities to explore their options, plan their pathway and develop their skills. Throughout each programme there will be meaningful encounters with employers to help develop experience, network and skills.
These encounters include visits from industry experts, local and national employers, work experience, social action projects and inspirational speakers, plus lessons on topics such as employment law, money matters and loan sharks.
Jess Tucker, the nominated Careers Leader and Head of Personal Development and Student Journey at South Devon College, explained: “‘We are trying to redefine what careers education feels like for our students – we aim to support them to make informed decisions about their next steps based on a range of experiences and encounters, which develop their networks and increase confidence and opportunity.”
Our approach to careers has been developed in consultation with the Devon, Plymouth and Torbay Careers Hub, Enterprise Advisors, College Senior Leadership Team and Governors, after guidance from student and employer feedback, with the aim of ensuring everyone has opportunities to explore a wide range of career options and practice skills required for their next steps and beyond. Our career learning outcomes provide both a strong universal offer whilst supporting a personalised approach to providing the resources and learning needed to meet individual needs.
Careers is a pillar of our personal development programme, supported by all staff, where we focus on developing character through resilience, independence, confidence, positive contribution, respect for self and others. We also focus on development of essential skills, which we call power skills, such as leadership, communication, initiative, digital awareness – all vital skills in today’s job market.
Jess Tucker continued: “We work closely with employers to develop our curriculum to meet sector needs and skills gaps. Our Careers Guidance Team and Personal Tutors encourage students to take individual responsibility for their planning and development, to empower them to take ownership of their future.
“Entrepreneurship is also something we focus on within our careers programme, recognising the importance of these skills to enhance our local economy.’”
Here at South Devon College we run our career guidance in adherence with the eight Gatsby Benchmarks defined in the ‘Good Career Guidance’ report, which serve as a framework for world-class careers provision.
The eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance are:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance.
In addition to the Careers Guidance Team, the Careers and Employability Centre is a free service exclusive to all South Devon College students, delivered in partnership with local employers. It focuses on developing employability skills, industry placements and work experience support, and providing direct access to new employment opportunities in the local area via the part-time Jobs Fairs.
If students need help with CV writing, online applications, or cover letters, or if they’re seeking interview training, we are here to help.
Keyleigh Mead, Employability Guidance Co-ordinator, said: “I think it is so important that our students are aware of the career opportunities that are available to them.
“Our careers provision is great at informing and supporting students across the college with their choices and identifying their strengths and skills that are transferable to the workplace.”
Employability Guidance Co-ordinator Keyleigh Mead
We also encourage those who have finished at College to join our alumni network on LinkedIn, to share their inspirational journeys and network – so please do head over to our page to keep in touch!
For further information, and to meet our Careers Guidance Team, follow this link: Meet our Careers Guidance Team – South Devon College
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