Kes Academy Higher Education Evening

1. Kes Academy Higher Education Evening

2. Programme for the evening • Introduction and key dates • An Introduction to Apprenticeships • Choosing courses and Universities • A guide to Personal Statements • Student Finance

3. Key Dates • 11th June - Higher Education Convention in Norwich at UEA Sports Park • 21st June - Apprenticeship Day (Dereham Sixth Form College) • 24th June – Year 12 Exams start • 8th July – Start of Work Experience Week • 24th July – Tutor references written for students • 4th September – Completed applications can be submitted to UCAS • 15th October - Deadlines for applications to Oxford and Cambridge and most courses in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science • 15th January 2020 – Deadline for the majority of undergraduate courses • 25th February 2020 – Extra options opens for those students not currently holding any offers

4. GUIDE TO OBTAINING AN APPRENTICESHIP

5. WHAT ARE APPRENTICESHIPS? • An apprenticeship is a paid job where you are trained and you work towards a qualification.  • You learn skills and knowledge in the workplace. • You are trained in the skills employers want.  • You will learn at a pace that suits you. • You are supported by a mentor.  • Minimum salary for an apprentice is £3.90 per hour - applies to all apprentices aged under 19 or in the first year. You could earn more. • There are many types of apprenticeship, covering a wide variety of occupations and ways of learning: (4 days work, I day college, 5 days work and assessed at work, block college/training). • They can take between one and six years, depending on the level of apprenticeship, your ability and the industry sector you are working in. • Apprentices are expected to be employed and paid for at least 30 hours per week for a minimum of one year.

6. Apprenticeship Pay NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE IN UK

7. Types of Apprenticeships

8. Higher & Degree Apprenticeships • Work and study a degree at the same time • Typically last 4-6 years • Day release or block release – depends on company, HEI and programme​ • Entry requirements vary but typically need at least Level 3 qualifications & GCSE English & Maths​ • No restriction on number of applications​ • No age limit • Get paid! Typically between £12,000 to £18,000 • No fees​ - tuition fees covered by employer • Can progress through a number of apprenticeships up to level 7​ (Masters)

9. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN REALITY? • There are apprenticeships out there but: • The competition is fierce, particularly for degree level apprenticeships. • They are not an easy alternative to university • Apprenticeship application deadlines are different to the UCAS deadlines. Don’t wait until the deadline to make an application as some companies will close their recruitment once they have enough applicants. • There are more Level 3 apprenticeships (to start you need at least 5 GCSEs at 9-4 including English and Maths) • Employers need to pay you • Employers need to supervise you • They do not always guarantee employment

10. Where to start searching Search apprenticeships: https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch Search apprenticeships: https://www.apprenticeshipsnorfolk.org/

12. Local Businesses that Offer Apprenticeships • Palm Paper • Nestle • PriceWaterHouseCoopers (Cambridge) • Coopers • Bespak • Mars • Mapus-Smith and Lemmon Accountants • Stephenson and Smart Accountants • ClenshawMinns Accountants • British Sugar • COWA • Porvair • Dow Chemicals • Wisbech Carpet Warehouse • Queen Elizabeth Hospital • Foster Refrigeration • West Norfolk District Council

13. SO WHAT MUST YOU DO? Decide what course you want to apply for! By when? ALWAYS HAVE A BACK UP Compose a good CV – get it checked by staff By Christmas Compose a letter of application – checked by staff By Christmas Set up email alerts on apprenticeships websites Jan 2020 Send speculative applications Jan–Onwards 2020 Send letter and CV to companies advertising Feb–Onwards 2020

14. ARE APPRENTICESHIPS RIGHT FOR YOU? https://university.which.co.uk/advice/choosing-a-course/is-a-higher-or-degree-apprenticeship-really-right-for-you APPRENTICESHIP WEBSITES https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/location/norwich https://www.indeed.co.uk/Degree-Apprenticeship-jobs-in-Norwich https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship https://www.icanbea.org.uk/ https://www.ucas.com/ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/783692/A5-NAS-UCAS-Listing-030319-LR.pdf GENERAL https://www.yell.com/ https://www.indeed.co.uk/ https://uk.linkedin.com/

15. JOB HUNTING The following websites may help you find work. Remember if you are looking to work for someone in particular they will have a recruitment/job section on their website. LOCAL WEBSITES www.jobs24.co.uk www.justjobsnorfolk.co.uk www.1job.co.uk www.jobstoday.co.uk NATIONAL WEBSITES www.indeed.co.uk www.cv-library.co.uk www.reed.co.uk www.monster.co.uk www.totaljobs.com www.fish4jobs.co.uk www.jobs.guardian.com www.gov.uk/jobsearch www.jobs.telegraph.co.uk www.independentjobs.independent.co.uk HANDY TIP!! You can write a speculative letter (a letter to a company who is not advertising any jobs), you never know they may have some that they have not advertised yet. HANDY TIP!! If you know who you would like to work for, go to their website and at the bottom there should be a link to their corporate website where they may advertise jobs. HANDY TIP!! Go to yell.com to find companies in your local area. Just type in your postcode and what you are looking for and it will give you a list of local companies.

16. Applying to University Decisions

17. Decisions about courses • The first decision you need to make is regarding your subject of study. There are several ways of making this choice…….

18. Is it a subject you study now? • If you wish to study your favourite subject from school, make sure you think about whether it will sustain your interest for the next few years. • Think about possible career paths.

