Col's Blog

International Teacher Recruitment Fair in Glasgow

2012-01-26T13:24:00.003Z

International Education Recruitment agency Worldteachers are holding their inaugural Teacher Recruitment Fair in the Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow - UK on 13th and 14th February 2012.

A number of International schools will be attending from various countries, to interview and offer jobs to teachers at various levels in different subjects.

Opportunities range from graduate Primary and Kindergarten teachers through to senior Secondary teachers, as well as TEFL and ESL language teachers.

If you want to attend you will need to register in advance at http://www.worldteachers.net/_microsites/teacherrecruitmentfairs/getintouch

I understand Worldteachers will also be offering interviews to applicants from 6th February 2012.

Interested in being an entrepreneur?

2012-01-18T16:50:00.000Z

Listen to 'In Business' Radio 4 Thurs 19 Jan 2012 at 20.30 or catch it on the iPlayer.

Peter Day hears from young entrepreneurs who think that one way of beating recession is to start from scratch.

100 companies open up work experience places

2012-01-13T12:06:00.000Z

One hundred companies have signed up to Nick Clegg's social mobility strategy, pledging their firms will open up opportunities for work experience to try to bring an end to career advancement by 'who you know'.

Supermarkets, banks, law firms and energy providers have committed to advertise work experience places openly, reports the Guardian (12 January 2012). Barclays, HSBC, Santander, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons have signed up and join already-enrolled companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Allen & Overy, BP, Shell and E.ON. Together the new firms employ more than two million people in Britain.

Source: http://www.agcas.org.uk/articles/491

Accountancy Training with Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

2012-01-11T15:58:00.000Z

In a previous post on the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme it was noted that Cumbria Partnership NHSFT will also accept CV applications from qualified Accounting Technicians who wish to apply for Accountancy traineeships with them.

If you come into the above category or similar, you can submit your CV and covering letter to our University of Cumbria email address careers@cumbria.ac.uk and we will forward your details to the Trust. Just remember to say that you read about this opportunity on "Col's Blog".

We would also be keen to hear from any local students or graduates who would be interested in applying for the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme next year i.e. for entry in 2013. Just use the same email address and we will endeavour to keep you informed of any local events to promote this scheme when they arise.

Manchester Careers Fairs 2012

2012-01-05T18:06:00.003Z

Manchester University have announced the details of their careers fairs for the coming year:

Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 June 2012

Graduate Recruitment Fair for graduate jobs and courses commencing 2012 (different exhibitors each day) - see www.manchester.ac.uk/graduatefair

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Engineering, Science & Technology Fair (graduate jobs and student placements)

Thursday 18 October 2012

Finance, Business & Management Fair (graduate jobs and student placements)

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Law Fair (law firms offering training contracts and placements, course providers offering training courses, professional bodies such as the Bar offering advice)

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Postgraduate Study Fair (universities and training organisations promoting their postgraduate study places for 2013 - NOT a jobs fair for postgraduates)

Full details will soon be available at www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/fairs

Are Unpaid Internships Illegal?

2012-01-05T12:48:00.003Z

Recent discussion on the subject of unpaid internships suggests that there may be a legal basis for insisting that employers offering internships must also offer the national minimum wage.

In particular, Business Link offer the following guideline to employers on their website:

"If you or your organisation offer work experience, including 'placements' and internships, you need to consider whether the individual who will work for you is entitled to the national minimum wage (NMW). It is your responsibility to determine whether or not the individual is a worker for NMW purposes and, if they are, whether an exemption applies to them. Failure to pay the NMW to someone who is entitled to it is against the law. If an unpaid individual claims that they are owed arrears of the NMW, the onus is on you to prove that they are not a worker or that no arrears are owed. An individual's entitlement to the NMW does not depend on their job title but on the contractual relationship with their employer."

This may not be welcome news for employers, some of whom may wish to retreat from offering internships as a result. But from a student and graduate point of view, it clearly offers a strong negotiation position for those considering the offer of an internship.

If you want more details, follow the further links from the relevant page on the Business Link website.

Highlight Your Job Specs!

2012-01-03T13:17:00.004Z

Most people know that when writing job applications, it is vital to review two key documents - the job description and person specification - and that you ignore them at your peril. The terms are not used by all employers and employers are not legally obliged to provide them, but generally they need to form the basis of your applications.

Unless you are applying to smaller employers and have no more to go on than the text of an advert and your own research, you need to learn the art of reading between the lines of these key documents and responding to them appropriately. This is where it gets a bit more tricky.

Some of them tell you virtually nothing worth knowing about the post and you may be left feeling that they have only been written to satisfy company policy. But some are chock full of detail and use five times more words than you could ever hope to get into an application form. And some selection panels will definitely screen your application against a list of 'essential' and 'desirable' selection criteria drawn from the person spec.

At this point, one essential tool to help you separate the wood from the trees is - no, not an axe - but a highlighting pen. Here's what to do next:

1) Take the 'desc' and the 'spec' plus any other details about the job you have collected and allow yourself the time to go through them all with a fine toothcomb - and a highlighting pen.

2) Try to get the feeling of the words and the energy they convey. Look for key phrases that tell you what the job is all about and the sort of person they are looking for. When you find one, highlight it. In the margin, add a few quick notes of situations where you used the skills or demonstrated the experience that the phrase indicates. These will be useful reminders when you start to draft your application.

3) Now of course there will be some phrases where you cannot think of any relevant information you can give. If so, do not despair. Highlight them anyway, perhaps in a different way so they stand out. If you come back to them later, it's amazing how often that you will suddenly recall useful information that is exactly the evidence the employer is looking for - or, if not, something that is similar enough for you to use convincingly.

4) You may find there are some phrases that are used several times in the same documentation. These are likely to be major areas of interest to the employer that you need to write about at some length, using the STAR technique. Similarly, if you are applying for a number of jobs of the same kind, it can be worth noting that some employers mention requirements that others do not.

5) Once you have been through all the documentation, prioritise on the basis of your notes and the required length of the application:

things you must write about in detail
things you will at least mention
things you will only mention if there is space

6) Then put down the highlighting pen and pick up your mouse, laptop or black biro...

A Couple of Provisos

Don't forget to say why you want to work for that company, even if they didn't ask you to
If you really can't think of any material that you can use to cover 'essential' criteria, don't apply - the job probably isn't for you.

It's Not All Doom and Gloom...

2011-12-22T10:50:00.005Z

Further to the earlier post "What Do Graduates Do?", the AGCAS Quarterly Survey of Vacancies and Employer Activity suggests a positive trend during the summer of 2011.

Vacancies in IT, retail, marketing, advertising and PR all rose during that period, while the survey also reported increased vacancies from smaller companies, some of whom may have been recruiting graduates for the first time.

At the other end of the scale larger companies, who might have ceased recruitment altogether in earlier recessions, have continued taking on graduates - perhaps to avoid future shortages - although many have reduced numbers and are making more use of internships and temporary posts.

AGCAS reports that the overall picture is mixed as there are still plenty of graduates from previous years competing for posts, but there are some clear signs for optimism.

This will be the last post this year, so here's to wish all reading this a Merry Christmas and an Employable New Year!

NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme in Cumbria

2011-12-16T09:06:00.007Z

The deadline for this year's applications closed last Friday but, for future applicants, some useful information was provided by reps from Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust at last week's Mini Careers Convention.

The Trust is keen to support future Management Trainee placements for all four streams of the programme - General Management, Financial Management, Health Informatics (ICT) and HR.

Management Accountant Simon Norbury tells me that Financial Trainees can chose to qualify with the following Accountancy professional bodies: CIMA, CIPFA or ACCA. I also gather that, separate from the Graduate Scheme, Simon is willing to receive CVs from applicants who hold the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification and wish to become fully qualified accountants.

Chartered Institute of Marketing...Local Meetings

2011-12-08T14:30:00.002Z

I have learned that the Chartered Institute of Marketing have a local group that meets in the Cumbria area. Students interested in a career in marketing would be welcome to attend.

More details are available from University of Cumbria Business Studies Lecturer Linda Danielis who is a member of their local committee.

Polish Up Your Public Speaking Skills

2011-12-07T18:04:00.004Z

Carlisle & District Speakers Club are running on public speaking in the work place, covering Presentations, Chairmanship and Impromptu Speaking.

The workshops will take place at Morton Community Centre on Saturday 21st January 2012 from 12.30-4.30 pm at a cost of £10 per head to include a light lunch.

The workshops are particularly aimed at those people that are planning to have a career change, or are looking for work, in order to increase their work/life skills. The workshops are also appropriate for anyone considering speaking in public be it in politics, local causes or dissertations.

The closing date for booking a place is 20th December 2011 and application forms are available from Fusehill Street and Penrith libraries.

Information provided by Susan Trafford of Carlisle and District Speakers Club

2011-12-07T17:52:00.001Z

Want to study abroad? - Degrees Ahead http://ow.ly/7RU5x

Registered Teacher Programme in Cumbria

2011-12-07T15:56:00.004Z

Careers information can change incredibly fast!

The Registered Teacher Programme (RTP) enables Teaching and Learning Assistants to be come qualified teachers through on-the-job based learning.

When I recently told some students that they could apply for RTP via the Lancashire GRTP Consortium I was upset to find that I was giving duff information. The consortium now only deals with the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) - the job-based route for graduates. I can now find no trace of an RTP provider for Cumbria.

Incidentally the closing date for GTP applications is 16th January for entry in September 2012.

MINI Careers Convention in Carlisle

2011-12-01T15:43:00.003Z

There will be a Mini Careers Convention at Fusehill St Campus on Thursday 8th December 12 noon - 2.00 pm, Ground Floor, Learning Gateway, to help students find out about possible career opportunities. Available at the event will be:

* Simon Norbury of Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, which covers opportunities in General Management, Finance Management, Human Resources and Health Informatics (ICT). The scheme is open to potential gaduates (including Nursing and Health Diploma students) who are expecting a 2.2. For more information see www.nhsgraduates.co.uk

* Linda Danielis (representing the Chartered Institute of Marketing) who will cover opportunities in marketing – one of the career areas most often sought after by graduate employers.

* A selection of careers materials to take away

Note: The deadline for application for the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme is 10.00 a.m. on Friday 9th December so it would be well worth while to start planning your application before Thursday.

Supply Teaching - Is It Worth It?

