What Work Nottinghamshire for Young People 2015/16 | Page 22
What Work Nottinghamshire 2015 / 2016
•
Sandwich course A sandwich course, offered by many universities basically adds another
year to your degree in which you experience working in industry or working or studying
abroad. Students who work in industry (usually paid) gain invaluable work experience and
those studying abroad can also use their experience to add to their CV.
•
Year in Industry This programme arranges paid placements for students during their gap
year before starting their degree course. www.yini.org.uk
Other options include studying abroad, work shadowing at a higher level or for a different
position while already working and volunteering on a regular basis. Try www.do-it.org
Gap year
A gap year usually means taking a year before starting higher education to do something else.
This could be travelling, working, doing voluntary work or learning new skills and you would
need to fund this yourself. Many people take a gap year before starting at university.
A gap year could help you to:
•
•
•
meet new people
learn new skills
•
•
improve your confidence
learn a language
experience different
cultures
Top tip
You can apply to university or
college before your gap year and
defer for a year. Talk to a careers
adviser or sixth form / college
tutor about the best option for
you. Don’t just think in terms
of ‘What will I do with my gap
year’, but also ‘What will I do
when I come back’? Use your
year wisely.
What Next Fair
•
get work experience for
your chosen careers
•
improve your grades
Many employers, universities and colleges value candidates
with gap year experience, especially if the experience is
relevant to the job or course applied for. As well as gaining
extra skills and experience your year out will give you the
chance to think carefully about your future career.
The secret to a successful gap year? Plan it well and
make the most of the time you have! Employers and
universities won’t be impressed if you’ve spent the
year working in your local pub but want to become a
geoscientist.
Every year in October, young people in Notts
get the opportunity to visit the What Next
Careers and Opportunities Fair either with
scho ol or with parents or carers. The fair is a
great opportunity talk to training providers,
sixth forms, colleges and universities and to
try hands-on activities.
Prince’s Trust
There are a number of programmes
run by the Prince’s Trust across
Nottinghamshire. These include helping
people to build confidence and skills for
work.
Nottingham Jobs Fund and Step into Work
If you’re aged 18-24, unemployed and live in Nottingham city you may be able to find work
through the Nottingham Jobs Fund or extra support into work or learning through the Step Into
Work programme. For more details: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/nottinghamjobsfund or
www.futuresadvice.co.uk/step-into-work.html
20