Languages - a crucial addition to today's CV

Giving up a language too soon can affect one's career prospects.  In our competitive global market place the demand is increasing exponentially and employers are valuing multi lingual employees who have the skills and expertise to operate in international environments.
I'm indebted to Kathryn Board, Chief Executive of CILT National Centre for Languages, who contributed such an informative article on modern languages in the Independent 15th October 2009. Read more

Interesting resources and downloads to explore

As this is the final blog for the 2009/2010 academic year I thought I would sign off by providing you with some interesting resources and downloads for you to peruse in your own time over the coming months so that, if you feel they are relevant to your programme of work for 2010/2011, you can integrate them.

New courses - new opportunities!!

I feel it appropriate in this the last Blog for 2009/10 that I pinpoint a number of new job opportunities that have come to my attention over the past month and which might provide some discussion with sixth form students in the new term.

New University for Derry - a stimulus for the future?

Derry's euphoria from winning the UK City of Culture 2013 has not yet died down.  Whether it will be a sufficient enough incentive to get university aspirants to consider Derry as a venue in the same way as they view either Belfast or Jordanstown remains to be seen! Allied to this is an ambitious plan drawn up various business and community leaders to create new university conditions in the city by 2020. The intention is to lift the city and the North West region, both academically, and importantly, economically as it sets about challenging decades of economic inactivity, high unemployment and few opportunities for higher skills development. Read more

Widen your search for Apprenticeship opportunities

In my final piece on Apprenticeship for the academic year 2009/10 I was struck by an article in the Belfast Telegraph on Tuesday 27th April 2010 when Symon Ross informed us that the Engineering Training Council (ETC) was inviting applications for more than 100 engineering apprenticeships to begin in September.

Making informed decisions about your future

Writing in The Independent, Thursday 18th March 2010, Lucy Hodge comments positively on a new website giving wannabe students vital information about drop out rates and earnings. Read more

How many students comment on the poor or inadeqaute advice they received while at school about higher education and how many end up in their courses more by luck than design.

David Willetts, the Shadow higher education spokesman is spearheading the site.  For the first time data on employment, careers and salaries are brought together in one place to help students to make the right choices of institution and subject for them.

Uni life!

Lucy Tobin is a 23 year graduate from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, with a First in English achieved in 2008. She is currently working in London as a journalist and her work appears regularly in national newspapers including the Guardian, Sunday Times, and Daily Mail.  This is her first book.
There is little doubt that in making the transition from second level to third level 'survival' at university requires quite a few skills that need addressing in any current sixth form learning for life and work (LLW) programmes of work. I would like to think this book might inform decisions about any meaningful sixth form PSHE/CEIAG schemes of work.