We at UTCN pride ourselves on offering our students the best opportunities for their future career in STEM, whether this is by progressing onto university, an apprenticeship or straight into a career.

We ensure that our students are given the best possible advice for their future as well as creating opportunities for them to talk to our employer partners and discuss their options with our IAG and Work Experience Co-ordinator, Christine Walton.

Our progression from UTCN is outstanding. We have 100% sixth form progression onto a degree, apprentice or employment. We believe that this is not only due to our fantastic teaching, but also because we provide extra opportunities to experience work, specialist opportunities in STEM and a focused way of learning. We also have unique connections with Norfolk employers and whilst in Sixth Form, we give our students a full day off on a Friday to attend paid or unpaid work. All of our initiatives are there to give our students the best possible start to their future career in STEM.

Our Careers Leader is Mrs Sarah Jarvis, Assistant Headteacher and she can be contacted on 01603 580280 or sarah.jarvis@utcn.org.uk

Careers Advice available at UTCN

The IAG and Work Experience Co-ordinator is Christine Walton and she works in UTCN Library every Monday and Tuesday. If you would like to speak to Christine, please pop into the Library or contact the UTCN Librarian, Mrs Settle, to make an appointment.

Careers Information: A Parent’s Guide

The future employability of our students is a key priority at UTCN, as reflected in our vision ‘to be the best in developing tomorrow’s engineering, computing and science professionals’, and mission statement, ‘to ensure our students have the skills, qualifications and experience to go to university or to take-up skilled employment’.

Through the Norwich Opportunity Area (https://norwichopportunityarea.co.uk/) project we have been working to enhance careers provision at UTCN, strengthening our stable embedded programme of careers education and guidance, in line with the government’s careers strategy to meet the eight Gatsby Benchmark (https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/schools-colleges/understand-gatsby-benchmarks) standards. We also work with local projects, employers and providers to ensure students are given as many opportunities to engage with the world of work as possible.

Understanding and supporting your child’s careers education will help enable your child to explore and engage with all the options and opportunities available to them, and ultimately make well-informed decisions about their future. Research has demonstrated that the more encounters students have with employers during their secondary education, the more likely they are to stick to a destination, and they could potentially earn up to 16% more across the lifetime of their careers (https://www.educationandemployers.org/research/its-who-you-meet-why-employer-contacts-at-school-make-a-difference-to-the-employment-prospects-of-young-adults/).

How can I find out more about careers education at UTCN?

A full description of UTCN’s careers education is in our Careers Strategy.

How best can I support my child in accessing careers information and advice so they can make an informed decision about their future?

Careers education has changed dramatically since we were at school, and there is a lot of information and support available for young people. You could explore some of the websites below with your child and research Labour Market Information (LMI – https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/widget/) together, or encourage them to interview a friend or family member to find out more about what they do and how they got there.

Encourage your child to pursue work experience, whether through the UTCN Y10/6th Form curriculum placements, or extracurricular work experience, shadowing or volunteering during the holidays. Look at the options available to you locally, or perhaps you have a family member with a relevant job that your child could stay with while on a work experience placement?

All UTCN students have access to our Careers Advisor, who has a Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development and is registered with the CDI as a Registered Career Practitioner. Students can request IAG appointments at any point while at UTCN and our Librarian & Careers Facilitator is available daily to book appointments. In addition to this staff and parents can make a referral for a student to receive an IAG appointment on their behalf.

Students identified as at risk of NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) or disadvantaged students are prioritised for additional one to one support. Students with SEND are also prioritised, and their choices for future career and education are considered and discussed when reviewing their support plans. If students from any vulnerable group demonstrate poor attendance or progress their IAG needs are considered when developing support plans for these students.

If parents would like to make a referral for a student to receive an IAG appointment please contact the student’s relevant Head of Year.

If you have enquiries about work experience, post-16 or post-18 options, apprenticeships, universities, etc, please contact the school, office@utcn.org.uk, who will forward your enquiry to the relevant member of the careers team.

Career curriculum overview

Please note additional employer events may be added to this calendar over the academic year.

Year 10

Young enterprise talk
Future of engineering presentation
Youth STEMM award launch
RG Carter Bridge building workshop
Behaviours for business assembly
Moneywise workshop
Cyber security/Digital Health assembly
Anglian water challenge day
Women of the future STEMM conference
Skills for Energy conference
Understanding technical careers open evening
One to One IAG meetings
Camouflage Learning project (selected students)
Form Time PSHE sessions
Getting Ready for work day
Year 10 work experience placement

Year 11

Vattenfall Engineering challenge
Cyber security/Digital Health assembly
EDF presentation
KLM presentation
National grid presentation
Understanding technical careers open evening
One to One IAG meetings

Year 12

Find your future events (2 hours per week)
Talking tech event
Cyber security presentation
Internship presentation
Future of engineering presentation
Moneywise workshop
Science Festival trip
Engineering guest speaker assembly
Careers in the Royal Navy presentation
Cyber security/Digital Health assembly
NHS careers assembly
Aviation presentation
Careers in motorsport presentation
Anglian Water presentation
UCAS & Apprenticeships evening
Briar Chemical factory tour
Aviva presentation
Triumph factory tour
One to One IAG meetings
Arkwright scholarship event
Employability assessment event
Understanding technical careers open evening
Getting Ready for work day
Year 12 work experience placement

Year 13

One to One UCAS/Apprenticeship support in form time
Science festival trip
Construction challenge day
Careers in the Royal Navy presentation
Cyber security/Digital Health assembly
NHS careers assembly
UCAS & Apprenticeships evening
EDF presentation
KLM presentation
National grid presentation
CV & Interview skills day
Understanding technical careers open evening
Duke of York Award interviews
One to One IAG meetings

Please see the links below for more information about the benefits of engineering and related careers, HE education institutions and apprenticeships.

GENERAL

U-Explore – information about careers, job applications, interviews, CVs and much more (see your Librarian to set up your account)

Are there any helpful websites we could be using?

https://helpyouchoose.org/content/

Norfolk County Council’s website for young people in Norfolk to apply for courses, find apprenticeship vacancies and access help and advice. Also with a Parents section

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/

Wide and varied careers information and advice, including job profiles with labour market information, how-to guides (e.g. CVs, application forms etc) and a skills assessment tool.

https://icould.com/

“Uses the power of personal stories to inform and inspire young people’s career choices”, with over 1000 videos of real people talking about their careers.

https://www.icanbea.org.uk/

Information on industries and companies in Norfolk and Suffolk, plus job roles, links to further info and the Career Wizard to help discover different types of careers

https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/widget/

An activity you can do with your child to find out information about particular jobs including pay and common job role tasks (Labour Market Information/LMI)