Subject Information & Links

Specific Subjects/Sectors:

Interested in a particular subject or sector and want to know what sort of careers might exist? Try looking at the websites linked here. 

Anything we have missed that may be useful for our students? Please let Mrs Wildey know (kwildey@highcrestacademy.org.uk) and he will include it.

Link not working? Please let Mrs Wildey know (kwildey@highcrestacademy.org.uk) and he will fix it.

General Information:

Barclays Life Skills has an extensive selection of on-line advice and short training courses including how to prepare for an interview (including virtual interview practice), how to write a cv, communication and interpersonal skills, adaptability, problem solving and confidence building. Build up points by working through the modules to unlock opportunities.

Russell Group Universities have created a website, Informed Choices, which explains which subjects open up different degrees. Well worth checking before you make your choices of subjects to study.

The iCould website has the popular Buzz Quiz (recently used by our Year 8 students)- a short easy to use psychometric test to identify the types of jobs that may suit you. It also has a “Courses to Careers Tool” which helps students explore how subject choices link to careers options and has over 1,000 “real life” videos with people talking about their job and connecting subjects to specific jobs.

Success at School has information organised into “Career Zones”.  You can find information on 33 different zones here. There are also Industry Spotlights. This website does carry some advertising content from third parties.

There are also a wide range of videos online including

• Nine to Five with Stacey Dooley on BBC iPlayer where groups of 16 year- olds are taken on work experience trips.
• The WOW Show is a live online channel creating real-life encounters with the world of work to inspire young people about their futures. It won “Careers Provider of the Year” at the annual Careers Excellence Awards in 2019.
• CareersBox has a wide range of videos including some on careers in the music industry and as a professional footballer.
• CoursesOnline, and is a hub for guidance covering career paths in many different industries. Click on the subject you are interested in and a range of 'How to Become' guides relevant to that industry appear. These guides are all broadly structured the same way, covering what a role entails, the qualifications needed for it, the potential earnings and alternative career pathways that may be followed.
•  MyPath issues weekly job of the week video on a YouTube channel. There are now 32 and a new one arrives every week. there are also videos about the subjects you study at school and how they help you with your future career. There are also some videos that look at the range of skills like communication and leadership that employers are looking for.

There are also websites specialising in particular subjects. These are great for careers guidance but also for building up your knowledge about a particular subject to complement your studies and read beyond what you are taught at school. This really helps when you are applying for University courses, Apprenticeships or jobs. Admissions tutors at Universities and employers will expect you to demonstrate your interest in a subject and keep up to date with the latest developments.

The world will be a very different place in the future- many careers that will exist then are only just developing. Look here for some predictions of what the future job market might look like.

Work and Training Opportunities:

We will post details of any work and skills development opportunities that we are aware of here. They will also be publicised via the school social media channels and in the weekly Parent Bulletin.

Register here for access to the latest local work experience, apprenticeships and full and part time job opportunities.

www.oppsinbucks.org - This is the online platform for the Bucks Skills Hub and is supported by a range of external organisations including the Local Enterprise Partnership and Local Authorities. We work with them closely to support careers education at Highcrest. The aim is for schools, colleges and businesses to work together to prepare our young people for career choices and help them to develop skills for the workplace.

Springpod has a range of virtual Work Experience and Industry Insights opportunities- at the time of writing this, there were opportunities with BT, Vodafone,  Nestle, the NHS and others in Law, Journalism and Finance. Please check the site regularly as many of the opportunities have application deadlines and new opportunities are posted regularly.

Armed Services:

• The Army has many different types of careers available for example combat, engineering, HR, finance and support, logistics, IT, medical and music. A  Browse Roles tool helps you explore what is available.
• The Royal Air Force has a Find Your Role tool which is like the one on the Army website and again offers information on a wide range of opportunities.
• The Royal Navy also offers similar resources here

Biology:

• The Royal Society of Biology website has a section offering advice and exploring careers in Biology.

Business/Accountancy/Finance:

• AMT, a specialist financial training company has recently published the career guide entitled ‘How to get into investment banking: what you need to know'  The guide provides insight into what it takes to start in the industry and career job prospects available. It also covers the needed skills, qualifications and experience, and how these can be attained.

• The ICAEW website has a section explaining the routes into becoming a chartered accountant and videos from accountancy professionals explaining the types of work they do.
• The ACCA website has videos explaining the different types of roles in business and finance
• You can find out about routes into investment management here and explanations of roles such as sales and marketing, investment management, legal and technology.
• The Pearson Business School offers a variety of business -related degrees and apprenticeships including Business Management, Law and Accounting.
• The Chartered Institute of Marketing has information on careers in marketing including Apprenticeships.

Chemistry:

• The Royal Society of Chemistry website has an advice section on exploring careers in chemistry.
• The Society of Cosmetic Scientists has information and case studies on careers in the cosmetic science industry.

Computing/IT:

• Prospects has information and guidance on many industry sectors including profiles of 27 different types of roles in the IT Sector which you can find here
• QA specialise in digital and tech apprenticeships in the UK. So, if you want a career in these areas look here.

