The new IAG strategy aims to modernise careers education to make it accessible for all young people and to keep pace with a changing economy – and make sure every young person, whatever their background, can aim for the top.

The strategy sets out plans for:

• The Government’s ambition that every young person will get careers education up to the age of 18 in line with raising the participation age
• Piloting approaches to teaching about careers in primary school and plans for primary schools to work with universities to give younger pupils an experience of higher education and the wider world of work
• The ambition that every young person to have access to a mentor – two new national mentoring champions will help increase mentoring opportunities between schools, businesses and higher education
• Bringing IAG into the 21st Century with better online access to careers advice through Facebook, You Tube, blogs and forums and a new dedicated online mentoring scheme from 2010 to enable young people to contact professionals online
• More help for disadvantaged and disabled young people in accessing work experience so that all young people -regardless of their background, ethnicity or gender – can realise their full potential
• Provide support and resource for schools and parents to engage with young people from an early age to talk about career opportunities
• A £10M fund to support innovative ways of delivering careers education. New research published today shows that children at 11 have very high aspirations, with 75 per cent saying they want to go to university. Schools and parents need to work together to build on this level of ambition and get children thinking about higher education, especially those from homes where no members of their family have been to university before. It is vital that parents and schools are setting out the options for children and young people whether they are academic and are looking to go to university or are more practical and want to do an apprenticeship. The department is trialing career related learning in 38 primary schools this year. The trials will encourage pupils and parents to have the conversations about careers and education choices early, during the final years of primary school. This will help prepare young people to choose the right subject options at 14. Parents will be given help, support and resources to do this.

Check out the video for the launch…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The advantage for school leavers is that they can apply their new found knowledge while they work, earn a salary, gain the transferable skills that employers rate so highly and complete their degree without incurring thousands of pounds in student debt.

RDI offers over 40 university qualifications by online distance learning including business, law, psychology, finance, marketing, tourism and public services which can be studied over three years and financed through low cost payment plans. The degree certificate awarded at graduation is exactly the same as on-campus full-time students and the cost differences are simply amazing. You can begin your degree for just £99 per month and the whole of a three year degree costs from just £5,245 divided into ‘pay-as-you-go’ modules spread across the period of your studies.

Study is online via ilearn – RDI’s online university – where students interact their learning materials, tutors, fellow students and library facilities. Over the last 20 years RDI has helped over 50,000 students to achieve their education goals and offers a clear alternative to current issues of limited places and high student debt.

For more information please head over to this link!

Why should you choose Kaplan?

Kaplan is a leading provider of diverse education and training. Our aim is to support individuals by helping schools and organisations to develop the right knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about your future.

• For over 70 years Kaplan have been delivering expert qualifications and training solutions across the world.
• Over the last ten years, we have helped 25,000 people successfully complete their AAT qualification.
• Our achievement rates are exceptional. Results consistently exceed national averages each year (14% higher for AAT at the most recent exam sitting)‡.
• Our approach can allow students to complete their Accountancy Apprenticeship (AAT) up to a year faster with Kaplan than at a local college.
• If a student is between the ages of 16-24, all of our Apprenticeship programmes receive full or part government funding, making training affordable†.

‡Based on AAT students taking the exams in the June 09 sitting. †Terms and conditions apply, for more information visit www.kaplanapprenticeships.co.uk

3 Steps to support students

Kaplan is committed to investing in the development of your skills and supporting their learning.  We provide 3 steps to help you find a job to do an Apprenticeship:

1. CV Placement Service
2. Accountancy Scholarships
3. Summer Schools

In this edition of the notgoingtouni.co.uk newsletter, we are going to provide you with an insight into our Kaplan Accountancy Scholarships and how to apply.

Background Information: Kaplan Accountancy Scholarships

As the largest national provider of AAT in the UK, we are really proud to offer all year  11 and 13 students the opportunity to apply for a place on our Accountancy Scholarship programme.

The winners of the Accountancy Scholarship receive full AAT tuition, followed by your choice of ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW or CIPFA completely free of charge, regardless of whether you obtain employment or receive any government funding*.

The value of the Accounting Scholarship is in excess of £15,000 and creates increased employment opportunities for the winner.

Applications for the Scholarship programme start during the autumn school term, whilst interviews and the final selection process take place in the spring.  This takes the form of a localised ‘dragons den’ type of interview involving local employers.

To apply for the programme you must submit an application form, supported by a testimonial from a teacher. Your school or college may enter up to a maximum of 5 students; we will then make a selection from those to go forward to an interview stage.

Nine runners up will also receive automatic entry onto our Summer School programme and will receive assistance from us about how to gain employment to do an Apprenticeship.