2011-11-28T18:43:00.006Z

...by Amanda Novis, PGCE student at Lancaster Campus

With government cutbacks, the number of jobs available for newly qualified teachers is dwindling. This is a cause for concern for many students at the University of Cumbria, which trains a number of teachers for each key stage and subject. Instead of a fixed post, many graduates are having to spend some time in the supply sector. But what is supply work really like?

“The best part is seeing what pupils are learning in other subjects,” says Janet, a graduate in PGCE Secondary RE currently doing supply work. “You know what they're doing in your specialisation at different levels, but other subjects are kind of a mystery until you get in there.” She also enjoys meeting the different classes but sometimes being a supply teacher with a new class can be difficult.

“The kids know you're just a supply teacher. They might never see you again, so they're less worried about acting up. That's particularly a risk with older children. They're pleased to see you at first – they think they're just going to get a video to watch when a supply teacher comes in – but when you tell them that's not the case, that you will be teaching them a proper lesson, they can become difficult.” Once you've been in the same school a few times and developed your relationship with classes more, this becomes less of an issue.

It's not just the kids themselves that can be problematic. Communication can be poor, with no work set for the classes or a lack of clear instructions. On one occasion, Janet was left a note telling her to continue with the work set in the textbooks. However, when the textbooks were not in the classroom and even the head of department didn't know where to find them, the job got tricky.

“But it's definitely worth it,” Janet assures me. “It's just a hard market at the moment. Plus, it looks much better on your CV if you've shown that you're willing to do supply work.” There are also some easily overlooked benefits: “When new jobs come up at the start of term, people currently in teaching jobs can't apply for them because of their notice periods. So there's a little less competition.”

Janet has some tips for those wanting supply work: “Be flexible,” she says. “Be open minded. I'm on contract to travel up to an hour away, so I'll be considered for more work. You can agree to only take long term posts or to teach day to day, but if you want as much experience and opportunity as possible you've got to be willing to take day to day work.” She also recommends signing up for as many agencies as possible to increase your chances of getting work.

Col's note: Education students unable to attend our Teaching Careers Fair on Monday 5th December can find details of teaching supply agencies active in Cumbria and Lancashire at www.delicious.com/skillzone/supply

What Do Graduates Do?

2011-11-25T14:27:00.005Z

The 2009-10 version of "What Do Graduates Do?", produced annually by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) based on annual graduate destination surveys has recently become available. It shows some interesting trends in graduate employment as it follows nuances of the economic downturn.

While large numbers 2008 - 09 graduates entered the public sector in preference to previously glamorous opportunities in banking and finance, the trend was reversed in 2009-10 as public expenditure cutbacks started to bite. The financial services sector recovered to 2008 levels with some quite spectacular rises in specific areas, including a 45.9% rise in financial analysts and an 81% rise in personnel and recruitment consultants/advisers.

On the public sector side, the numbers of graduates becoming nurses and teachers did not fall markedly, but there was a general decline in administrative posts in public administration and defence, and there were considerable reductions in the numbers of social workers and physiotherapists recruited.

Overall, the private sector comeback lead to a slight decrease in the level of graduate unemployment (down to 8.5%) although there was little rise in the level of salaries offered.

This is a national survey which doesn't necessarily reflect local trends, but it is interesting to note that the University of Cumbria Jobshop has been receiving large numbers of vacancies for recruitment consultants over the past year. Other frequently advertised opportunities have included information technology, marketing and sales jobs.

For a more detailed look at the current employment situation as perceived by University Careers Services, see www.agcas.org.uk/articles/462-Mixed-picture-on-graduate-jobs-front-HE-careers-services

University of Cumbria - Teaching Careers Fair

2011-11-24T09:34:00.003Z

Advance notice for our Education students and graduates that this year's Careers Fair is on Monday 5^th December 2011 (Lancaster Campus)

The Fairs is an ideal opportunity for all final year and PGCE students to gain direct information about potential employers, job opportunities, induction, and application and interview tips and advice.

Guest speakers include representatives from Lancashire County Council, London and surrounding areas, a Secondary School Headteacher and a Supply Agency. There will also be the opportunity to speak directly with exhibitors.

Please see the programme for further details

Transport from Fusehill Street will be provided free of charge - leave Fusehill Street 12.15pm (prompt) Return from Lancaster 5.15pm. See Blackboard for more information

Watch Out for The Informer...

2011-11-21T08:27:00.003Z

...message from Jonny Irving (Informer Online Editor)

Student Newspaper The Informer has just launched and is available on campus now. It is also available digitally at http://issuu.com/thisisio/docs/informernov2011

The issue is a joint effort between University of Cumbria journalism and graphic design students.

Some of the top stories include: a victim of a sexual attack in Carlisle that was previously unknown, Helen Skelton's bake off in Carlisle, the Brampton Road shop situation and some successful graduates.

The editor Steven Ramshay has lead the team to produce what I think everyone is the best looking Informer yet which contains some very strong articles.

People can keep up to date with the Informer team on Twitter @informeronline

FE to HE Transitions

2011-11-18T15:32:00.004Z

Recent research from the University of Westminster has shown up some of the prevailing attitudes of students who have entered University by non-traditional routes.

Reported in Phoenix, it shows that many students :

had few plans for their future
had low levels of awareness about University and were not proactive about seeking assistance
viewed themselves negatively and often felt they were incapable of going to University
although aware of the advice and guidance available at University, did not see themselves as potential users of it
saw themselves as needing to rely on their personal resources and hard work rather than making use of support services

As it might be viewed that these are precisely the kind of students who should be making the most use of students services such as careers advice, these findings make interesting reading.

2011-11-16T18:19:00.001Z

Supply Teacher Service Nursery Primary Secondary Teaching Vacancies in Cumbria Lancashire | Step By Step Education http://ow.ly/7vJ9X

Can Facebook Get Me A Job?

2011-11-16T13:41:00.003Z

More and more students and graduates are using social media to search for jobs and make themselves known to potential employers.

If you would like to know how, come along to this free lunchtime workshop for University of Cumbria Students and Graduates - presented by Colin Taylor of LISS – Careers.

When: Thursday 24th November, 12.30 – 1.30 p.m.

Where: Room CH8, Bowscale Building, Fusehill Street Campus

The session will include an opportunity for hands-on practice

N.b. To avoid disappointment, please book in advance via careers@cumbria.ac.uk as a limited number of computers are available on the day.

Youth Unemployment: A Student’s Perspective

2011-11-11T10:13:00.003Z

an article provided by Sam Curran, an Education Student at our Lancaster Campus

If you have wandered round a nondescript town centre dispensing as many CVs as you possibly can (for no reward) or looked on the Job Centre Plus site every day or even been forced to claim benefits then you will know all about the effects of recession. Whilst media coverage tends to focus on redundancy and lack of jobs for middle aged people it is actually the younger generation, those who are in-between the ages of 18-25 that are suffering the most.

Youth unemployment is at a record high and the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has risen by an incredible 100 per cent in some areas of the country. According to recent statistics the worst hit area is the North East (where I’m originally from) where the benefits claims of 18-25 year olds has risen a staggering 43 percent in the last year. Interestingly in the more affluent South East benefit applications have dropped 5.9 per cent. The situation is further compounded by the obvious fact that the government has to make cuts to try and stimulate economic growth and many benefits claims will either be rejected or reduced. How on earth will this benefit people of my generation?

However the effect of youth unemployment cannot just be gauged by simple statistics (although on average benefits applications have increased by 8 % across the UK in the last year), the effects seem even more pronounced when you look at each individual case. Take my situation for my example:

I’m an 18 year old student studying secondary teaching with maths at the Lancaster Campus at the University of Cumbria. In three years’ time I will graduate from my degree and have £25,000 debt to contend with. Will I have any kind of savings to fall back on whilst paying this debt? Not in the current economic climate I won’t. For the past two months I have been searching (fruitlessly) for a part-time job to boost my savings. I have put in over 200 job applications, given out so many CVs I must have covered every shop in the town centre twice and searched on the net for job vacancies and what do I have for my efforts…….. absolutely nothing! Most firms can’t even be bothered to reply and the ones that do trot out the vague phrase: “good candidate, but not enough retail experience”. How much experience do they want?!? For the record, I have had a proper temp job in the past and gone in every Saturday religiously to volunteer at Oxfam in my home town of Darlington. The fact is there is very little chance to get retail experience these days.

Perhaps I’m one of the lucky ones though. I have a loan to cover my living and tuition fee costs but what about when I leave Uni? £25,000 worth of debt and nothing to fall back on. What do I do then? Withdraw from the bank of Mum and Dad? Take out an overdraft? None of the options are desirable, especially when it is even harder to get a foot on the property market these days so it would seem I will be consigned to renting a house for the next decade with no realistic hope of actually ever owning my own house.

Some might say that I’ll be fine: I’ll be earning more than enough as a teacher and they are “paid far too much” anyway. Realistically though the starting wage of a teacher is £20,000 which sounds a lot but looks a lot less impressive when you take away bills and paying off my student loan. The fact is not getting a job now will harm me in the long term.

Some suggestions have been mooted by the government: they plan to make anyone unemployed carry out a six month “community work programme” for 30 hours each week. It is compulsory: anyone who refuses will have their benefits taken away. This would not solve the problem though: in fact it could exacerbate it if some people refuse to carry out these work placements.

So it seems I and a number of people of similar age are consigned to a period of unemployment and no chance of earning some extra cash. I’ve now got to the point where I’m doing surveys online to try and earn a little bit of money (although the most I can make is £40 per month). I’m also considering volunteering again at a charity shop although will that even look good on my CV to employers? In short, youth unemployment is a big problem and it doesn’t look like it is going away any time soon.

Teacher Training News

2011-11-09T18:25:00.004Z

Here are some latest highlights on developments in teacher training:

FE Teachers Able to Teach in Schools?

Subject to approval by parliament, schools will from April 2012 be able to employ teachers who hold qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS - the professional status for teachers in further education). Head teachers will have the freedom to employ the qualified teacher that best meets the requirements of the job, regardless of whether their background is in schools or further education. Currently, QTLS holders cannot take up posts in Secondary schools.

