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Our Skills Development Hub provides free learning resources for educators to use with learners and apprentices remotely and in the classroom.

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Under the age of 18 but still interested in taking part in Internship Experience UK? If you're 16 or 17 years old, you can apply to Internship Experience UK On Demand Schools. We take all of the great content from the live experiences, including the project work and the employer-led sessions, and give you the opportunity to complete it in your own time. Plus, for the school experiences there will be exclusive content designed to support you at this key stage of your development, but not take too much time during your summer holidays!
How it works
The experiences kick off on 27th July (after all of the live experiences), at which point you'll be emailed your pack with links to all the sessions and the project work - these are all recordings. You have until 13th August to complete everything in your own time and submit your project work, which we expect will be around 12-15 hours in total across the three-week period. By completing the sessions and submitting the work sample, you'll receive the same certificate, which you can add to your CV. Internship Experience UK On Demand Schools is available across all eight sector streams being offered this year:

Professional Services & Consulting

Technology

Investment Banking & Asset Management

Public Sector, Policy & Charity (NEW for 2021)

Business, Operations & Marketing

Commercial Law

How to apply for Internship Experience UK On Demand Schools
To do the experience in your own time, simply click on the apply now button above and fill out the application form - this shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes to complete. It's open to all, but you will require a Bright Network membership - which is completely free and you can complete before you apply. The application deadline for Internship Experience UK On Demand Schools is 25 July 2021 at 11:59pm. Once accepted, you'll receive everything you need to complete your chosen stream and then have three weeks to finish the content and work sample. If you have any questions, check out the FAQs - section 7 is dedicated to the On Demand experience and there are lots of other answers which cover the live experience.

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Internship Experience UK: On Demand Schools

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Under the age of 18 but still interested in taking part in Internship Experience UK? If you're 16 or 17 years old, you can apply to Internship Experience UK On Demand Schools. We take all of the great content from the live experiences, including the project work and the employer-led sessions, and give you the opportunity to complete it in your own time.

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Helping you harness your skills to navigate the competitive job market

Employability. It's a buzz word that's for sure, but what does it actually mean? In the simplest terms, employability refers to having the qualities suitable for paid work. Although, it goes beyond this, it's ultimately about being equipped with the skills and resources to enter a rewarding and fulfilling career.

Reaching 16 can be a scary time, school assemblies are all about your next steps, finding work experience, a part-time job and the right university. Whilst this may seem overwhelming, it's exciting too! You're one step closer to becoming an established young adult, so it's likely you'll have lots of questions...

Our brand-new Employability Guide is here to help you through all these new and exciting changes by equipping you with the skills and knowledge you need to enter the job market with confidence.

Are you ready to kickstart your career? Download our free guide below to get started!

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Helping you harness your skills to navigate the competitive job market Employability. It's a buzz word that's for sure, but what does it actually mean? In the simplest terms, employability refers to having the qualities suitable for paid work. Although, it goes beyond this, it's ultimately about being equipped with the skills and resources to enter a rewarding and fulfilling career.

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Bright Network has a range of graduate careers available. Whatever the sector you want to go into Bright Network will help you find your dream job.

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We use cookies to collect and analyse information on our site's performance and to enable the site to function. Cookies also allow us and our partners to show you relevant ads when you visit our site and other 3rd party websites, including social networks.You can choose to allow all cookies by clicking 'Allow all'or manage them individually by clicking 'Manage cookie preferences,' where you will also find more information.

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"In the long history of human kind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." I think Darwin was absolutely right. It excites me to think that one day I could be part of the scientific community of collaboration and improvisation; without sharing ideas, criticising our peers and opening our minds to new ideas, our successes would never prevail. I believe studying at university would prepare me with the knowledge, skills and confidence to be a successful scientist at the forefront of medical developments.

Although my real passion lies in biological sciences, I extend my enthusiasm to all my work, both in my school life and outside the classroom. I find art particularly relaxing yet I feel inspired and stimulated when I visit the local art exhibitions at Tate Liverpool or the Walker. This summer I had a fantastic time volunteering at a Design Technology summer school for primary school children which provided me with a great opportunity to improve my communication skills with staff and younger students. I was designated the role of team leader which gave me the chance to refine my leadership and organisational skills. I am excited to have recently been elected Student Head of House at my school which also lets me demonstrate my ability in leading a team and gives me the opportunity to set up and run inter-house competitions, events and student councils.

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"In the long history of human kind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." I think Darwin was absolutely right. It excites me to think that one day I could be part of the scientific community of collaboration and improvisation; without sharing ideas, criticising our peers and opening our minds to new ideas, our successes would never prevail.

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Clinical Trial Specialist Degree Apprenticeships

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Clinical Trial Specialist Degree Apprenticeships

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Degree apprenticeships are primarily targeted at 18 to 19-year-old college leavers as an alternative to doing a conventional degree, particularly for those deterred from studying a traditional, full-time, course due to their association with high tuition fees and potential student debt. However, the qualification is suitable for anyone, including mature students.

How it works

If you have decided that a Clinical Trials Specialist apprenticeship is a great opportunity, providing a career pathway into the pharmaceutical industry, you will need to find and apply to an employer with open apprenticeship places.

Information on employers currently offering apprenticeship places or those with positions 'open to expressions of interest' can be found on our Opportunities page. You may also register your interest on our Contacts page for advance notice, updates and information on developments.

What qualifications will I need?