Application forms can be downloaded from our website www.kaplanapprenticeships.co.uk or by contacting one of our Kaplan centres.

* Registration and exam entry fees still apply

Case study – Richard Gadd: Kaplan accountancy scholar

Not content with newly qualifying as a full MAAT, Kaplan’s first ever scholar has now set his sights on gaining a Kaplan-sponsored ACCA.  Richard Gadd, aged just 18, who studies at Kaplan’s centre in Nottingham, beat off competition from across Nottinghamshire three years ago to win a scholarship with Kaplan through a series of interviews and presentations. The scholarship meant not only that Kaplan sponsored all of Richard’s accountancy tuition until he was fully qualified, but it also helped land him a job as a trainee at Tenon.

“The AAT qualification has given me confidence in the job I do, it also shows that I’m capable to do the job I do, and with that comes respect and a self confidence to progress further.”

Kaplan’s scholarship scheme has ballooned over the past three years. Today, 11 Kaplan centres across the UK offer scholarships every year to recent school leavers with outstanding potential.

“Kaplan has been excellent, giving help and advice at every point during my studies.”

Case Study – Natasha Hawkins

“The Kaplan scholarship has given me a once in a lifetime opportunity to achieve my lifelong ambition, which without the funding would not have been possible.”

In our 2009 scholarship programme, 18 year old Natasha Hawkins was one of eleven lucky students awarded a Kaplan scholarship worth over £15,000 to provide her with the skills for a career in Finance. Working as an apprentice for RSM Bentley Jennison, Natasha chose to study an apprenticeship in AAT and through the scholarship hopes to move on to studying her ACCA qualification with Kaplan.

“Kaplan’s CV service helped me to secure a job to carry out an apprenticeship within a prestigious firm. The tutors and assessors at Kaplan care about your progress and support you every step of the way throughout your studies.”

Sounds great – what next?

Take a step in the right direction visit www.kaplanapprenticeships.co.uk or call 08458736315 today to find out more!

• Check out the interactive Kaplan student brochure!
• Download the scholarship application form!

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“I was always really good at school! They used to call me Snobby Porter because I used to put my hand up all the time and I’d always get the questions right! You know those kids who say, “Oh, me Miss!” and I’d get all the school prizes and things. I think if I’d not have been me I’d have wanted to punch me!”

“My mum was worried that I was going to rebel when I was 13, but I stayed pretty good really but then when I hit 17 I went off the rails! By then I was at West Hertfordshire College doing a BTEC HND in Media Production.”

Porter says that despite not being the greatest of students during her time studying the BTEC at college, the freedom that the course gave her to pursue her own interests meant that she could stay engaged.

“When I was at college I’d go to Manchester for a weekend and not go back for about three weeks! I’d get a phone call from the college saying, “If you’re not doing the course you’re going to drop out.” and I’d say “Oh I’d better go back, no more Hacienda for me on a Friday night!”

“The tutors on the course were really good and I was very lucky really because if I’d have been dealing with me at that age I’d have been pulling my hair out, which is ironic really! Maybe losing my hair is just karma! I think because we were media students, when we were saying we’ve got to go off and study rave culture for three weeks as part of the course they sort of let you get on with it!”

Fortunately, as well as having understanding tutors, the course also contained a broad curriculum that prepared Porter for a subsequent career that would take in music, film, radio and TV.

“We did everything on the course, from radio work, film and TV editing, I did lots of photography, TV studio work, script work and we spent a long time analysing films. It’s a really good course to give you that introduction to so many different areas and it was definitely useful when I was working later.”

“When I first got my job running, it was mostly making tea and people sending it back because it’s only got one sugar, that sort of thing. So I used to hang around in the edit suites where they were very technical, but because of the HND, if someone said “Go and use the rostrum camera” I knew what they were talking about.”

When it comes to the current school-leaver generation, Porter says that the key to getting ahead is to start by getting the right sort of qualifications, but also by applying some good old-fashioned hard work to the situation.

“I’d say that it’s important to do the courses, but as well as that never, ever stop applying for jobs. I applied for jobs constantly while I was at college. I’ve still got files and files of rejection letters! I got a rejection letter from Chris Evans from when he was at Virgin and he rejected me. Later when he asked me to be on TFI and I took the rejection letter and said, “Who’s laughing now, eh Evans?””

“I knew though that I just wanted to work in TV and films, so I never stopped. I bought a book called The Knowledge which had every address of all the production companies and it cost me about £100, which is a lot of beer when you’re a student! And I wrote personal letters to everyone I applied to. I think they noticed the difference that it wasn’t just a generic, “I think your work is great, please give me a job,” sort of letter.