Plans for Primary Teacher Training

From 2012/13 the Training and Development Agency (TDA) will prioritise primary courses that offer a specialism, particularly in the sciences, mathematics or modern languages. For 2013/14 they expect to adjust financial incentives for trainees to favour trainees on specialist primary courses with a good A-level in mathematics, a science, or a language, over those on generalist courses. They will also require most trainees to hold a 2.1 or first to be eligible for a bursary.

PGCE Bursaries for 2012-13

In line with a new TDA strategy to prioritise trainees with the best qualifications, bursaries for 2012-13 will vary considerably according to the level of degree attained by the applicant as well as teaching shortage areas.

So a Secondary Maths, Physics or Modern Languages student will receive £20,000 if they achieve a first class degree but only £12,000 if they only get a 2.2. The comparative figures for Primary trainees with the same qualifications will be £9,000 and £0.

Information Source: AGCAS

Col's Comment:

Along with the proposal to allow former HM Forces employees to enter teaching if they can pass relevant skills tests, the new bursary structure may be the most controversial part of the new teacher training strategy. It has been well-researched that students from prosperous backgrounds are more likely to achieve high grades, thus entitling them to the de-luxe level bursaries. Some may therefore query the lack of an 'inclusiveness' element in the new strategy and feel it reflects the political preferences of current policy makers.

Study in the USA - Help from the Fulbright Commission

2011-11-03T17:00:00.004Z

The Fulbright Commission is generally agreed to be the best starting place for all students and graduates looking to study in the USA.

The help they can offer includes:

Study in the USA Events
Postgraduate Study in the US Seminars and Webinars
Fulbright Awards (scholarships for postgraduate study and research, tenable in any field at any university in the US in 2013-14)
monthly newsletter

To find out about all these goodies, you need to start by registering on their website - www.fulbright.co.uk

NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme - 2012 Intake

2011-11-02T17:07:00.002Z

Final numbers are yet confirmed, but the NHS will be recruiting up to 150 posts covering all four specialisms (Finance, General Management, HR and Health Informatics).

The Scheme will open for applications on 31st Oct and close on 9th December at 10 a.m. Competition is likely to be very keen.

For more details and to apply, visit: http://www.isthenhsforme.co.uk/

You can also follow the Scheme's Twitter account: http://twitter.com/NHSGradScheme
and sign up to its Facebook page

Volunteers Needed at Carlisle Youthzone

2011-10-29T15:29:00.004+01:00

Carlisle Youthzone are still keen to recruit volunteers to help with sessions for young people, especially the ones that take place over the weekend:-

Friday Gym Club (3.30 - 6.00 pm)

Senior Club (Friday evenings for 13 -21 year olds)

Inclusion Project (for youngsters with disabilities on Saturday mornings)

Junior Club (8 - 12 year olds on Saturday afternoons)

Saturday Night Session

For more info and contact details, visit www.carlisleyouthzone.org

Thanks to Julia Mullarkey of Carlisle Youthzone for this update.

Chrysalis Cumbria

2011-10-28T14:26:00.003+01:00

Based in Wigton, Chrysalis provide a range of services for adults with learning disabilities in Cumbria.

I understand Chrysalis are happy to receive speculative CVs from students who are interested in working or volunteering for them, and may have some current opportunities for relief support workers.

You can find out more about Chrysalis from their website http://www.chrysalis-cumbria.co.uk

Do Employment Agencies Use Shady Practices?

2011-10-26T00:20:00.005+01:00

A recent encounter with a disgruntled job seeker (who understandably wishes to remain anonymous) has drawn attention to a number of websites that suggest that some employment agencies are prone to using some rather iffy practices. The key accusations levelled are: mentioning spurious vacancies, knocking down clients' salary expectations in order to increase profits and elliciting unnecessary information from clients to promote the agency's own interests.

A quick google leads to web pages such as http://www.contractoruk.com/agencies/recruitment_agency_tricks.html http://www.it-training-advice.com/it-recruitment-agency-tricks.html or http://www.employmentking.co.uk/job-information/recruitment-agencies-a-bit-trickly/ which tell of similar tricks, and a few more besides.

But is it all true? Are some agencies simply disreputable 'bad apples' that let the responsible ones down, or are all agencies prone to using certain 'tricks of the trade'?

A look at the above websites will at least give you a good idea of things to watch out for when dealing with agencies. But how does this all tally with your own experience of employment agencies?

Comments welcome...

Are you thinking about a career in teaching?

2011-10-06T14:52:00.003+01:00

We are running two sessions for University of Cumbria undergraduates, principally those in their second and third years.

For information on entry routes and how to make a successful PGCE application, come along to:

Applying for a PGCE seminar

Wednesday 19th October 12.30-1.30 pm

Lecture Theatre 1

Brampton Road campus, Carlisle

GTTR applications workshop

Wednesday 2nd November 1-3 pm

Room 102, Learning Gateway

Fusehill Street campus , Carlisle

For information on the sessions or for advice on planning your next steps after graduation, email: careers@cumbria.ac.uk

Source: Joanne Watson

Getting Into Publishing

2011-10-05T17:10:00.002+01:00

Applications to attend 'Penguin’s Annual Graduate Open Day: Getting into Publishing 2011' are now open.

The event will take place this year on 3rd November 2010 from 9:30am – 2:30pm at 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL. It is a chance for students and recent graduates, particularly those from ethnic minority and other diverse backgrounds to find out more about career options at Penguin and in publishing.

To apply, students and graduates should send a CV and a short covering letter no longer than 200 words on why they would like to attend to: gettingintopublishing @penguin.co.uk by 14th October 2011.

We will email to inform applicants if they are successful. Any queries should be directed by email to dele.fatunla@pearson.com

Vacancies Across the Border

2011-10-02T21:30:00.004+01:00

At a time when neither graduates looking to start their career - nor new students looking for part-time work - are having an easy time, there is at least some encouraging news with a little spate of vacancies being advertised in the Dumfriesshire area.

Here are some links to those that may be of interest:

http://www.talkatlas.co.uk/recruitment.html
Atlas Communications

http://www.dghp.org.uk/admin/current-vacancies
Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership

http://www.spectrum-care.com
Home Carers (Dumfries) - contact direct for application details

http://www.aberlour.org.uk/vacancylisting.aspx
Aberlour Trust

http://www.sppa.org.uk/job_vacancies/sppa_vacancies.html
Scottish Pre-School Play Association

www.myjobscotland.gov.uk
Youth Information Worker (Dumfries)

The last is a particularly useful resource as it covers Local Authority jobs across the whole of Scotland.

2011-09-29T16:28:00.001+01:00

Here's a handy new link - Graduate Schemes with Early Deadlines on Timetoast timelines http://ow.ly/6IxYi

Careers Fairs at Manchester

2011-09-23T15:39:00.002+01:00

Her are details of forthcoming careers fairs organised by Manchester University:

Wednesday 5 October 2011 - Ethnic Diversity Fair (graduate careers and student work experience, organised primarily for black and Asian students/graduates);

Wednesday 19 October 2011 - Engineering, Science & Technology Fair (graduate jobs and student placements);

Thursday 20 October 2011 - Finance, Business & Management Fair (graduate jobs and student placements);

Tuesday 22 November 2011 - Law Fair (law firms offering training contracts and placements, course providers offering training courses, professional bodies such as the Bar offering advice);

Wednesday 23 November 2011 - Postgraduate Study Fair (universities and training organisations promoting their postgraduate study places for 2012 - this is NOT a jobs fair for postgraduates);

Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 June 2012 - Graduate Recruitment Fair for graduate jobs and courses commencing 2012.

All details are on the Manchester University website at: www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/fairs

Changes for International Graduates Wanting to Work in the UK

2011-09-21T19:07:00.003+01:00

From April 2012, the legal arrangements allowing international students to work in the UK after they graduate will change when the current scheme is replaced by a new provision under the new Tier 2 Sponsored Skilled Workers programme. Full details may however not be released until as late as March 2012.

The information on the new Tier 2 scheme is that applicants must have a job offer from an employer before their student visa expires (currently the length of the course, plus 4 months), and must be paid a minimum salary that is likely to be in the region of £20,000 (or the salary specified in the Standard Occupational Code published by the UKBA). The individual also has to meet points requirements. The employer will not have to apply the Resident Labour Market Test, unlike the main scheme under Tier 2 arrangements for those looking for long term employment in the UK.

Possible sources of help for those affected by the changes are:

• Tier 2 Register of Sponsors

• UKBA Employer Helpline: tel 0300 123 4699 or via email

• UKCISA advice line open from Monday to Friday, 1pm - 4pm: 020 7107 9922

Source: AGCAS

CV Tips for Vocational Students

2011-09-15T17:16:00.002+01:00

Here at the University of Cumbria, we have a large numbers of students on vocational courses – teachers, nurses, allied health professionals and the like, who often ask for help in compiling their CV as they apply for their first professional post.

Over time it has struck me that CVs for all the vocational students I encounter have several features in common. I would like to share them with you now, working through each of the key CV headings:

Personal Details

A key point for new entrants to a profession is, if possible to include your professional registration details with your basic contact information. This will be in the form of a registration or pin number supplied by the professional body you need to register with, such as the UK General Teaching Councils, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, etc. If you do not yet have the number at the time of application, you should say “Registration Number Awaited” or similar.

Incidentally, if you are not yet applying for professional posts but are trying to find placements half way through your course, it is a good idea to quote your CRB registration details here if you are looking for placements that involve contact with young people or vulnerable adults.

Summary Statements

A snappy summary, often written in brief phrases (rather than full sentences) below your contact details is worth considering for almost any CV but of particular value for vocational students. Include two or three adjectives that sum up your key skills as a practitioner and say something about what sort of post you are looking for. If you feel you can, you might wish to mention aspects of the career that particularly interest you, or in which you might want to specialise later.

Education

A common mistake here is simply to put the details of your vocational degree and possibly a grade forecast and leave it at that.

It is important with a vocational degree to add a bit of commentary about your degree as employers may well want to ask you about it at interview.

Angles you could consider here are:

* Listing key module titles (but keep it short!)
* Parts of the course that fascinated you or represented major leaps forward in your learning
* Aspects of the course that you know to be excellent in comparison to those offered elsewhere

You might want to have an extra entry or section to cover any additional in-service training or certificates you took as a result of doing the course.

