Careers

Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance

Welcome to the Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance (CEIAG) at Cowley International College.

The designated CEIAG Lead at Cowley: Mr Watkins. Telephone the main reception on 01744 678 030 or email here.

The CEIAG programme is planned, monitored and evaluated by the Assistant Principal (Head of Personal Development), Mr Watkins, the Work Related Learning Mentor, Mr Mason, and Mr Harper, Careers Administration.

Within the links below, you will find information across CEIAG, providing a useful resource for both students of Cowley and their parents/carers.

Careers in the Canteen

‘Careers In The Canteen’ is a bi-weekly ‘drop in’ event which takes place in one of the busy areas of Cowley Sixth Form College, the canteen, where by employers, higher education institutions and apprenticeship providers are invited come into college, set up a stand and are able to speak to our students about careers opportunities in an informal setting.

Students will be able to stop by at any time over the 90-minute sessions to gather information and advice about internships, university courses, work experience or apprenticeship places from our visitors.

Sessions will take place on selected Friday afternoons, from 12:15-1:45pm.

What’s included?
Pre-publicity, a table, chairs, power, wifi access and parking space on the day.

What do you need to bring?
A roller banner, branded tablecloth and any promotional literature you might wish to give to students.

Set-up a promotional stand in a high footfall area of College and engage with our students in a relaxed way as part of their Friday routine.

We have Friday 3rd May remaining available.

Book a place for the remainder of the 2023-24 academic year online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/cowley-sixth-form-college.

Connect with us

If you’d like to connect with the Careers department at Cowley International College, you can find us on Linked In where we post regular updates of what’s going on in Careers @ Cowley.

Cowley International College is committed to providing a planned programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance for all students in Years 7-13, in partnership with a provider of independent and impartial advice (Career Connect).

The careers programme is designed to meet the needs of students at Cowley International College. It follows the Gatsby Benchmarks and is differentiated and personalised to ensure progression through activities that are appropriate to students’ stages of career learning, planning and development.

The impact of the careers programme is measured by the annual Careers surveys which are conducted towards the end of the academic year for each year group as well as the Destinations/NEET reports we produce at the end of every academic year.

CEIAG Programme

Please find below details of what Careers Education students can be expected to go through in each year group at Cowley International College and Cowley Sixth Form College.

Key Stage 3 and 4: Years 7-11

Year group Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term
Year 7 PSHE Careers programme – introducing Unifrog. Event for employers to speak with Y7 students. Event for employers to speak with Y7 students. Event for multiple employers to speak to Y7 students. Careers interviews with Careers Advisor as required. Event for employers to speak with Y7 students.
Year 8 PSHE Careers programme – introducing Careers Education. Event for employers to speak with Y8 students. Event for local colleges to speak with Y8 students. Event for multiple employers to speak to Y8 students. Careers interviews with Careers Advisor as required. Event for apprenticeship providers to speak with Y8 students. University visits for selected students to raise awareness of the benefits of university.
Year 9 PSHE Careers programme – Introducing option choices for KS4. Event for T Level providers to speak with Y9 students. Y9 Careers appointments with Careers Advisor at Options Evening. Event for Apprenticeship providers to speak with Y9 students. Event for multiple employers to speak to Y9 students. University visits for selected students to raise awareness of the benefits of university. Event for employers to speak with Y9 students. Careers Interviews with Careers Advisor as required. No other encounters (legislation requires that encounters take place by 28th February of Y9).
Year 10 Y10 Careers Fair event (on a market stall basis) for students and parents, giving overview of local, regional and national opportunities and skills requirements. Event for Apprenticeship providers to speak with Y10 students. PSHE Careers programme – Considering how to find a job. Event for universities to speak with Y10 students. Careers Interviews with Careers Advisor as required. University visits for selected students to raise awareness of the benefits of university. Event for employers to speak with Y10 students.
Year 11 Students provided with timetable of events regarding local providers’ Post 16 Information Evenings. Event for universities to speak with Y11 students. PSHE Careers Programme, including interviews. Y11 Careers appointments with Careers Advisor at Options Evening. Post 16 interviews. Event for employers to speak with Y11 students. Confirmation of Post 16 education and training destinations for all students. No other encounters (legislation requires that encounters take place by 28th February of Y11).