“I remember I wrote to the Comic Strip and sent them photos of my hands in loads of different positions to show them how versatile my hands could be! I think they thought I was insane! Later I met Peter Richardson completely by chance and because I’m immune to embarrassment I spoke to him and said, “Hi! It’s me, Gail, the one with the bendy hands, can I get a job?” He looked completely shocked but he said yes!”

So, if you were wondering how to get a foothold in the strongly-competitive media world, it seems the answer could be that it’s up to you to show how you can turn your hands to anything! As for the current generation of students who are sometimes left feeling that uni is the only answer, Porter says it’s important to make your own decisions.

“I feel sorry for kids in that situation because I know you get people saying, “You have to go there,” and “You have to do this” and it’s not true. Some of the most successful people I’ve met have just travelled and never been near a uni. What you do is a personal choice and as long as you don’t feel pressurised, you can do what you want to do.”

“Take advice from the people who care about you, but the worst thing you could do is start something just because someone else wants you to and end up wasting your time. It’s your decision, don’t feel pressured. There’s enough time to be feel pressured when you get a mortgage! As for me I’m not sure what the future holds, I think I’m currently having a mid-life crisis! I’m dating a 25-year-old, managing a band and doing some stand-up but I’m enjoying myself!”

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan heaped praise on the apprenticeship initiatives, saying they gave people the chance of a better future.

“It’s great news that the number of people starting and completing an apprenticeship is at the highest ever, and that over a million people have taken a course to improve their literacy and numeracy skills this year,” he said.

“Behind these figures are real people with brighter futures, greater self-confidence and better career prospects ahead.

“We need to keep on helping people access the training and skills they need to get work and to get on at work, and to be able to seize the opportunities that growth will bring.”

If you’d like to add to the record number of apprenticeships, head on over to our apprenticeship vacancies page.

Other apprenticeships in London were announced alongside the new TfL apprenticeships including Serco (who operate London’s cycle hire scheme) who are looking at ways to offer 140 apprenticeship jobs.

Boris Johnson thanked TfL contractors for creating even more apprenticeship vacancies in highways teams.

‘Young apprentices are key to the future prosperity of London and it is essential that we continue to build a skilled workforce to maintain the competitiveness of our great city,’ he said.

‘That means companies in all sectors of our economy playing their part, by investing in young people who are keen to learn new skills and will add real value to any workforce.’

An increase in average age and life expectancy means that there will be even greater need for adult care workers in the future. There are many jobs within the sector, from working in residential homes or in people’s houses, with older people or children. The role could also involve working with families, adults with disabilities or those who have social or family difficulties.

This month, Jobcentre Plus alone had over 20,000 social care jobs on its database. Sue Veszpremi of Jobcentre Plus said:

“The social care sector is a big recruiter and is set to continue growing due to our ageing population. Some people may have preconceived ideas about caring, but it can offer a great way in to the health industry and is bucking the economic downturn by taking on more staff.”

As a social care worker, you can make a real difference to people’s lives, picking up great skills and experiences along the way. Even those who are under 18 can work in some areas of social care in supervised posts. As the work involves helping people who are potentially vulnerable or physically frail, all applicants will need to undergo pre-employment checks, including a Criminal Records Bureau check to ensure they are of the right character to take on such responsibility. Those who would like to work with children under the age of 18 will be checked against the Protection of Children Act.

Most social care employers offer you formal training to do the job, in addition to other opportunities to acquire more skills and qualifications such as NVQs. Some people then choose to undertake professional training to become a care manager or a social worker. There is lots of opportunity for variety and to move around in different disciplines and specialise where you prefer.

From January 2010, young jobseekers can also get into the sector through Government initiatives like Care First Careers. The scheme, backed by the Department for Work and Pensions, offers employers £1,500 subsidies to recruit young people aged 18 to 24. Up to 50,000 job opportunities will be created giving young jobseekers the chance to pursue a permanent career in this sector.

One person who embarked on a career in social care and never looked back is Laura Taylor from Wigan. Laura started working as a carer in a residential home for older people when she was 18 years old. She now has two part-time Personal Assistant positions caring for physically disabled clients for who she organises walks, social outings, and assists with meals and hygiene.

Laura’s interest in social care began at the age of 15 when she volunteered to assist her Primary School classmate Joe undertake his Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. Years later, Laura is now his personal carer.
“Joe should have the same opportunities as anyone else and I’m glad that I can take care of him so that he has someone of the same age that he can relate to. I get a real buzz looking after Joe. Just being able to see how happy he is, because I’m taking him outdoors. If I wasn’t here, then Joe would often be cooped up inside.”

For further advice on social care careers, visit www.socialcarecareers.co.uk or call the social care helpline on 0300 123 1100.