Employment

It is vital to include some detail here on any course placements or periods of work experience you have undertaken, and some comment showing the activities you undertook and/or skills you acquired on each. If you have undertaken a large number of placements, you may want to consider a separate heading for them (e.g. “Placement Experience” as distinct from “Other Work Experience”).

If you have done a large number of short or variable duration placements with the same employer, don’t feel obliged to list them all individually. It’s OK to put the name of the organisation, the period during which you undertook placements there and the total time you were on placement there altogether (e.g. October 2008 – April 2011 : Total 14 weeks).

Interests and Achievements

There is a little ambiguity here as some employers (notably schools) want to hear details of outside interests that might have relevance in the workplace, whereas others merely want to see some evidence that you are a ‘rounded person’ who has interests outside the work arena. The only real way forward is to try and suss out what the expectations are likely to be, if possible.

This is also the ideal place to put your driving licence details, essential if the job you are applying for requires the use of a car.

References

For completing students generally and fledgling professionals in particular, the golden rule is to give one reference from the academic sphere (e.g. personal tutor or course leader) and one from the world of work. Most normally the world of work reference will come from a recent placement, but the key thing is that you pick the referee who will give you the most glowing endorsement.

Last of All

CVs are typical of virtually everything to do with careers. Advisers try to make things as ‘scientific’ as possible by formulating a set of rules for you to follow. Unfortunately the science can all break down when your CV is read by a human being rather than a robot, as there is no accounting for the unpredictability of human behaviour or the capacity of individuals to behave in an unscientific manner.

However, if you follow the tips above, you will be on the right lines – more or less.

For a series of websites on CVs bookmarked by University of Cumbria Careers Advisers, see http://delicious.com/skillzone/cv

Enterprise Support Agencies in Cumbria

2011-08-25T15:00:00.003+01:00

In addition to Business Link, there are a number of agencies in Cumbria that can offer advice, training and support on becoming self-employed depending where you live:

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce covers Copeland District and Carlisle area (n.b the web reference only mentions Copeland).

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency covers Eden District and South Lakes.

Furness Enterprise covers Barrow area.

West Cumbria Development Agency covers Allerdale District.

Follow the links to see exactly what is available in each case.

NHS News

2011-08-24T14:01:00.002+01:00

£1,000 Grants for Health Students

A new financial package means all health students are entitled to a £1,000 grant a year and can also apply for a means-test bursary and loan. For details see http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/Changes-to-financial-support-for-healthcare-students.shtml

The funding applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate study such as the 2 year accelerated nursing courses for graduates in related disciplines and ends the discrepancy of funding regimes for Nurse training, whereby degree students could not claim an NHS bursary.

NHS Jobs Website

Applicants for posts on www.jobs.nhs.ukshould bear in mind that they may need to apply before stated closing dates as adverts may be withdrawn early if sufficient applications have been received. Using the advanced search facility may be helpful when searching for less common jobs.

Source: AGCAS

Using Social Networks to Advance Your Career

2011-08-10T11:38:00.011+01:00

Here you can find some information about using LinkedIn, Delicious and Twitter, the main social networks Careers Advisers at the University of Cumbria have found useful for careers purposes.

We don't currently use Facebook. Although Facebook can be used for careers purposes, we tend to feel that Facebook is more of a leisure facility. There are also reports that employers sometimes reject candidates on the basis of their Facebook profiles.

On the other hand My Space and YouTube have been successfully used by musicians and performers trying to make themselves better known.

LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com is becoming the most important social networking site for students and graduates who want to advance their career opportunities. A recent survey at the London School of Economics showed that, although students were initially more aware of Facebook, many have turned to LinkedIn as the main way of extending their career and professional network.

LinkedIn is a sort of Facebook for professionals but as such there are some major differences:

Because of the professional context, there is no place for the frivolity that can be found on Facebook, such as drunken photos or dating activities
You cannot link to any other LinkedIn subscriber unless you do actually know them, or know someone who knows them
You can however look for jobs, research company details and the career progression of the people that work for them. You can also ask for personal recommendations from people you have worked with.

A helpful introductory video is available at: http://learn.linkedin.com/students as well as a number of pdfs which our students can access on the Blackboard virtual learning environment.

You’ll see that much of the above material is heavily US influenced, but there are already 24 million LinkedIn accounts in Europe and there are plenty of people from the University of Cumbria you may find it useful to link to when you create your account.

Delicious.com

http://delicious.com is the ultimate resource for “useful links”. Following the massive rise in the number of careers websites over the past decade it has become very popular with University Careers Services looking to organise weblinks that are likely to be useful for their students.

The University of Cumbria is no exception and we have collected the links we feel may be useful to you at http://delicious.com/skillzone

http://delicious.com/skillzone/nursing will bring up all the sites that are likely to be relevant to potential nurses, while http://delicious.com/skillzone/cv will bring up all the sites that have been tagged “CV”.

Of course this is just the start of the story. You can also look for more links on Delicious outwith our skillzone area. You can open your own Delicious account and use it to start storing your own favourite “useful links”. There are a number of tutorials on www.youtube.com that will help you do this. Another similar resource is www.careerstagged.co.uk from Careers Group London.

Twitter

Twitter isn't just about celebrity gossip. As well as telling us what Stephen Fry just had for breakfast, Twitter has become a very important source of information about job vacancies and careers information.

Examples of some currently active job feeds are http://twitter.com/EducationJobUK or http://twitter.com/charities_jobs

University of Cumbria LISS-Careers follows a number of useful job and information feeds at http://twitter.com/uoccareers We also subscribe to an automatic daily newspaper, the LISS-Careers Daily at http://paper.li/uoccareers The result is a "mash-up" of stories produced from our tweets and those we follow, including items tweeted from this blog.

You don't have to follow any twitter feeds to be able to view them all on http://twitter.com Twitter can get complicated but it's easy enough to start up your own account so you can follow tweets and tweet yourself. www.youtube.com contains plenty of beginners' and advanced tutorials on using twitter for those who want to get more involved.

Health Visitor Training - The Facts

2011-08-05T15:20:00.004+01:00

The Nursing and Midwifery Council have recently published a document aimed at clearing up some misapprehensions about training to become a Health Visitor.

Some of the key points they stress are:

You do not have to have practised for a minimum period as a nurse or midwife before you enter a health visitor programme. Qualified nurses and midwives can enter the programmes at any stage as long as they can demonstrate that they are able to study at the required educational level.

It is not necessary to undertake a secondment or sponsorship for a full year as training routes are flexible.

You do not have to be an adult nurse to enter a training programme. Any registered nurse or midwife is eligible to apply.

You may have seen a previous article on this blog about an anticipated major shortage of health visitors. You might also wish to note that, by a great stroke of fortune, the University of Cumbria is currently offering places on the BSc Hons Course in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting) to start shortly at its Lancaster campus.

Opportunities for Unemployed Graduates in West Cumbria

2011-07-31T17:45:00.003+01:00

If you are still looking to connect with a job opportunity in Cumbria, here are details of two current opportunities that may be of interest to you:

Routes2Work offer a Graduate Employment Programme to unemployed graduates living in specific areas of Allerdale and Copeland Districts, West Cumbria. Introductions to employers and wage subsidies are available.

To find out more and for a no obligation chat please telephone Julie Wedgwood - Routes2Work Manager on 01900 873371.

Young Million courses are open to all unemployed 18 - 25 year olds. The three day course is scheduled to take place on 10th, 11th and 17th August at Energus, West Cumbria. It offers the opportunity to experience real workplace environments and develop the skills and self confidence that employers are looking for.

To apply, visit the Young Million website at youngmillion.commonpurpose.org.uk and download the application form for your nearest location.

Trainee Solicitor Vacancies at Cartmell Shepherd, Carlisle

2011-07-18T14:10:00.005+01:00

We understand that Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors have decided to recruit three trainee solicitors to start in work September 2013. Enquiries about these posts should be made to Monica Hendry, Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors Viaduct House, Carlisle CA3 8EZ or email mmh@cartmells.co.uk and general information about the firm is available at www.cartmells.co.uk

Please note however that Cartmells have already filled their trainee vacancies for 2011 and 2012.

Young Talent Awards - A Way into Advertising

2011-07-06T11:39:00.003+01:00

The Action Planning Group (APG), representing the "world's leading communications strategists", run a biennial competition to award the best thinking by students in full-time education.

The deadline for this year's APG Young Talent Awards is Friday 26th August 2011. According to APG's Gareth Goodall, this is what you need to do to enter and what you stand to gain:

"In not more than 1,000 words, tell us about a brand that you would like to invent that would appeal to people your age. The brand should be invented completely from scratch. The best three entries will be given a prize at the 2011 Awards Ceremony, before an audience of leading strategists from London's top advertising agencies. This would give you a great way of securing a job in the ad industry: of last year's winners, two are now in full-time employment in advertising agencies and the third will walk into a glittering career when she graduates."

You can find the Rules of Entry and more details at http://www.apg.org.uk/?p=1163

Essential Swatting for PGCE Candidates!

2011-06-28T14:06:00.005+01:00

The Coalition Government is undertaking a wide-ranging review of educational provision, so those applying for PGCE places this year need to be aware of the proposals contained in policy documents such as:

The white paper on The Importance of Teaching, which includes proposals for new school structures, changes to performance tables, funding and initial teacher training, and new ideas on behaviour management. http://www.education.gov.uk/b0068570/the-importance-of-teaching

The green paper outlining a new approach to special educational needs and disability Support and Aspiration http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/sen/a0075339/sengreenpaper

A matched funding scheme to help primary schools teach systematic synthetic phonics – see press release http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0076456

The Wolf Report on changes to vocational education http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/qualificationsandlearning/a0074953/review-of-vocational-education-the-wolf-report

Source: AGCAS Teaching and Related Professions Task Group Bulletin

Become a Careers Adviser?

2011-06-28T13:45:00.005+01:00

Places are still available for the September 2011 intake of the Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance and Development at the University of the West of Scotland (Paisley Campus) and Edinburgh Napier University (Sighthill Campus).

Both centres are Institute of Careers Guidance (ICG) approved and successful completion leads to the additional award of the ICG’s “Qualification in Career Guidance and Development”. Both courses attract SAAS Postgraduate Awards and encourage applications from ethnic minorities as well as those living outside of the central belt of Scotland.

Our understanding is that there is a shortage of applicants for Careers Adviser posts from applicants who hold the postgraduate qualification.

