Milton Keynes College Careers Programme Statement
The College employs a professionally qualified Careers Team who offer Careers support to both students and the wider community. The College Careers Strategy is designed to meet the needs of students and to propel the College to achieving all of the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Programme
Enrolled students can access these services at the Student Support hubs where the Careers Team are based:
Chaffron Way Campus – Assessment & Review Office and G10
Bletchley Campus – Student Development Hub
Across these sites we offer:
1. 1:1 appointments booked through Course Tutors, the Student Recruitment Team, the Student Services Team or with the Careers Team.
2. Tutorial sessions from a menu of CEIAG topics at suitable points during the academic year
3. Talks from invited speakers such as Employers or Higher Education institutions
4. Noticeboards frequently updated with local job vacancy and other opportunities relevant to students
5. A Careers library with hard copy resources for students to use for research.
Online we offer:
1. A Moodle virtual learning environment
2. A local Jobs & Opportunities page on Moodle for students
We encourage all of our students to make the most of these services as we can provide advice and guidance that is individual to you so click here or contact your Course Tutors, book through Moodle or by visiting any of the Student Services offices to arrange an appointment.
Study Programmes incorporate learning about local labour markets and progression opportunities while employability skills are embedded throughout Skills for Success curriculums.
Employer insights are a key component of the programme and we work with an Enterprise Co-ordinator from SEMLEP/The Careers & Enterprise Company to ensure that the College reflects the needs of business. Our relationships with local businesses allows us to embed into our courses the universal qualities employers look for in their staff. It also means we gain an excellent understanding of the labour market and can help students make informed career decisions based on prospects, pay levels and job security.
All students are encouraged and supported by their tutors and the dedicated Student Services Team to take their next step after college. Clear progression routes from college to university, an apprenticeship or employment are provided for all students.
We welcome enquiries from Employers who would wish to advertise vacancies to students or visit us to present to students regarding opportunities and general pathways in your area of business. Young people welcome learning about the world of work from professionals and research shows that this can be extremely beneficial for their employment outcomes so please do get in touch at the contact details below if you would like to discuss working with the College.
Work Experience is embedded into study programmes and students will also access specialist insight about their chosen vocational areas from their Course Tutors and Work Experience Co-ordinators. Students can gain employability skills from a wide range of activities and they should be open to experiencing and participating in all those available to enrich their studies and enhance their progression opportunities.
An annual Higher Education Fair supplements events and guest speakers from HE providers invited by Vocational Schools. Teaching and support staff also refer students to the Careers Team for 1:1 personal guidance and students can access their guidance record through Moodle.
These are just some of the reasons why 87% of our students progress onto further study or employment.
Impact
The Careers programme at these sites is assessed for its quality and positive impact on students through a number of methods:
1. The destinations of students after leaving their courses.
2. The numbers of students accessing the services on offer.
3. Student feedback after 1:1, tutorial sessions and via Student Voice.
4. Department planning and self-evaluation reports monitored by the Assistant Principle: Quality and Student Experience and the College Senior Leadership Team.
5. Matrix Quality Standard re-evaluation and accreditation.
This Statement has been written with regard to
a) Milton Keynes College Careers Strategy
b) Careers Guidance for Further Education & Sixth Form Colleges October 2018 – DfE
c) Careers Strategy: Making the most of everyone’s skills and talents December 2017 – DfE
Review
Parents, Employers and stakeholders are encouraged to contact the named staff below for further information or to provide feedback. This statement will be reviewed in August 2020.
Contact
Careers Leader: Russell George – russell.george@mkcollege.ac.uk