Check out our opportunities in social care in the social care apprenticeships pages!

Finding the right charity is easy as the website has a unique online Charity Matchmaker tool, developed in consultation with the UK’s leading volunteering charity, WorldWide Volunteering. If you’re successful, the Vodafone Foundation will pay the charity you choose a total of £2,500 and you’ll get the balance when tax and National Insurance have been paid.

In addition, Vodafone UK will donate a new mobile phone and pre-paid credit to each of the 500 successful applicants so they can share their experiences with friends and family and inspire others to make a difference.  The deadline for applications for World of Difference UK is 3 November, with the first placements beginning in January 2010.

“For people who feel passionate about a charity or cause, or for those who simply have time on their hands, Vodafone’s World of Difference programme offers an ideal opportunity to help others whilst gaining valuable life and work experience,” said Andrew Dunnett, Director of the Vodafone Foundation.  “We’ve seen a huge surge of interest in UK-based charity placements, with over 127,000 Facebook fans following us on facebook.com/worldofdifference when we launched our International programme earlier this year.  World of Difference UK gives people who want to donate themselves, and get paid, the chance to put that passion into practice.”

Eight UK winners from the Vodafone Foundation’s World of Difference International programme have been confirmed today.  The winners (Nick Eastcott from Dorset, Kathryn Becher from Devon, Lucy Buck from East Sussex, Max Griffiths from London, Naomi Pendle from Bath, Zoe Vowles from London, Rebecca Webb from Southampton and Jain Reid from London) beat 1,000 applicants to  work for their chosen charities overseas for 12 months, with salary and expenses paid up to £45,000.

For further information on the World of Difference programmes visit vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference or join the World of Difference Facebook fan page facebook.com/worldofdifference

Channel 4 – How the Other Half Live

Following the success of the first series on Channel 4, we are now looking for wealthy families to take part in the second series.  As explained below, the programme looks at two families in the UK who are living at opposite ends of the economic spectrum, and explores how they can benefit each others lives through help and support and getting to know each other.

Each programme focuses on two families, with at least one child aged 8-12 years, from different backgrounds, observing their lifestyles as seen through the eyes of their children.  The programme’s aim is to highlight the issues surrounding child poverty in the UK, and as such we are looking for wealthy families that would be happy to sponsor a family that is facing such hardship.

As with the first series we hope that when the families meet they will forge genuine relationships, through which they can explore their different viewpoints and experiences.  Moreover, by having the opportunity to make family visits to another family’s home, the children will have an opportunity to make friends with children from different economic, social or cultural backgrounds and who, under normal circumstances, they would be unlikely to meet and befriend.  Our aim is to present a fair and balanced view of each family’s experience, in the hope of breaking down cultural and economic stereotypes.  Fundamentally, this is a family project in which, by exploring family life through the eyes of the children, we will give those children a voice. We had had great feedback from the wealthy families who took part in last series who all felt it was an invaluable learning experience for their children.

In terms of the filming itself, each crew is very small and our aim is always to undertake filming in a relaxed and unobtrusive manner.  With our previous series, we took advice from various charities including Save the Children and therefore feel it is very important to highlight our experience and understanding of the issues involved in working in this area.

Unfortunately – as is typical in television – our deadlines are very tight and we are therefore really hoping to find families to take part as soon as possible.  If you feel you or someone you may know may be interested in being involved in our programme, or indeed would simply like to hear more about what we are doing, please feel free to contact me (Jo) on 0207 013 4149.

You can also read about the series on the Save the Children website: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/41_9051.htm.

BBC Radio 4 – PM programme

We are putting together a discussion featuring young people, aged between 15 and 23 (not set in stone, that’s just a rough age span) looking at how young peoples’ perspectives have changed during the recession. We’d like to ask whether they feel they have been cheated of the bright future promised by the baby boomer generation. Has the belief that hard work, good grades and a degree equal a good career been totally shattered? Have they had to compromise on their aspirations when faced with the grim reality of the current job market? How has their attitude to money changed and are they likely to be more sensible than their parents? It seems the burden of this recession, in particular unemployment, is falling disproportionately on the young. With that in mind, do young people feel angry towards politicians/bankers for having created this mess?

We’d like to talk to as wide a range of people as possible, including those who decided to forego university and enter the job market, people who went and got a degree that they now feel won’t help them get a job, as well as teenagers who are weighing up their options.

The discussion would be for the PM programme on Friday 23rd October and we can record it any time from about 1130 am (although the afternoon is usually preferable). You can be based anywhere in the UK and would only have to get to your nearest BBC studio (there’s one in every major town in the UK) so no need to get to London or anything like that!