Back To Nature

2011-06-18T16:38:00.003+01:00

Col's Blog is again undergoing a short period of inactivity as I have been away birdwatching in East Anglia. Key targets were some of the exotics that are extremely or somewhat unlikely to appear up here on the Solway coast e.g. bearded tit, reed warbler, bittern, spoonbill, marsh harrier, hobby, avocet, spotted redshank.

However, to put a bit of a careers gloss on this, my successes have been partly down to advice I received from RSPB volunteers and an Education Officer (or I assume that's what she was) with Natural England.

I didn't need use my binoculars to observe that both these agencies are actively looking for volunteers in various capacities, so for those who may be interested, here are the appropriate web references:

www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering

www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/enjoying/gettinginvolved/volunteering/default.aspx

Make It Happen

2011-06-10T12:36:00.002+01:00

Make It Happen is a national mentoring service for students and graduates thinking of starting up their own business. The service is an online website href="http://www.mihmentoring.com/" www.mihmentoring.com and the service is very student focused. Everything has been designed in response to students’ feedback in forums and questionnaires.

For example Make It Happen run twice weekly webinars on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm on a variety of topics about starting your own business. Many of the speakers are from well-known companies e.g. HSBC.

Currently 2% of graduates decide to go into business for themselves after completing their studies.

Note: This information was provided by Sarah Fox, Senior LISS Adviser Careers and Employability, University of Cumbria

Making The Most of Your Time in Higher Education

2011-06-06T16:13:00.004+01:00

This report from the CBI/NUS is available at http://ow.ly/58zac and contains lots of wise words on how to improve your value in the employment market after you get your degree.

It covers areas like:

thinking about what you want from your time at University
the value of early careers advice and career decision making
the key skills employers say they want and how satisfied they actually are with the skills of new recruits
how to use your course to improve your workplace skills
the value of work placements and voluntary work
getting the most from life at University
the importance of reflecting on and recording your progress...

...plus lots of more detailed advice on what to do to maximise your potential in all of the above areas. Overall a good, common sense read for everyone who wants a successful career after University and a bit of an antidote to the more cynical view of employability I posted on a couple of months ago.

Useful Web References for International Students on Working in the UK

2011-06-03T14:23:00.004+01:00

The following information has been provided by Karen Shaw, Senior Adviser (Academic Liaison) at the University of Cumbria following the introduction of new restrictions on the entitlement of international students to work in the UK:

Once in the UK, the majority of EEA nationals are able to work unrestricted hours, nor do they require permission to do so. However we would advise students to confirm this by visiting the UK Border Agency website for further details. Students will require a National Insurance (NI) number and can apply for one by visiting the application page on the Directgov website.

Any non-EEA nationals in the UK should have a visa which indicates the restrictions relating to employment. Visit the UK Border Agency working in the uk webpage for more information.

Normally students on a Tier 4 visa studying in the UK on a full time course which is level 6 or above are restricted to a maximum of 20 working hours per week during term time (except if the work is part of the course and you have permission to do so from the University of Cumbria). Visit the UKCISA working in the uk during your studies webpage for more information.

Students on a Student Visitor visa are not able to work in the UK.

Students who wish to remain in the UK to work after completing their course should refer to UK Border Agency working in the uk webpage UKCISA working in the uk after your studies for information.

Please be advised that it is your responsibility to ensure that you do not break the conditions of your visa. If you are in breach of your visa, you are likely to be asked to return home.

Closure of the Student Associates Scheme

2011-06-02T15:21:00.002+01:00

The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has decided to close the Student Associates Scheme (SAS), which was used by PGCE applicants looking for work experience in schools, with effect from 31 July 2011.

TDA will launch a new, single School Experience Programme (SEP) from September 2011. The new programme will be available not just to students, but also to other people who are considering entering, or in some cases, re-entering teaching.

Source: Sue Spence, Chair AGCAS Teaching and Related Professions Task Group

Graduate Careers Advice On Video

2011-06-02T15:08:00.003+01:00

An interesting development over the past few months has been the continuing rise of careers information resources using video based material.

The latest contributor offering graduate careers advice by video is Career Player but they are certainly not the first and you can find some earlier samples we have saved for the benefit of University of Cumbria Students and Graduates at http://www.delicious.com/skillzone/video

Whether it's any better than what you can find in your local lending library or on sites like Prospects is for you to decide... but video careers information looks like it's here to stay.

The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition

2011-05-05T10:03:00.003+01:00

Write the World, a sponsored competition run by The Guardian is looking for enthusiastic writers who want to demonstrate their journalistic abilities by exploring crucial issues that face the developing world.

Entrants need to write a 650-1000 word article by June 13th on an aspect of global poverty needing more media exposure than it currently receives.

For more details see http://www.guardian.co.uk/journalismcompetition/2011-about-the-awards

Source: Letter sent by The Guardian

Fancy Entering the Dragon's Den?

2011-05-04T10:51:00.003+01:00

The BBC series Dragons’ Den is open for business once again, giving entrepreneurs from across the country the opportunity to pitch for investment and fulfil their business ambitions.

Last year the multi-millionaire investors offered their own money to 17 worthy entrepreneurs.

The rules are simple: entrepreneurs can ask for cash investment in return for equity in their business. However, they must get at least the amount they ask for or they will walk away with nothing.

The Dragons want to invest in the very best that British business has to offer. They're prepared to listen to a pitch for any type of business but they have to believe that it requires investment and will make money before they'll back it with their own cash. If you’re genuinely seeking investment for your business idea or invention, we’d like to hear from you. For an application form please send an e-mail to dragonsden@bbc.co.uk or visit www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden/apply for details on how to apply.

Source: Email received from Universities UK

Note: Apparently Dragon's Den are very open to applications from students and graduates.

New NHS Nursing Careers Website

2011-04-27T09:25:00.003+01:00

NHS Careers have just launched a new website on Nursing careers - www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nursing

NHS Careers say they wish to promote the wide range of nursing careers available as nurse training shifts from a mixture of diploma and degree courses to an all-graduate entry profession by 2013. In the next three years, they think the nursing profession needs to attract enough applicants to fill thousands more degree places.

The new website includes an interactive personality quiz to help people explore their suitability to different areas of nursing, real life stories and video interviews with nurses talking about their jobs.

Without having had the time to take more than a superficial look, it does appear to be a very impressive resource. Whether there will be a major increase in nursing opportunities in the Cumbria area by 2013 is a different matter altogether.

Update on Teaching in Ireland and Northern Ireland

2011-04-22T20:08:00.009+01:00

An article on the Irish Teaching Council website states that students commencing teacher training courses in other European states after 1st January 2011 must also complete an induction/NQT year in that country before applying for recognition to teach in Ireland.

If taken literally, this directive looks certain to affect Irish teachers who train in the UK.

Full details are available at http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/latest-news/important-notice-for-those-commencing-a-teacher-education-qualification-outside-of-ireland-from-2011.513.html

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) suggest that vacancies are advertised in the Belfast Telegraph, Irish News, News Letter and in Educational Journals.

Teachers there are employed by Management Committees, a list of which is available at http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/85-schools/10-types_of_school-nischools_pg.htm#board_addresses

It is also possible to apply for substitute (supply) teaching contracts through the Northern Ireland Substitute Teachers' Register

Graduates Earn More

2011-04-20T17:33:00.002+01:00

The National Office of Statistics recently reported (again) that graduates earn more than non-graduates.

According to NOS the average difference between graduate and non-graduate salaries averaged £12,000 over the past ten years.

Apparently the average UK salary for graduates is now £29,000 per annum.

Maybe it's still worthwhile to put up with the hassle of getting that degree?

I'm on holiday...

2011-04-12T09:39:00.001+01:00

Col's Blog is on holiday until 20th April.

Meanwhile, if you have any items you would like to submit for the blog, please feel free to send them to me.

New University of Cumbria Jobshop

2011-04-08T10:03:00.004+01:00

The University of Cumbria Jobshop is our new online vacancy service for students, graduates and employers in the Cumbria and North Lancashire area.

Students and Graduates can access the system by registering at http://cumbria.prospects.ac.uk

You can search for current vacancies, placements, internships, casual and part-time vacancies notified to us. You can also ask to be notified of vacancies that are likely to be of interest to you and search to see which employers and other organisations have advertised previous vacancies. All employers advertising on the site have indicated that they are interested in applicants living in the North West of England.

Employers can access the system by registering at a separate portal http://employer.cumbria.prospects.ac.uk

You can input graduate vacancies, work experience opportunities, voluntary positions and casual jobs FREE of charge to our site. The system is quick and easy to use and allows you to create, edit and copy vacancies. Posting a vacancy online gives you control of the content of your advertisement and allows you to keep track of how many views your vacancy has received. Your adverts will also be sent out via job alert emails to the registered job seekers.

If you wish to advertise vacancies at other Universities in the North West, you can do this too at www.ucsm2.prospectsnet.com

Job Prospects for Social Work Graduates 2011

2011-04-08T09:55:00.006+01:00

Having heard suggestions that job prospects for newly-qualified social workers from the University of Cumbria are likely to be tougher this year, I have produced a brief information sheet giving a bit of detail on the likely situation in our own catchment area.

If you are qualifying in Social Work shortly and want to work in the area, please feel to request one from careers@cumbria.ac.uk marking your request f.a.o. Joanne Watson or Colin Taylor.

Next Steps Replacing Jobs4U?

2011-04-04T10:14:00.004+01:00

News from the Careers Information front has emerged that the jobs4u database, which has not been updated since June, has effectively been archived. A Direct.gov site (see http://ow.ly/4srBP) points users instead to the Next Step database.

For non careers-techies who may be wondering about the implications of this, Next Step was originally a careers information system targetted at adult learners developed via Learndirect, whereas jobs4u was the system used by the connexions service and was specifically for young people.

The Next Step articles are perfectly adequate introductions to the careers covered and written in a slightly less formal style than the parallel jobs4u. However, the jobs4u articles contained more sophisticated information and the open question is whether the Next Step article format will be adjusted to cover the same scope.

Dinosaur careers advisers such as myself can also recall that jobs4u was derived from the "Careers Officers' Handbook" (COH) by the former organisation COIC, after it became part of the former Manpower Services Commission. As the title suggests, COH, originally developed by Careers Advisers in the London area for their own use, was the national information handbook used by Careers Advisers everywhere as a basic research resource when working with young people.

