1. Careers Education, Information And Guidance
CEIAG
Careers Education, Information And Guidance
Y14 Parents’ Evening 2017

2. Y14 OVERVIEW Labour Market Information
Timescale for Y14 for all pupils
Course Choice & University Choices
Implications of courses on UCAS Form
University Open Days / Post Offer Visit Days
Interviews
Non UCAS applications
Finance

3. Where do we think the jobs will be?
Matrix sectors:
Advanced Engineering
Advanced Materials
Agri-Food
ICT
Life and Health Sciences
Green technology and alternative energy
Languages (Mandarin and Portuguese esp.)
International business skills
Marketing and sales
Management and leadership

4. Where do we think the jobs will be?
Forecast growth in employment across sectors (from 2013 to 2018)
33,000 new jobs by 2018
But all sectors need labour replacing lost staff
Note: Green shading denotes public sector
Source: NICEP

5. Demand for skills
Q Q2 2013: 4 quarter average
Source: LFS

6. Degree Subjects Preferred by Employers

7. Looking at Manufacturing and Professional industries…
50% of manufacturing employment comes from engineering and technology & business studies
49% of professional, scientific and technical employment comes from law & business studies
Source: HESA

8. Timescale
By Mid Sept – complete all sections of UCAS Form for marking except PS & courses
By 29th Sept:
- Submission of medicine, dentistry, vet &
Oxbridge forms
- all other pupils complete 1st draft of
personal statement.
By mid October – all UCAS forms submitted

9. Timescale cont.
End Oct –Non UCAS pupils submit CVs, course research etc
Start November - Mock Interviews
Mid Nov- April - University interviews
Nov- June - University offers given
End Jan - HPAT test UU
Feb – June –apply for Plan B ideas, non UCAS interviews
April – apply for finance
May - make CF and CI decisions
Throughout year consult careers dept BEFORE making decisions to hear all implications

10. AS Grades Quite important, especially for competitive courses.
A poor AS grade does not exclude a pupil from applying for a high course
Individual module scores for each module may be entered on UCAS Form. Universities have access to all module results later in the application cycle.
Use as a realistic guide for potential A2 grades and hence Unis you apply to

11. University Applications Mix of Courses and Universities
UCAS = UK Universities Application Form
Maximum of five courses/universities
Can apply to one University for two or three different courses. Try and find sandwich courses.
Uniformity of course choice for UCAS.
Consider inclusion of a NI institution
Plan B –make applications in March, not June – August!!
Ideas for Plan B

12. Criteria for getting UCAS offers/interviews
Quality of pupil personal UCAS Statement
Y13 Work Experience vital
School Reference
Prior examination results and to a certain extent predicted A2 grades
Other factors – eg 3/4ASs, 3/4A2s, entrance /aptitude test results

14. Applications in 2016-17 Cycle
Nationally University applications down
Applications from NI pupils to Unis - up
Applications to QUB : up from NI pupils
- up from GB pupils
To all NI unis/ institutions very very competitive
QUB – most cases only 1 AS grade drop for entry
UU – slightly more flexible, approx one grade drop for entry
UK universities most 1-3 grade drops for entry
Nursing – very competitive irrespective of grades

15. Open Days & Post Offer Visit Days
When ?
How?
Why?
What to find out before applying? Patterns in Aug 2017 & cut off scores

16. UCAS Points A2 Grade UCAS Points A* 56 A 48 B 40 C 32 D 24 E 16
A2 Profile
UCAS Points
BBB
120
BBC
112
BCC
104
ABD
BCD 96
for course searches

17. Student Decisions
March – April : choose 2 Universities and reject the others
CF = 1st choice = Conditional Firm offer. You must go to this course & university if you get the required grades, also the university must take you
CF offer should be higher than CI offer
CI = 2nd choice = Conditional Insurance Offer. If your CF rejects you, you will go to this course & university if you satisfy the offer conditions.
Occasionally you only have a CF offer and no CI
If all applications are rejected – make an additional application through UCAS Extra – an early clearing system from April onwards

18. Course Choices University Course Offer Decision Queens
Business Management
ABB or ABC(A)
CF -1st
Strathclyde
BCC
CI – 2nd
Newcastle
ABB
Glasgow

19. Course Decisions CF? CI? University Course Offer Decision Stranmillis
Primary Education
AAB
CF?
Cumbria
96 incl BC
Chester
88 incl CC
CI?
Ulster
Geography
Plymouth
88 – 96pts

20. Course Choices similar for vocational courses eg medicine, law, nursing, teaching
University
Course
Offer
Decision
Queens
Dentistry
AAA (B)
CF -1st
Newcastle
AAA
Liverpool
AAB CI
Dundee
Or CF
(Queens) or UU
(Biomedical Science)
ABB /AAB
112 pts incl BB
in UU

21. Plan B: Non UCAS Alternative Paths After Y14
Higher Level Apprenticeships eg Accounting Technician. Software development, Engineering
Part-time degrees – much cheaper
Open University
CAFRE
Foundation Degrees at Regional Colleges
Level 5 Courses at Regional Colleges
Employer degrees/ Apprenticeships –eg PwC, BT, NIE, McDonalds, KPMG, Sainsburys, Bombardier
Distance Learning Degrees & Open University
Republic of Ireland
USA / Europe eg Netherlands

22.
CGS HWH

23. UCAS Personal Statements
Engaging and unique
Very reflective pieces of writing
4000 characters – 1 A4 page
Introduction 10%, Work experience / subject interest, 40%, Personal skills & activities 40%, 10% conclusion

24. University/ FE/ Employer Interviews
When?
Attendance
Preparation
Format
What to wear
When outcomes are published
Invitations to Open Days after application
Challenging decisions – eg unconditional offers

25. Finance www.studentfinanceni.co.uk Tuition Fee loan
Student loan for living expenses
Repay back at % once salary above £21K
Application forms delivered to school in April
Bursaries
Scholarships
Some universities (eg Oxbridge) do not permit term time work
CGS Sept HWH

26. Discuss………. Being realistic Academic interests & strengths
Discuss now before October : finance & expectations , living away from home, home sickness, weekends back home
Employment prospects from university course
Part-time study, HLAs, study in Europe /USA
Plan B
Adding value to your degree while at Uni
Doing some cooking & washing at home this year!!