Key Stage 5: Years 12-13

Year group Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term
Year 12 Meeting with Careers Advisor for vulnerable and 1-year students. Y12 Careers appointments with Careers Advisor at Parents’ Evening. Events for employers and apprenticeship providers to speak to Y12 students. Year 12 Progression Week - Opportunities for employers, universities and other providers to provide information regarding potential next steps, skills requirements and advice. Presentations on each day from providers and employers: • University Day, • Employers Day, • Mock Interviews. Careers Interviews with Careers Advisor as required.
Year 13 Meeting with Careers Advisor for all students. Additional Y13 Careers appointments with Careers Advisor at Options Evening. Students expected to apply for post 16 institutions. Follow up meetings for all students who have not applied to go to university. Events for employers and apprenticeship providers to speak to Y13 students. Small group sessions for training and employment opportunities (aimed at students who have not applied for university). Confirmation of Post 18 education and training destinations for all students. No other encounters (legislation requires that encounters take place by 28th February of Y13).

Useful links

Careers Newsletters

Every half term, we produce a Careers newsletter with details of upcoming events that students can get involved with. It is sent out to students and parents/carers via email and they are also available to view below.

March 2024

February 2024

December 2023

October 2023

Career Quiz

Take part in a short quiz (should take no more than 5 minutes). The quiz is designed to help students aged 12-18 discover an industry that aligns with their aspirations. Through a series of questions, we’ll assess your skills and interests, and analyse how these align with different career sectors. You will then receive an email detailing your results and which career we believe you should consider. Plus, you will receive a personalised report identifying your strengths and what you can be doing now to help with your future career.

Start the quiz

Request a Careers Appointment

Students can request a 30-minute appointment with our independent Careers Advisors at any time during their time at Cowley.

If you feel like you would benefit from a Careers interview, please click here to email the Careers team, or speak to your Team Tutor, and we will make the necessary arrangements for you.

Resources

Useful links:

12 days of Winter Work Skills

How to format a CV

Career Zones

My Career Podcast from Pathway CTM – available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a formal document that introduces yourself to an employer, asking them to think about your application.

It should always accompany your CV and is normally 3 to 5 paragraphs long.

Why is a cover letter important?

A cover letter gives you the opportunity to provide the hiring manager with more detail on how your skill set fits with the role you’re applying for, why you are interested in the role and what you will bring to the organisation.

We have created a post covering everything you need to know when it comes to writing a cover letter, view or download a copy below.

Cover letter top tips

Job vs career

You’re probably surrounded by parents, teachers and careers advisors, all telling you that it’s time to think about your career. But what does this mean, and why is it about more than just getting a job? Find out why it’s important to start thinking about.

What are soft skills and why are they important?

Soft skills is a term often used by careers advisors and employers to describe the kind of essential personal skills and social capabilities people need to be able to do most jobs. Find out about some of the key skills that will help you in the future.

Unifrog

Unifrog is the online Careers platform that all of the students at Cowley use. It brings into one place every apprenticeship, university course and college course in the UK (and further afield), a wide range of career profiles, a vast selection of MOOCs (open online courses), advice on building employability skills and competencies and School Leaver Programmes and many other enrichment opportunities.

The platform makes it easy for students to write their CVs, Personal Statements and record their activities. The video below gives you an idea of what it is and what it has to offer, both to students and parents/carers.

Log in to Unifrog

Students each have their own Unifrog account from when they start with us in Year 7 and will receive continued training on Unifrog in PSHE lessons throughout their time at Cowley.

www.unifrog.org

Policies and useful documents

Provider Access Legislation Policy

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Policy

Work Related Learning and Enterprise Policy

DfE Careers guidance and access for education and training providers – October 2018

The next annual review of the Careers provision and policy will take place in Spring 2025.