The cynics among us might wonder where Careers Advisers will now get their information from. Or maybe all they need to do is refer everyone to careers websites?

Studying in the US Next Year?

2011-04-01T10:13:00.002+01:00

Here is a message from the Fulbright Commission:

The US-UK Fulbright Commission, EducationUSA and US Embassy London would like to make you aware of ways we can support you, as you prepare to go to the States.

1. Survey & Facebook Group: Complete our survey on study abroad – and you could win £500 toward your costs in the US! If you respond, you will also be invited to join a private Facebook group with other British students studying in the States this year.

2. Online Pre-departure Guide: Hear from students who have already studied in the US. Learn how they made the most of their time abroad, and get practical tips on everything from packing and travelling to getting involved on campus and making friends.

For More information: Visit www.fulbright.co.uk/pre-departure

We look forward to hearing from you!

Lauren, Jamie and Danni Fulbright’s Advising Team

News from the Financial Services Sector

2011-04-01T09:51:00.005+01:00

A recent meeting of Carers Advisers with members of the Association of Graduate Recruiters turned up some interesting facts about attitudes of employers in the Financial Services Sector:

-Some employers have started recruitment schemes for school leavers, sometimes including degree sponsorships

-Accountancy firms are often not keen to recruit applicants who are already part-qualified and the same attitude applies generally to applicants with postgraduate qualifications

-Several employers report that graduate recruits from 'non relevant' degrees perform just as well as those who have studied relevant degrees

-Barclays Corporate are no longer using UCAS points as a selection tool

-All firms are predicting increased recruitment of graduate trainees, and for 12 month and summer internships over the next two years

-The quality of applications is rising but key student failings are the inability to explain their motivation to work for a particular company or to provide evidence of competencies

Comment: Some clear evidence here that job opportunities in the finance area are on the move. However, standards for many companies will remain demanding and good preparation is the secret of success.

IT Job Market Continues to Improve

2011-03-29T21:31:00.003+01:00

Demand for candidates with ICT skills in the UK now outstrips supply, according to Sector Skills Council e-skills.

The latest Labour Market Bulletin from e-skills shows that the number of advertised vacancies for ICT staff rose for the fifth consecutive quarter to a total of 101,000 positions, while the unemployment rate for ICT staff fell to 3.1% as opposed to 8.3% for the workforce as a whole.

This news tallies with the large number of graduate vacancies being advertised recently at cumbria.prospects.ac.uk

For a closer look at the IT labour market, visit www.e-skills.com/Research/Research-publications/Labour-Market-Bulletin to download the full version of the Bulletin.

Campaign for Work Experience

2011-03-23T14:14:00.005Z

A recent report from High Fliers Research stated that students who offer no previous work experience are unlikely or very unlikely to be offered a place on a graduate scheme or a training contract.

This campaign is aimed to highlight the importance of gaining as much work experience as you can before you leave university.

For more details, see the AllAboutCareers.com website.

For more help on finding work experience, try the following:

www.delicious.com/skillzone/work_experience

http://cumbria.prospects.ac.uk

graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk

Manchester Careers Fairs 2011 - Finalised dates

2011-03-23T13:06:00.003Z

Following an earlier post, here are the finalised dates for this year's careers fairs at Manchester

Wednesday 15 June and Thursday 16 June 2011 Graduate Recruitment Fair;

Wednesday 5 October 2011: Ethnic Diversity Fair;

Wednesday 19 October 2011: Engineering, Science & Technology Fair;

Thursday 20 October 2011: Finance, Business & Management Fair;

Tuesday 22 November 2011: Law Fair;

Wednesday 23 November 2011: Postgraduate Study Fair.

Please see www.manchester.ac.uk/careers/fairs for details.

N.b. Students from other Universities other than Manchester are very welcome to attend.

Retail Recruitment Sector Overview

2011-03-17T12:41:00.003Z

We hold a copy of a recent summary of recruitment requirements and deadline dates for dome of the main graduate employers in the retail sector.

Some of the employers covered are Vodafone, HSBC, the Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Asda and Tesco.

If you would like an electronic copy, please send a request to careers@cumbria.ac.uk

Mini Convention At University of Cumbria, Fusehill Street Campus

2011-03-16T17:10:00.003Z

There will be a Mini Careers Convention (Placements Special) at Fusehill St Campus on Thursday 24th March 12 noon - 2.00 pm, Ground Floor, Learning Gateway Building.

Key Exhibitors will be University of Cumbria representatives from the UNITE (Student and Graduate Placements) and KTP (Placements for Graduates) projects.

Placement experience has been shown to be a key factor in gaining graduate employment and those offered through the University are paid.

A display of current careers information will also be available.

Is 'Employability' A Smokescreen To Mask Labour Market Failings?

2011-03-09T09:24:00.006Z

If you don't mind ploughing your way through a bit of theory, there's an interesting article "The Shifting Sands of Employability" by Nick Wilton in the latest edition of CESR Review from the Centre for Employment Studies, Bristol.

Taking an etymological approach, Wilton looks at the use of the term 'employability' from the 1940's to the present day. Early definitions focus on assessing people's ability to work in the light of characteristics like age, family backgound, ability or medical condition.

Following many variations the term has, since 2006, focussed on graduate employability - in particular, the supposed responsibility of graduates to acquire a set of key skills that will meet the demands of the labour market.

Wilton's argument is that this emphasis on 'tooling up' graduates for employment overlooks the fact that the graduate labour market has not kept up with the rise in graduate numbers. Social and education characteristics (e.g. type of University attended, gender, ethnicity) may be more likely to account for difficulties in finding graduate employment rather than the acquisition of employability skills.

To quote: "As such, in its current guise, employability is associated with the attribution of fault rather than seeking remedy for unemployment and effectively disregards structural explanations for unemployment or underemployment such as geographical immobility, the collective experience of labour market inequality and the recruitment behaviours of organisations"

Heady words indeed, but is it all true?

It is certainly true that come organisations concentrate their recruitment efforts on a limited number of prestige universities, which, combined with academic stipulations often based on UCAS points ensure that they are far more likely to recruit candidates who are from priveleged backgrounds. Unpaid internships and high costs of study are making some career routes virtually inaccessible for those who are not.

On the other hand there are some companies with active diversity policies who go out of their way to encourage applications from under-represented groups, just as there are some individuals who are so determined to succeed and have so much belief in their own success (the 'locus of control' theory) that they succeed against all the odds.

Are employability skills a useful addition to the graduate skillset - or just a cover up for the lack of decent jobs? What do you think?

BUPA Predicts Care Shortfall

2011-03-08T12:24:00.002Z

Private health and social care organisation BUPA forecasts that 100,000 old people may not be able to have access to care home places over the next ten years.

The BUPA report "Who Cares" claims that Local Authority cutbacks in this period will lead to a shortage of 81,000 care home beds, leading to largescale bed blocking in the NHS because of the resulting increase in elderly hospital admissions.

The report also makes a plea for the ringfencing of £2 billion allocated to Local Authority provision for adult social care by 2014-15, before going on to provide a full review of the funding of adult care provision.

The fact that a private organisation is showing concern about public sector cutbacks they might be expected to benefit from becomes more comprehensible when you realise that 70% of BUPA care home residents are in receipt of state funding. Presumably many receive Local Authority funding as well.

It can however only be bad news for graduates and others who are looking to make their career in the care sector over the next few years.

Read the full report at
www.epolitix.com/fileadmin/epolitix/stakeholders/BUPA_Who_Cares.pdf

Note: I first found it through a tweet @social_care which looks a good source for those interested in developments in Social Care provision.

BBC Production Trainee Scheme

2011-02-24T16:45:00.002Z

The BBC Production Trainee Scheme will be open for applications from 1st to 14th March 2011.

Trainees complete an 18 month programme, with training and placements in radio, TV and online broadcasting.

The Beeb have stressed that they want students from all academic disciplines to apply - visit www.bbc.co.uk/jobs/pts for more details.

Finance Insight Course for Disabled Students

2011-02-19T10:08:00.002Z

From an email sent by EmployAbility:

The Financial Services Authority has partnered with EmployAbility for a 3 Day Insight Programme this summer.

The FSA offers a three day programme to first year undergraduates designed to give a full overview of their multi-faceted work. The Insight will combine a mixture of networking with graduates and business representatives, case studies to give students an insight into the work of the FSA and skills sessions to help them succeed in the assessment process.

Requirements

To apply for the programme undergraduates will need to:

be a first year undergraduate.
have 300 UCAS points or more.
submit the short application form
have a short telephone interview, demonstrating a motivation for a career in regulation. They will be informed shortly afterward if successful in obtaining a place on the programme.

If there are extenuating circumstances which may have affected grades, this must be clearly stated on the form and/ or EmployAbility contacted for further information.

Apply now

The completed application form must be returned to applications@employ-ability.org.uk by 20^th February, 2011.

Please contact Justin Penney on 07776 090 508, info@employ-ability.org.uk should the form be required in an alternative format or for any questions.

Fancy a Career on the Telly?

2011-02-16T17:13:00.002Z

The Network is the charitable arm of the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival and provides the opportunity to attend four days of FREE training in Edinburgh preparing delegates for a career in television.

The Network takes place between 25 and 28 August 2011. Highlights from last year include a masterclass with writer and creator of Shameless, Paul Abbott, a research workshop with Charlie Brooker and the team behind Would I Lie To You? and masterclasses from Putul Verma, Series Producer, Dragons’ Den and Jay Hunt, Chief Creative Officer, Channel 4.

All the people involved are passionate about passing on their skills and insights to those starting their career in television

The Network has helped to launch hundreds of TV careers.

With the exception of travel to and from Edinburgh, everything else, from accommodation and food to the actual workshops, is entirely free. Applications open on February 14 2011 and applications are sought via our website at www.mgeitf.co.uk/thenetwork. Applicants can save their application form and come back to it as many times as they like until the closing date - 15 April 2011.

Note: This is a shortened version of an email we received from The Network

Jobsites in Scotland

2011-02-10T17:01:00.002Z

If you are looking for work North of the Border, here are some sites you may find useful:

Large Retail Employers Don't Want CVs...

2011-02-10T15:15:00.002Z

...according to the input of Retail Sector members of the Association of Graduate Recruiters at a meeting with Careers Advisers' representatives last month.