Creative Industries:

• Discover Creative Careers is a website for a wide range of creative industries. Here you will find information on working in theatre, film and TV, video game production, design, fashion, advertising, social media and many others.
• Buckinghamshire has strong connections with the creative industries. The National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield offers a range of world leading courses in Film, TV and Games design. Pinewood Studios is a major employer, but you should note Pinewood does not directly employ film and tv production staff.
• The Screenskills website has a careers section with advice on working in Film, TV, games, animation and special effects.
• The Knowledge Centre at Creative and Cultural Skills has case studies and industry insights into careers in creative occupations like brand design, marketing, textile design and lighting and sound design.

Engineering/Construction/Civil Engineering:

• The Institute of Engineering and Technology has information about current engineering jobs and also, a very good section with over 200 short articles giving careers related guidance and support much of which will be of general interest to students even if they are not interested in engineering.
• You can explore careers in construction on the Go Construct website which is funded by the Construction Industry Training Board.
• You can find a range of videos here from TV Science presenter Dallas Campbell looking at how engineering impacts on our everyday lives.
• Tomorrow’s Engineers has a downloadable parents’ guide to Engineering Careers
• Technicians Make it Happen has sections for pre and post GCSE students and details of the wide range of opportunities across a wide range of industry.
• The career guide titled ‘How to Become A Construction Manager’ has been produced by The Herts Tool Company to help young people who may be interested in working in construction learn more about the ins and outs of the industry. The guide outlines the responsibilities of a construction manager, required qualifications and skills, average salary and career progression opportunities.

Education:

• Find out here about life as a teacher or alternatively ask your teacher!
• The National Careers Service has information about other jobs in education.

English:

• English degree graduates can be found in more- or- less every industry, filling a variety of roles – from editor to academic, and legal advisor to manager. Find out more here.

Healthcare:

• The NHS website has information on the 350 different job roles within the NHS and a “Find Your Career” tool which helps you find a job that may suit you. Health Education England has similar guidance but also looks at roles outside the NHS in the wider Health and Social care Sector.
• Skills for Care has advice on careers in caring.
• You can download a brochure exploring careers in the NHS here.
• Students interested in a career as a doctor can find support and guidance here from Generation Medics.
• Medmentor has lots of online advice about careers in medicine and medical school applications - details of what they offer are summarised here 
• Specific information on Nursing from the NHS can be found here. Students over 13 can register to receive information matching their area of interest
• If you prefer animals to people, then you can find details of a range of careers in veterinary science here

Law:

• Find out about careers paths in law from LawCareers.net. You can download a series of helpful booklets, learn about the range of jobs in the legal profession and watch videos in which legal professionals talk about the type of work they do.
• The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives has guidance for students who a non-university route to qualification as a lawyer including apprenticeships.
• Paralegal roles and the difference between solicitors and paralegal qualifications are explained on the National Association of Licensed Paralegals website. 
• This overview of a career in family law explains what it takes to start in the industry and career job prospects available. It is written by Katherine Rayden a  Senior Partner in Raydens Solicitors in St Albans. It also covers the needed skills, qualifications and experience, and how these can be attained.

Maths:

• The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications has an eNewsletter. It is aimed at 16 – 19 year- olds who are interested in mathematics. It aims to keep readers up to date with mathematical news, people, and activities. It features careers that make use of mathematics, mathematics in use in the real world, mathematical history, competitions, and much more.
• Plus.Maths.org has a series of videos showing how maths impacts on our day to day life and the types of careers mathematicians can follow. My recent favourites include one on cyber- crime and another on the mathematics of doughnuts! It also has a section of maths puzzles and maths- based strategy games for those who want to test their skills and Maths in a Minute explaining key maths concepts 

Physics:

• The Institute of Physics has a careers section with advice on careers in physics

Retail:

• The Fashion Retail Academy, offers route to a career in fashion retail. They offer one- or two-year Diploma courses and two year accelerated Degrees across a range of head office roles including Buying, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Design, Digital, Merchandising and Retail Management.
• The advice centre at JobsRetail contains articles with helpful tips, how-to guides and CV templates. Written by career experts to help your job search and ensuring you get the most from your career. 

Sport:

• The Wycombe Wanderers Education Trust offers a range of activities and resources to support careers in sport.
• You can also find information about degree courses in sports related subjects at UFCB. They offer degrees in football coaching, PE and Sports Psychology and qualifications related to business aspects of sport such as Stadium and Event Management, Marketing and Media and Sports Law and Finance.

Studying Abroad:

• If you are thinking of studying abroad, Studee have created a free resource, The ultimate guide to studying abroad as a UK student to help students understand the process of choosing a university overseas. 

More Detailed Research:

This is a small selection of recent reports looking at careers education, the future of employment and skills development

• The City and Guilds Great Expectations report examines the career aspirations of teenagers and how they compare to the reality of the UK jobs market.
• The Gatsby Organisation is a charitable foundation that produced an influential report on Careers Education in Schools over six years ago. It set out a series of benchmarks that continue to inform government policy in careers guidance.
• The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) is a government funded organisation that helps link schools and employers. Their Moments of Choice report looks at the way students make career decisions. Highcrest engages fully with the CEC and uses its Enterprise Adviser Network and is a member of the Bucks Careers Hub which is a support network of 21 local schools and the Local Enterprise Partnership enabling joint training and sharing best practice. The CEC also funded our Careers Leader, Mr Evans to complete a Careers Leadership Qualification run by the Careers Development Institute. The websites for both organisations have a substantial amount of research reports into CEIAG.

 

Contact: Mrs Kate Wildey, Careers Leader KWildey@highcrestacademy.org.uk

Tel: 01494 529866