Careers Programme

The college employs professional qualified Careers Advisors who offer careers support to both students and the wider community. The college is working towards achieving all of the Gatsby Benchmarks and has been awarded Matrix accreditation in recognition of the high standard of advice and support services provided to its students.

The dedicated Careers Team at Brooklands College are available to offer advice and support to all students and potential students with:

• One to one careers advice
• Help with CV and job applications
• Interview skills practice
• Help with finding work
• Leaving or changing a course
• Employer led workshops
• Careers fairs and events
• Library for careers information and reference literature
• Online Careers and Work Placement classroom
• Careers Coach package

Wider college careers support include:

• One to one appointments booked through Course Tutors, Assessors, Progression Mentors, the Student Admissions Team or with the Careers Team.
• Tutorial sessions led by Progression Mentors support in providing targeted advice and guidance.
• Talks from invited speakers such as Employers are embedded into the curriculum
• Talks from or Higher Education institutions are planned and encouraged.
• Noticeboards frequently updated with local job vacancy and other opportunities relevant to students.

We encourage all of our students to make the most of these services and will update students on up and coming opportunities throughout the year.

An annual Careers Week, Apprenticeship Week and HE Fair are organised to provide students with insights and opportunities for potential progression routes.

Study Programmes incorporate learning about local labour markets and progression opportunities while employability skills are embedded throughout the curriculum.

Employer insights are a key component of the careers programme and we work closely with local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships LEP/The Careers & Enterprise Company, and Surrey Chamber or Commerce to ensure that the College reflects the needs of business. Our relationships with local businesses allows us to embed into our courses and apprenticeships the employability qualities employers look for in their workforce. Through these relationships the college and students gain valuable labour market insight to inform future careers decisions.

All students are encouraged and supported by their class tutors, assessors and progression mentors, 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 to advertise vacancies to students and/or visit us to present to students regarding opportunities and general pathways industry. Students respond positively to learning about the world of work from professionals and this can also benefit the employers by gaining a better understanding of the future workforce.

Work placements/Industry Placements are embedded into study programmes and these are supported by their course tutors and Industry Placement Advisors, finding the most appropriate opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and behaviours. 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.

The college has a dedicated Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Department with specialist staff providing meaningful information advice and guidance on other courses, employment or sheltered independent schemes.

The college has specially designed courses for students in transition between school/Entry Level provision and employment. The courses offer opportunities for learners to gain qualifications in employability skills and vocational experience.

The college offers a range of apprenticeships with local employers and students are encouraged to explore these opportunities with support from specialist lecturers and the Careers Team.

An annual Higher Education Event supplements events and guest speakers from HE providers invited by the Careers Team. Teaching and support staff also refer students to the Careers Team for 1:1 personal guidance and students can access their guidance record through ProMonitor.

The college works with key strategic partners such as the Higher Education Outreach Network to inspire and encourage students to progress onto higher education.

Contact Us
Email: careers@brooklands.ac.uk

Katherine Crooks
Careers Advisor
katherine.crooks@brooklands.ac.uk
01932 797908

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