They felt it is particularly important to understand that larger companies only have an online application system and do not accept CVs.

A “Please see my CV” response to questions on the online application has been a recurrent problem for them. Recruiters also say that the questions asked on applications should be approached just as intensively as an interview question.

In particular Asda has noted that despite receiving 4,000 applications online, many were of poor quality and the company is still recruiting.

Ever heard of a Support Time and Recovery Worker?

2011-02-10T13:05:00.003Z

Talking of opportunities that are not well-covered on standard careers websites, etc., have you any idea what a Support Time and Recovery Worker does?

Basically, it is an NHS role involved with mental health patients in a support and advocacy role.

You can find more details on the appropriate section of the NHS Careers website.

Completing Application Forms

2011-02-10T11:50:00.003Z

Surprisingly little material seems now to be around on the subject of completing application forms. It is as if a lot of the big Careers websites have decided to rely on the fact that many large companies produce their own guidelines.

Fortunately, the University of Cumbria has found its own solution in the form of a voiceover presentation narrated by myself and my colleague Joanne Watson. You can view it at https://stream.cumbria.ac.uk/ap/careers/AppForms/index.html (n.b. answer 'no' if you get a security warning on the way in.)

The result is unlikely to draw the interest of Holywood producers but it does give you a decent guide to the business of filling in those pesky forms!

Big Changes to PGCE Bursaries for Trainee Teachers...

2011-02-07T13:19:00.005Z

were announced by the Government last week.

For September 2011, TDA (Training and Development Agency) bursaries will only be available for those studying for PGCE/PGDE in shortage Secondary subjects:-

Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and Mathematics will attract a bursary of £9,000
Biology, Combined/General Science and Foreign Languages will attract a bursary of £6,000

This effectively withdraws the bursary for Primary PGCE courses, although the number of course places will rise slightly to reflect the increasing number of primary pupils.

There will also be a big increase in places on the "Teach First" programme, whereby graduates can gain teaching experience without first gaining a qualification.

Marketing Jobs on the Up?

2011-01-31T17:17:00.002Z

Graduate Prospects' magazine "Jobs and Courses" reports a 26% rise in recruitment to Marketing vacancies in 2010, as surveyed by the Reed Marketing Job Index.

Unfortunately, this has not lead to an increase in Graduate salary levels but is never theless encouraging news. You can view the full article in the January edition of Jobs and Courses.

2011-01-27T10:41:00.002Z

Looking to get into teaching? Need experience? - Useful advice is available from the TDA http://ow.ly/3L7zW covering the Open Schools, Teaching Advocate, School Introduction and Student Associates programmes.

Shortage of Midwives

2011-01-26T17:01:00.003Z

NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson recently calculated that England needs an extra 4,500 midwives.

According to information he submitted to the Commons Public Accounts Committee, 608,000 births in England in 1997 had risen to 671,000 by 2009, while the number of full-time midwives had only increased from around 18,000 to just over 20,000.

As mentioned in a previous post, David Cameron has already talked of a need to recruit around 3,000 midwives. However, research I did some time ago suggests that the midwifery shortage mainly affects the South East and Eastern counties of England.

Anecdotal evidence from Scotland suggests that there is a surfeit of midwives training North of the Border.

Milkround.com seeks Budding Writers

2011-01-26T16:05:00.004Z

Milkround.com's Student View is looking for students to write articles on careers, internships, university, housing, travel and what’s important to students. This is a forum for students, where they can write about where and how their future careers are going to develop and report on university news.

To submit articles students can go to http://www.milkround.com/news-advice/student-view.aspx or email their reports to studentview@milkround.com. Details to be sent with the article are:

• Name

• University

• Year of graduation

• Telephone Number

• Your article

• A photo to accompany the story (Optional and must be your own image)

This post was based on information supplied by Annelise Johnson of Milkround.com

Access to Fashion

2011-01-26T13:40:00.004Z

This is a copy of the text of a poster we received from Elevation Networks:

Interested in Fashion? Aspiring to be the next Fashion Mogul? Want to know the opportunities available to you as a student? Then this is the event for you!!

Elevation Networks is proud to present an exclusive Access to Fashion event. Where 30 carefully selected students will get the opportunity to meet industry professionals and ask questions to the people who know it best. The event will be hosted by the National Magazine...the owners of Cosmopolitan, Reveal and Harpers Bazaar*.

To Gain your Access invitation please email your CV and Cover Letter to: events@elevationnetworks.org telling us why you should be selected for this event.

Deadline for applications is: FEBRUARY 11TH 2011

*presumably London. The actual event is scheduled for 25th February between 5.30 and 8.00 pm

Positive Outlook for the IT Industry

2011-01-24T20:11:00.003Z

Research by Sector Skills Council e-skills shows employment in the IT industry is set to grow at five times the national average over the next ten years.

Their "Technology Insights 2011" suggests opportunities will increase at 2.19% per annum, with over half a million new IT & Telecoms professionals needed over the next five years.

Further details suggest that the age profile of the industry is now rising, with only 19% of professionals aged under 30 and 17% are over 50. The gender profile however remains a big issue as only 18% are women.

For more details see http://www.e-skills.com/technologyinsights2011

Graduate Recruitment Trends

2011-01-19T18:08:00.002Z

Some good news from a recent survey:

- The UK¹s leading employers are expecting to increase their graduate recruitment by 9.4% in 2011 and three-fifths of employers expect to recruit more graduates in 2011 whilst a quarter plan to maintain their intake at 2010 levels.

- The leading accountancy & professional services firms are intending to hire almost 10% more graduates than in 2010, an increase of more than 350 trainees year-on-year. There will also be substantial increases to the graduate intake at the City¹s top investment banks (up 12.2% compared to 2010) and the high street banks (up 24.8%).

- The largest recruiters of graduates in 2011 will be PricewaterhouseCoopers (1,200 vacancies), Deloitte (1,000 vacancies), KPMG (900 vacancies), the Teach First scheme (780 vacancies) and Ernst & Young (740 vacancies).

- A quarter of top graduate programmes will pay new recruits a starting salary of more than £30,000 when they begin work and seven organisations are offering at least £40,000 to this year¹s graduates. Public sector employers (average of £22,200), retailers (average of £24,000) and engineering & industrial companies (average of £24,500) have the lowest graduate pay rates for 2011.

- Three-fifths of employers are providing industrial placements for undergraduates (typically for 6-12 months) or vacation work lasting more than three weeks. However, nearly two-thirds of recruiters caution that graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisation's graduate programmes.

Source: Highflyers

Teacher Training News

2011-01-13T12:33:00.005Z

The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) will soon cease its role in promoting the recruitment and training of teachers as this role will be taken up by the Department of Education.

In the meanwhile, there is a new number for the TDA's teaching information line (TIL) - 0800 389 2500, a highly useful resource for those considering a teaching career.

From September 2012 graduates who do not have at least a 2:2 will not receive funding for initial teacher education. The stress will be much more on on-the-job training routes such as the SCITT, GTP and Teach First programmes and a national network of Teaching Schools will lead the delivery of initial teacher training by these routes.

The Teach First programme is to be expanded to train over 1000 teachers over the next five years and will be new Teach First secondary places in Newcastle and Durham.

Studio Schools, a new type of state school for 14-19 year olds of all abilities are being introduced to to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and experience they need to succeed in life and work. For more details see www.studioschoolstrust.org

Contrary to a previous post on this blog, there is no longer a centralised system for applications for the Graduate Teacher programme on the TDA website. The system has been abandoned, so presumably applications will need to be sent direct to the appropriate provider - in our case the Lancashire and North West GTP Consortium

Source: Teaching and Related Professions Task Group Bulletin

New Year Health Sector News Snippets

2011-01-12T15:20:00.004Z

Job Shortages for Newly Qualified Nurses in Scotland

Qualifying nurses in Scotland who cannot find work are entitled to a place on a scheme offering them a twelve months temporary contract. But the scheme is becoming overwhelmed as the number of requests for places has nearly quadrupled since last year, and is still rising.

Source: Glasgow Herald

New Nursing Section on NHS Careers

Careers information website NHS Careers have launched a new specialist section on careers in nursing It includes material on careers options and pathways, videos and real life stories.

Statutory Indemnity Insurance for Healthcare Professionals

All healthcare professionals will soon be required by law to purchase their own personal indemnity insurance if it has not been provided by their employer.

Source: Health Workforce Bulletin

Careers in the Voluntary Sector?

Skills for Health have recently produced a brochure promoting opportunities in the voluntary sector.

Manchester Careers Fairs 2011

2011-01-12T14:22:00.005Z

The dates for this year's careers fairs run by Manchester University are as follows:

Graduate Recruitment Fair Manchester: WEDNESDAY 15 & THURSDAY 16 JUNE 2011 - different exhibitors each day.

Engineering, Science & Technology Fair: WEDNESDAY 19 October 2011.

Finance, Business & Management Fair: THURSDAY 20 October 2011.

The Law Fair : TUESDAY 22 November 2011.

The Postgraduate Study Fair: WEDNESDAY 23 November 2011.

Ethnic Diversity Fair: 5 October 2011 subject to confirmation.

More details nearer to the dates from the Manchester Careers Fairs page.

An Invitation from the University of Cumbria

2011-01-10T12:26:00.003Z

“What Employers Want” - Top Tips for Getting That Job
25th January 2011

You are invited to a day to help you get your graduate career started

Venue F26, First Floor, Skiddaw Buidling, Carlisle Campus, Fusehill St, University of Cumbria CA1 2HH

9.30am – 10.00am Coffee, registration, welcome

10.00am – 10.45am Job Opportunities For You - Jo Tate & Christina Gash (Knowledge Transfer Partnership)

10.45am – 11am Coffee break

11.00am – 11.45am What Employers Want, What Employers Don’t Want! - Adrian Charlton, AW Communication

11.45am – 12.30pm Paid Placements for You, Unite With Business - Pippa Greenwood, Steve Minto

12.30pm – 1.30pm Lunch

1.30pm – 2.30pm Assessing Your Skills for Graduate Management Training Schemes. Workshop - Emma Grant, Enterprise Rent-A-Car

2.30pm – 3.15pm Starting Your Own Business – one University of Cumbria graduate’s experiences. - Leo White, Hydrant

3.15pm – 3.30pm Coffee break

3.30pm – 4.30pm CV Clinic – Make Your CV Work For You. Bring Your CV and Make It Happen - Sarah Fox

IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND PLEASE EMAIL SARAH FOX sarah.fox@cumbria.ac.uk
PUTTING 25TH JANUARY IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

New VRQs in Health Sector

2011-01-07T14:30:00.002Z

Further to a previous post (18/11/10), Skills for Health have issued more details about the new Vocationally Related Qualifications to be offered in the Health sector.

