Careers Education and Guidance

Quality Careers Education

Aquinas College has a team of professionally trained career advisers who help support students to gain a place at University, an apprenticeship, employment or further training. The team have extensive experience and follow a professional code of conduct. We have been awarded the Matrix Standard which is a unique quality standard covering the advice and support services which help individuals in their choice of career, learning, work and life goals, ensuring students receive impartial and confidential support.

Our Promise to You

In today’s world there are increasing pressures on young people. Progression options have become more challenging so the importance of high quality impartial Careers Guidance is crucial in helping young people make the right choices. Appropriate guidance can raise aspiration, awareness and motivation to achieve. We will give accurate, independent, timely, clear advice and information, on a wide range of careers and educational issues.

Aim of Aquinas Careers Service

To inspire, encourage and inform via accurate and timely careers advice.

Our Key Values:

Approachability – we are welcoming, easy to talk to and friendly

Collaboration – we are connected, consultative and work in partnerships

Impartiality – we are inclusive, objective and fair Innovation – we are progressive, developmental and adaptable

Professionalism – we are expert, skilled and reliable

A copy of our full Statement of Service can be viewed here.

http://www.aquinas.ac.uk/statement-of-service/

Where can you find the Careers Centre?

Careers are located on the ground floor of the learning centre near student information. We have three highly qualified careers advisers – Gareth Goswell and John Morrison (who work full time) and Louise Wilson (who works part time Monday, Tuesday and Friday). Richard Hackney, from SMBC also attends the college every Wednesday. Their primary role is to enhance the students’ knowledge of the full range of options available to them. Through workshops, group sessions, one to one interviews, employer and university visits and talks; the aim is to ensure each student has the resources and support available to them to make informed choices about their career and education choices. Teresa, a senior librarian oversees resources and maintains the opportunities board. Carol Mayall, also a qualified careers adviser, is Head of Careers, a senior tutor and oversees the careers education material in the tutorial programme. During term time we are open from 8.30pm – 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and to 4pm on a Friday. You can also contact us by email or telephone.

What do we do?

The Careers team provides a wide range of services to students and partners. We

• Offer individual student consultations either drop-in or by appointment
• Give you an individual action plan after each consultation
• Deliver a careers education programme via the 10:10 tutorial programme
• Liaise with local and national employers and training providers and regularly invite visiting speakers to address groups of students about developments in their areas.
• Organise talks and visits from Universities, employers and apprenticeship training providers
• Promote career opportunities to students via the bulletin, Twitter feed and email
• Support students with applications to universities, apprenticeships and other employment opportunities
• Provide help and suggestions for students looking for work experience
• We attend consultation evenings and career events outside college giving advice to prospective students and their parents

An overview of the Careers Education programme can be viewed here. Detailed information is emailed to students during their induction programme. http://www.aquinas.ac.uk/app/uploads/2018/07/Career-Education-Calendar.pdf

Our Partners

We pride ourselves on our extensive range of partnerships which includes UCAS, many Universities and colleges across the country, local training providers, local and national employers and the Student Loan Company. We work closely with Stockport Alliance and the Chamber of Commerce and are members of the Gander project which brings ‘employers and education together’. The careers team are also part of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) helping students from areas where there is a lower than average proportion of young people going to University. We have also been selected (one of only four colleges in Greater Manchester) to be part of the new Careers and Enterprise Hub for Greater Manchester working together using our expertise to help improve careers education for all. Members of the team have also presented at national conferences and have attended a working group on social mobility at the Houses of Parliament.