19. Is it a subject related to a career idea? • If you have vocational ambitions, explore each possibility to find out whether you need to study a certain subject to enter that career. • Are there skills within your chosen subject that lend themselves to a possible career choice?

20. An entirely new subject? • Studying at degree level opens up all sorts of new subjects you will not have encountered before, so research carefully and think through your options.

21. Joint Honours? • A joint honours degree combines 2 subjects: • Could be a mix of your 2 favourite subjects • Could be two complementary subjects e.g. Business + Language. • Could be a familiar subject mixed with a new one. • In addition, many universities will let you count a certain number of modules from ‘other’ subjects as part of your course credits.

22. Decisions about University • Start with your subject choice and work from there. • You need to be excited by the course content, comfortable with the assessment methods and likely to achieve the entry requirements – these lead to the greatest chance of success academically. • You also need to be happy about the location.

23. Reputation • You will hear a lot about this, and everyone will have an opinion!! • League tables exist for universities, and in some cases, for subjects between universities – you can check these. • https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings • Some companies will look to recruit from certain universities

24. However…. • A degree is a degree, and you are far more likely to achieve a good degree if you are happy with your course and location.

25. Things to consider… • Facilities? (Academic and extra-curricular) • Night life/quiet life? • Geographical/environmental features? • Distance from home? • Cost of living? • MAKE SURE YOU VISIT!!! • https://www.opendays.com/calendar/

26. Making your choices • Try to select a mix of ambitious, on target and safe course choices based on your predicted grades. • Dig into the detail of each course regarding entry requirements and module information. • Choose places you would actually, realistically be happy to go to – not 2/3 you like, then filler offers you haven’t properly researched. • Make sure you will be happy in your home for the next 3-4 years (or longer).

27. HELP! Careers information www.plotr.co.uk www.cwa.ac.uk/career-coach University and course advice https://www.ucas.com/ https://university.which.co.uk/ www.bestcourse4me.com www.thestudentroom.co.uk

28. Personal Statement

29. PERSONAL STATEMENTS • A chance to sell yourself • 47 lines • 4000 characters • Truth/Plagiarism

30. How do I start? • Make a list of your hobbies and interests. • Add achievements and training received. • Include jobs or volunteering done. • Try to link the list to the skills and qualities needed for your chosen course.

31. Alternatively an event, book or film that has inspired your choice can be discussed.

32. What else should I include? • You must show enthusiasm for the course you have chosen, use your interests and the A Level courses you study to demonstrate this. • Include a discussion of something you have studied that is relevant to the course • Any relevant experience, skills and achievements. • Remember to use the examples to show how you fit the requirements of the course both academically and in terms of the experience and/or attitude and enthusiasm needed. • Try and relate everything to the intended course of study.

33. Ending the Personal Statement • The end of the statement should summarise why you fit the bill. • It could include a quote from the work shadow employer about your attitude and aptitude for set tasks. • The final sentence should declare that you are ready for the challenge of university life and/or the opportunity for in-depth study.

34. Timetable - When to start writing? • Tonight. Tomorrow. Periods 1-5. • Need time to check spelling, punctuation and grammar. • Expect several redrafts. • You have one chance to impress and plenty of time to get the statement right.

38. OSCAR Personal Statement Tool

39. OSCAR Personal Statement Tool

40. STUDENT FINANCE

41. Student Finance Key Points • Going to university is expensive but: • In most cases you do not have to pay for anything up front, you will have money from loans to cover tuition fees and accommodation before they need to be paid • You will not have to pay back any of your loan until you meet a minimum level of income • Extra support is available in certain circumstances • Most students supplement the money they get from their loans through part time work

42. Tuition Fees Loan • Maximum £9250 per year depending on your tuition fees (tuition fees vary between different universities and colleges the average being £8500) • Tuition Fees do not need to be paid upfront • Paid direct to the university by Student Finance England • Repayable after graduation once you meet the income threshold

43. Maintenance Loan • Maximum of £11,672 per year • Designed to help with living costs such as rent, food books, travel and other expenses while you are studying • Paid directly into student’s bank account usually in three instalments, one at the start of each term • Repayable after graduation once you meet the income threshold

44. Maintenance Loan • The amount you can get depends on: • Where you live • Where you study • Household income

45. Maintenance Loan • Assessment based on total household income (living away from home and studying outside London)

46. Extra Support • There are also a number of extra funding options which you don’t have to repay if you are studying under certain circumstances: • Low Income • If you have children or dependant adults • If you are disabled • If you are studying some subjects (medical, dentistry, social work, teaching)

47. Hardship Funds, Bursaries & Scholarships • You may also get financial help from your university or college in the form of Hardship Funds, Bursaries & Scholarships • Options include: • Reduced tuition fees • Reduced accommodation fees • Cash • To find out more about these you should check the website of the university or college you are applying to • You will not have to pay these back unless you leave the course early

48. Bursaries/Scholarships Example - UEA • Bursary • Household income less than £16,000: £1,800 per year • Household income £16,000 - £20,000: £1,000 per year • Scholarship • (AAA at A Level): £1,500 one-off payment

49. Interest on your loan • You will pay interest on your loan from the day your first instalment is paid until your loan is paid off in full or written off, whichever comes first.

50. Repayment • Nothing until April after graduation • Only if salary exceeds £25,000 per year • Payments linked to what you EARN not what you owe • 9% of everything over £25,000 • Taken from earnings via PAYE • If salary drops then repayments drop • Anything still owed after 30 years is cancelled (research suggests around 60% of graduates will never pay back the full loan)