According to the Guardian, almost half of all young people go on to higher education. However, not all those students take a degree course. Many end up on a career path that is totally unrelated to their degree. So, how important is a degree for an engineering career? The breadth of an engineering career According [...]
As one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK, the electricity networks sector is continuously looking for skilled workers. Almost all industries rely on a consistent electricity supply, so distribution must be efficient and secure. We take a look at careers in the energy networks sector and some of the routes towards employment. The industry [...]
For some schoolchildren today, technology has been in and around their lives for as long as they can remember. About 9 out of 10 households have access to the internet and many students own their own smartphones. It's imperative to equip them with the necessary knowledge to keep them safe when browsing the web for [...]
According to a 2018 study by The Independent, three-quarters of Brits are worried about their financial situation. Many people find themselves living payday to payday, or stressing out over unexpected bills. Our mental health is suffering as a result. Education really is key here, as many young people have expressed dissatisfaction with their schooling in [...]
Education can change your life and take you in a different direction at any age. This post looks at how to enhance your chances of gaining an apprenticeship. In 2017/18, there were more than 800,000 people that were participating in an apprenticeship in England. Moreover, 41% of those apprenticeships involve someone aged 24 or older. [...]
A law career gives a real sense of achievement every day and contributes value to the world around you. Whether you’re looking to become a courtroom judge or want to help injured people succeed in their accident at work claims, read on to find out how to build the best foundation. After GCSEs GCSEs are [...]
How do you get 90,000 views of your blog as an undergraduate with a disability? Chloe Tear knows how. She's a final year student at Leeds Trinity University studying Psychology and Child Development and shares her fascinating journey with Learning to Leap. It’s a story of personal growth by discovering her talents and pursuing her [...]
Thanks for reading my blog this year. Enjoy the holiday, cheers!
Mentoring plays a key role in career transitions and supporting apprentices. So, I've put together a free ebook on mentoring tips and modern practices. It will appeal to lifelong learners and employers interested in improving their understanding and enhancing their professionalism in mentoring. It is also for anyone keen to discover the joys of [...]
Recognition of the business benefits of mentoring is increasing. Unsurprising, given the perfect storm of disruption as the norm and demographic shifts leading to a multi-generational workplace. This post looks at debunking some myths, new approaches to mentoring, and how a new mentor can overcome common fears. The old paradigm The stereotype mentor of the last century [...]
Today, as part of National Careers Week, I talked to 300 15-16-year-olds at Garforth Academy about what helps to increase their employability while still at school. My central message is that everyone has talents. And they don't need to look like the all-singing and all-dancing variety of a TV Talent Show. I'm talking about the everyday [...]
Vera Brittain wrote an extraordinary memoir, Testament of Youth, capturing her generation's experience from 1900-1925 including the First World War. The power of that book's title comes to mind this week when attending a conference on youth employment. What is the youth voice about jobs, careers, and the barriers to entering the world of work [...]
The lack of institutional careers advice and guidance today leaves young people floundering in rough seas without a compass. Parents approach me for coaching help because of the confusion of their offspring. Helping them decide on a firm career direction is often a well-intentioned parent's starting point and that can feel like undue pressure for [...]
What do you get when you mix international relations, mentoring and diversity together? A career in careers advice, in the case of Monira Ahmed. She is a self-confessed straggler - someone who took a while to find what she wanted to do after graduating. After a series of random jobs, she pointed her interests, transferrable [...]
Employers ask wacky interview questions. That's according to a recent investigation of thousands of UK job candidates by Glassdoor. A software engineer is asked to guess how he would fit an elephant in a fridge. A telecoms manager is asked how many people born in 2013 are named Gary. Fair or unfair, employers want to [...]
There are many different learning options available to gain a qualification today and it can be quite tricky to choose the best one for you. Distance learning is one option that gives you the opportunity to learn remotely rather than in a classroom. More students than ever are studying for qualifications through this method. What [...]
The shelf-life of our existing skill sets is getting shorter. What skills do you need to unlearn and learn to be employable in 5 years time? The rapidly changing nature of work means the way we've done things in the past may not be fit for the future. The World Economic Forum produced a report recently [...]
It's always heartening to hear about a success story of doing the right thing and a bit of positive karma when the world pays someone back in kind. Meet Kenechi Efiezula, known as KC, who is the Membership Manager and a Youth Ambassador at social enterprise, Youth Employment UK. This articulate and committed 24-year-old is [...]
Experience is the best form of learning. You can talk, observe, study and plan as much as you like, but it's not until the rubber hits the road, to coin a phrase from my transatlantic friends, that you find out what works and what doesn't, what you are capable of and where you struggle. Two [...]
Some have called it 'an identity crisis'. Universities face tough challenges as higher education transitions to meet the demands of student employability. Debate rages about the purpose and value of taking the degree path. Students and their parents scrutinise the experience and outcomes ever more closely given the model of student debt. What does that [...]
