Adult Learners’ Week: SELLLN and The Careers Group launch Take it Higher May 11, 2009
Posted by helencurry in C2, Higher Education.Tags: Adult Learners' Week, C2, careers, careers advice, consultancy, Higher Education, SELLLN, Take it Higher
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Today is the first day of Adult Learners’ Week, perfect timing for SELLLN and The Careers Group’s C2 to launch the new online careers guidance website Take it Higher.
Take it Higher is a new online service offering free e-guidance to adults interested in progressing into Higher Education. The site provides access to a range of information resources as well as free one-to-one email advice from professional careers advisers. The aim is to enable vocational learners and returners to education to discover relevant Higher Education opportunities and support them in their applications.
I think that this project is very exciting as it means that people who may find it difficult to access this sort of support due to eligibility criteria can now get free and impartial advice from a professional careers adviser. I look forward to working in partnership with The Careers Group.
- Candy Kobrak, SELLLN
The site was developed by C2 consultancy for the South East London Lifelong Learning Network (SELLLN), and C2 advisers will be providing the e-advice service.
C2 is part of The Careers Group, University of London, and provides careers advice services to graduates as well as consulting and coaching to businesses and organisations.
The Skills Agenda – View from the Campus May 5, 2009
Posted by helencurry in employability.Tags: careers, employability, Graduate Employment, HE, Higher Education, skills, students
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In line with government employability initiatives, universities are taking a more pro-active approach to helping students analyse and develop their transferrable skills. At present, schemes are being advanced to assist both current students in their personal development, and new graduates who are seeking employment in the recession.
In a presentation at a recent GTI TARGETjobs Breakfast News meeting, the Director of The Careers Group, Anne-Marie Martin, outlined the range of projects and policies at governmental, regional and institutional levels, with which Higher Education careers services are actively engaged.
- Governmental – New policies are being developed in consultation with careers advisers, especially in relation to the proposed new graduate internships, and additional funding has been provided to careers services through HEFCE.
- Regional - Regional Development Agencies are working with Universities to increase the number of work placements available to students.
- Institutional - All careers services are involved in delivering skills awareness training to staff and students. In some institutions, this has led academic staff to adjust courses in order to increase work-based learning and address skills gaps in students. In others, skills-development sessions are given directly by the careers service, and are often co-delivered with employers.
For more detail, please see the presentation slides below.
These findings are a further part of research conducted on behalf of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), which also addressed the response to the recession.
Popular ‘Getting into International Development’ course breaks attendance records April 8, 2009
Posted by helencurry in international development.Tags: course, development, event, international development, The Careers Group
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The Careers Group ‘Getting into International Development’ event held on the 3rd of April proved to be a big success this year, with 330 attendees ranging from current students to career-changers. This continues a notable trend of growing interest in International Development.
The course is designed to give an overview of the sector, combining presentations on how to get into development with an exhibition from NGOs and course providers. Exhibitors ranged from big names to smaller specialist organisations, reflecting the range of opportunities in this field. These included: Christian Aid, World Vision, War on Want, VSO, Peace Brigades International and Medair UK.
Jeff Riley, Course Director for ‘Getting Into International Development’ writes:
A number of this year’s participants went out of their way to let us know how much they had appreciated the course but we also appreciated the way participants made the most of the day. One student told us that when she first found out about the course she approached her college, The University of Northampton, and persuaded them to organise a subsidized block booking to the event. Great initiative and leadership.
Many exhibitors and speakers told us how gratified they were with the energy and interest shown by the audience and many have already said they would be able to come again next year.
For further information, please see our dedicated microsite Careers in International Development, and also our page on Facebook “Getting into International Development“. Presentation slides and podcasts will be added to these pages as they become available.
Response to the Recession March 17, 2009
Posted by annemariemartin in careers advice, graduate recruitment, job vacancies, recession.Tags: careers, credit crunch, Graduate Employment, recession
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The Director of The Careers Group, Anne-Marie Martin, recently presented research conducted on behalf of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) at a GTI TARGETjobs Breakfast News meeting for graduate recruiters.
The research asked careers services throughout the UK about the response to the recession from institutions, employers, students and careers services. The findings showed that:
- government and university concern about the situation has led to some additional resources being made available.
- employers are maintaining an active presence on campus with fairs remaining especially buoyant.
- vacancies were reported to be down by a number of careers services, yet other services reported maintained levels or have even seen growth. On investigation this proved to be because careers services had devoted additional resources to sourcing vacancies.
- unemployment appears to be at a higher level in the July 2008 cohort.
- students are anxious but there is no panic. They are using their careers services more. However some students appear to be trying to avoid the issue, choosing to pretend the recession will not affect then, or giving up entirely on some sectors such as finance even those these sectors are still recruiting.
The careers services reported their responses to the recession have been to increase research into the effect of the recession on different career sectors, to offer extra products such as workshops and advice sheets tailored to this recession, to more actively seek out graduate opportunities to advertise to their students, and to encourage students to engage with their careers services for additional assistance.
The slides from the presentation are below:
Director on Today programme October 21, 2008
Posted by annemariemartin in Higher Education, careers advice, students.Tags: careers, credit crunch, Fairs, graduate recruitment, media, PR, recession, recruitment
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There are no signs of the recession having an impact on graduate recruitment yet. (more…)
The Careers Group form new partnership with The Guardian February 25, 2008
Posted by Michael Clarke in Higher Education, graduate recruitment.Tags: education, exhibitions, graduate recruitment, graduates careers, Guardian, Higher Education, News, students, The Careers Group
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The Guardian and The Careers Group, University of London have announced an extensive new partnership (more…)
Graduate to a Sporting Career February 18, 2008
Posted by annemariemartin in Higher Education, careers advice, job vacancies, students.Tags: careers, careers service, drama, employability, ethical careers, Higher Education, media, SMUC, sport
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Students at St Mary’s University College (SMUC) will soon hear how to succeed in a career in sport. (more…)
C2 to deliver skills programme February 6, 2008
Posted by annemariemartin in Higher Education, careers advice, students.Tags: C2, career development, News, skills
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C2 has won the bid to design and deliver a new programme of workshops. (more…)
London Skills and Employment Board (LSEB) November 30, 2007
Posted by annemariemartin in Higher Education, careers advice.Tags: careers, higher level skills, HLS, London, London First, London Skills and Employment Board, skills
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The LSEB aims to create a strategy which reflects the capital’s skills needs. It will then recommend allocation of budgets to ensure appropriate provision of skills training. Breakfast consultations in the new year will look at the higher level skills needs which most are agreed are essential to the future of businesses across London. Higher Education Institutions will be asked to deliver against the new agenda. Higher Education Careers Services, acting as they do as the conduit between HE and employers, can offer a unique insight into higher level skills shortages and practical remedies. What a pity that the LSEB has no representation from Higher Education Careers Services.