Specialised subject areas included are: Health Informatics (IT), Healthcare Support, Emergency Care Assistance, Optical Retail, Pharmacy Service, Allied Health Profession Support (n.b. excludes Radiography), Blood Donor Support, Dental Nursing, Maternity and Paediatric support, Pathology Support.

VRQs are different from NVQs, which they replace from 1st January 2011, in that they are based on learning outcomes rather than knowledge and performance criteria.

What are IT companies looking for?

2011-01-06T15:42:00.003Z

Some answers came out from a recent careers adviser meeting with four major companies:

Technical Skills

SAP / ERP technologies, methodologies such as Agile, languages such as .NET and C#. If you can demonstrate a good grasp of a language like Java you can probably pick up other languages quite easily.

Communication, influencing and the ability to self-market seem to be as important as numerical and technical skills.

Degree Classification

A bit of a split - about half of the companies recruiting stipulate a 2.1 Not very positive about PhD students but a masters in some sort of IT conversion course can be good if students demonstrate passion for IT.

Time to Apply Yourself?

2011-01-05T16:28:00.004Z

New Year is a signal to forthcoming graduates to start applying for vacancies as deadline dates are notified with increasing regularity.

University of Cumbria students and graduates and others looking for work in the area can register to search for vacancies and prospective employers across the North West at www.prospects.ac.uk/pnet/cumbria In spite of the doom and gloom on the vacancy front, the site regularly features over 100 jobs from employers recruiting in the North West. IT vacancies are particularly frequent with common vacancies for Trainee Recruitment Consultants (how many people think of this as a career?), Teachers of English as a Foreign Language, and Trainee Sales Managers as well as more niche opportunities in marketing, the creative sector, sports coaching and subject tuition.

We also have a large number of business placement opportunities for students and graduates at www.cumbria.ac.uk/grab At the moment there are surprisingly few applicants for these opportunities, which pay at least £6.00 per hour, often with expenses. Currently, almost all placements involve marketing in some form but this can vary from week to week.

Becoming a Solicitor by the ILEX Route

2010-12-23T11:58:00.003Z

This is an extract from a text produced by a former Law student, recently circulated by the AGCAS - Law Advisers network:-

"If you already have your LPC and a law degree then you can become a member of Institute of Legal Executives (MILEX) without any further exams. This does not mean that you are qualified as a Legal Executive or can call yourself a Legal Executive but it does mean that you are on the road to it.

"To become a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives (and entitled to call yourself a Legal Executive) you basically have to have 5 years work experience in law and for at least two of those 5 years you must be a MILEX. Once you have completed your 5 years employment (2 years as MILEX), ILEX will send you the necessary forms to become a Fellow of the Institute (again there are no exams or anything).You will need to complete the form and enclose a detailed description of what you do on a day to day basis. For more information you might want to visit their website.

http://www.ilex.org.uk/careers/careers_home.aspx

"Once you have become a FILEX you can then apply for an exemption from a training contract under Regulation 28(1)(ii)(b) of the Solicitors Training Regulations 2009. The link below should take you to the rules.

http://www.sra.org.uk/sra/regulatory-framework/3022.article

"There are no forms to fill in and no guidance about what information you have to provide. I just wrote in and crossed my fingers!"

...

"The only remaining requirement is to do the 9 day Professional Skills Course (The SRA would not let me do the PSC until I was either in a training contract or exempted from a training contract)."

National Citizen service - Hot from the Press

2010-12-23T11:25:00.002Z

We have just heard that Connexions Cumbria have won a contract to deliver the new National Citizen Service, which is part of the Coalition Government's Big Society initiative.

They will be looking for 40 volunteers to work with Year 11 leavers throughout Cumbria next summer. The volunteers will work 3 weeks full time and 2 weeks part time and will receive accredited training/expenses.

Watch this space for more details.

A Career as a Teacher in Further Education

2010-12-17T14:06:00.004Z

Previously, information available on this developing career has been rather sparse but the situation has changed thanks to improvements on two key websites.

Lifelong Learning UK

Careers information can now be clearly accessed from the home page www.lluk.org - click on Information and Advice Service to find detailed handouts on topics such qualifications and bursaries. Within the careers section there is also information on Skills for Life, careers guidance, youth work, and teaching in Higher Education.

FE Teacher Training Courses

As of January 1st it will be possible to search for a full or regional list of courses via www.talent.ac.uk which previously only offered incomplete information. It is still possible to get a full list by emailing Lifelong Learning UK or ringing their advice line.

Incidentally, bursaries for FE teacher training full-time pre service diplomas (DTLLs) for 2011/12 are expected to be announced in March 2011.

Source: AGCAS

More News from the Health Sector

2010-12-17T12:28:00.006Z

Health NVQs coming soon

Skills for Health is urging healthcare employers to prepare for the introduction of new vocational qualifications from January 2011.

The new health and health-related qualifications to be published to the QCF include Awards, Certificates and Diplomas at both Level 2 (equivalent to GCSE at grades A-C or BTEC First Certificate) and Level 3 (equivalent to A Level or BTEC National Certificate/Diploma).

Source: Health Workforce Bulletin

New dawn for NHS Clinical Scientists

From 2011, the new graduate entry Scientist Training Programme (STP) will replace the former Clinical Scientist Training Scheme. Recruitment into healthcare scientist training posts in England will start in January 2011 for the September 2011 intake. However, the closing date for applications remains unknown.

Details of all training posts will be available from mid-January on the NHS Jobs website. Further details of the scheme and a list of all the posts will be found on the NHS Careers website

NHS Graduate Management Programme

This year's programme is currently open but the closing deadline is 6th January 2011. Further details and how to apply are on the Scheme's website www.nhsgraduates.co.uk

Source: AGCAS

Spend a week at the EU Parliament!

2010-12-14T17:40:00.003Z

This is an extract from a letter sent by Philomena Taylor, Head of UK Country Liaison Officers for MEU 2011:

Model European Union 2011 is a project taking place inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, bringing together 180 skilled Europeans. For one week participants have the opportunity to better understand how the European Union works and to achieve strategy, decision, debate and cooperation skills. The project aims to simulate the decision making process in the European Union, and it is implemented with the direct support of the European Commission through the Youth in Action Programme, the European Parliament and the Robert Bosch Foundation.

We need photographers and journalists for the event!!!

Through participation in the project not only will you be able to meet other young people from across Europe, but you will also have the chance to explore the beautiful city of Strasbourg!

For more information check out our website

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me

Useful Discussion on You Tube

2010-12-09T10:41:00.002Z

Are there any jobs for graduates? Public Sector Question Time with Graduates Yorkshire http://j.mp/fsUzDZ

Handy viewing for anyone applying for graduate traineeships this year.

2010-12-02T15:50:00.001Z

Compass Careers Fairs for social work and social care http://ow.ly/3iQFQ
Next event is 7th March in Birmingham.

Latest Health News

2010-12-02T14:52:00.003Z

Private company wins bid to run NHS hospital

"Yesterday an NHS hospital in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was franchised out to a private company for the first time. Circle Health will take over Hinchingbrooke Hospital, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, which is reported to have almost £40 million of debt. The company will be paid about £1 billion over ten years, but NHS chiefs said that Circle would make a profit only if it delivered services more efficiently. Circle was awarded the contract after beating a rival bid from Serco."

Sainsbury’s to offer in-store GP services

"Supermarket chain Sainsbury's is expected to launch a nationwide network of family doctor surgeries in 204 of its stores which will provide shoppers with treatment and prescriptions. Sainsbury's expects to benefit from the arrangement by attracting extra customers into its stores. The plans were revealed yesterday by the doctors' magazine, Pulse and outlined in today’s Independent.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/gps-on-offer-at-hundreds-of-supermarket-2143948.html"

Source: Communications circular from Cathy Taylor, RCN Careers Adviser, issued to AGCAS Nursing Network

Temporary Staff in Demand

2010-12-01T15:42:00.003Z

This information has been provided by Kim Reay, a consultant working for recruitment agency Hays in Carlisle.

"Almost one in four (22%) UK employers are planning to increase their use of temporary labour in the next three months, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s latest JobsOutlook.

"With many of our clients requesting temporary cover throughout the festive period and into the New Year, now is the ideal time to secure your next role.

"If you know someone looking for a job tell us about them. When we find them a new job, you’ll be rewarded with gift vouchers."

More details on current vacancies are available from www.hays.co.uk

Getting Teaching Jobs in London

2010-11-29T21:24:00.005Z

As ever Primary teaching jobs are in short supply in the North of England, so I have been asking an old school friend who teaches in South London a few questions about the job market for Teachers in the London area.

It went something like this:

Q: Which are the authorities that are most likely to have vacancies? The ones we are aware of are Newham, Tower Hamlets, Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest, Lewisham, and Luton.

A: The ones you suggest are still the best bet as they are tough areas not as able to attract teaching applications as some others. You could add Greenwich to the list. They they tend to put their hands up for every initiative going which means lots of extra work - that's why they have so many vacancies.

Q: What's the situation like generally?

A: Jobs seem to be drying up at the moment. One problem is that a lot of overseas teachers were brought over when vacancies were hard to fill and now that the job market has changed people are tending to stay put.

Teacher recruitment agencies are another way forward. Some NQTs are taking Teaching or LS Assistant posts in order to get a toe in the doorway and the agencies also cover these. However, as you know, living cost are very high in London.

Q: Don't you have things like the key worker scheme to help with accommodation costs?

A: There are key worker schemes but I don't know how long you have to be employed to get a place. One chap in my school got a council flat in a decent block but he was working for the school for at least a year before he moved in. I know he was offered a couple of pretty ghastly places first of all but he made a fuss until he got what he wanted.

Q: Which agencies are worth trying?

A: My school mainly uses Protocol and Select.

Have you any insights on getting jobs in London you'd like to pass on? Why not add a comment below?