Typically candidates will hold Level 3 qualifications providing the appropriate number of UCAS points for entry into higher education (HE) as defined by individual employers/HE providers. The candidate will also hold A levels/B-Tech qualifications in at least one science-related subject. The candidate should also have:

A professional demeanour and ability to act independently and work as part of a diverse team;

Excellent attention to detail;

Experience with using Microsoft Office Suite software (Word, Power Point and Excel);

An ability to coordinate, prioritize and complete multiple tasks;

Demonstrated verbal and written communication abilities interpersonal skills;

Proactive approach to problem solving;

An interest in travel to attend periodic meetings.

What is a Clinical Trials Specialist?

The Clinical Trials Specialist plays a key role in the pharmaceutical industry, intimately involved in the operational delivery of clinical trials. As a gateway role for young people wanting to gain entry into the industry, this position opens opportunities to work in almost every aspect of the pharmaceutical discovery process. Functions and responsibilities associated with the role include:

Maintaining the trial master file (TMF) or the electronic TMF and study site records;

Acting as an internal expert on study related documents, procedures and templates;

Collation, filing, routing coordination of third-party provider documents for inclusion in the TMF/eTMF;

Initiate contract/budget requests, coordination and management of contract approvals, and tracking the ongoing status of your study;

Schedule team meetings and prepare agendas and minutes of complex clinical meetings and assist clinical operations team with study management;

Conduct basic data quality oversight activities associated with Contract Research Organisations and clinical service vendors;

Assist in the organization of advisory boards and investigator meetings. Track approvals and completion of required documents.

What skills and knowledge will I develop?

The apprenticeship will see you working shoulder-to-shoulder with highly experienced members of the pharmaceutical industry eager to progress your development. As an integral part of the course, the apprentice will also participate in unique leadership activities and interventions.

It is in the interest of your employer to concentrate on you developing quickly as an effective member of their team which, when combined with the theory and work-based experience, will make a real difference in your development as an individual as well as the contribution you will make to the business.

Why study this degree apprenticeship course?

Unlike more traditional degree pathways, this course will see you working immediately in one of the UK's premier industries while you study for a BSc (Hons). During your studies your employer will pay you a monthly wage; both your employer and the UK Government will cover the cost of your study. This opportunity is truly unique as it both equips you with a degree that is identical to those awarded following conventional university studies and avoids the investment in student fees normally associated with studentship in higher education. You will be paid for you service by your employer while obtaining a free education and an unparalleled introduction into the pharmaceutical industry.

What qualifications will I receive?

The programme will be assessed in a variety of different ways. There will regular assessments of the skills you are being trained in, reflective portfolios, business case studies and learning contracts. Group-based problem solving activities will also form part of the training and will be assessed from both a process and output perspective.

At the end of your course you will receive a BSc (Hons) degree including but not limited to biological science in physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, pharmacy or biochemistry from your university of study. Once you have been awarded the degree you will be assessed on performance as a Clinical Trials Specialist before they awarded the completion of your apprenticeship. By integrating academic theory with practical work experience, it is expected that you will become more confident as you develop new organisational and interpersonal skills, becoming an asset in a variety of roles in your employer's organisation.

Where do I study?

Degree apprenticeships like the CTS are only available in vocational subjects that require a high level of academic achievement. Degree apprenticeships are created by partnerships between employers and universities or colleges. Due to their success, as the scope for degree apprenticeships expands so does the range of universities and employers offering opportunities. The CTS apprenticeship courses are currently being offered by (enter names here). As part of the process your employer may define where you conduct your studies.

How do I apply?

Unlike traditional degrees, there is no fixed learning cycle for degree apprenticeships. The majority of organisations plan for recruitment to start early in the year for an August/September start date; however larger companies may advertise positions as and when they become available. You can track our posting of positions on this website or on the websites of specific employers, education provers or UCAS websites.

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Degree apprenticeships are primarily targeted at 18 to 19-year-old college leavers as an alternative to doing a conventional degree, particularly for those deterred from studying a traditional, full-time, course due to their association with high tuition fees and potential student debt. However, the qualification is suitable for anyone, including mature students.

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At IBM, work is more than a job-it's a calling. To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you've never thought possible. To lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world's most challenging problems.

Let's put smart to work.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships at IBM are all about picking up skills for the workplace and embarking on a long and successful career. We have your professional development in mind from the day you join us as a permanent employee. Our apprenticeships range from Level 3 to Level 6 and each pathway gives you everything you need to start your career in the industry!
You will get lots of exposure to set you up for a life long career. In addition to the day job there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in social activities and volunteering with other Apprentices, Students and Graduates.

Opportunities are located across England and salaries start at £20,000/annum.

Roles open periodically throughout the year.
Please note you can only apply to one role at a time.

Technology Sales

Do you enjoy communicating with people? Do you want to learn about innovative technical and industry solutions? Then join IBM and become an IT Technical Salesperson!

As an IT Technical Salesperson you'll build relationships with prospects, clients, Business Partners and IBMers across a whole range of industries. We'll train you up on IBM's cutting edge technology products and services.

This role is very rewarding but also very challenging, so you'll need to be enthusiastic and hard working!

You don't need to be studying a technical A-Level or equivalent, we accept all subject backgrounds.

Please note you can only apply to one role at a time.
Register your interest
Software Developer

Are you interested in the opportunity to become an Application Developer, a Blue Mix App Developer or a Web Developer? Then the Software Developer Apprenticeship is for you!

In this role you will learn how to write, build and test high-quality code across front end, logic and database layers whilst also developing effective user interfaces, link code to data sources and analyse test results to correct errors!

At IBM you'll be given the chance to work with ground-breaking technologies and be continually making a difference!

You don't need to be studying a technical A-Level or equivalent, we accept all subject backgrounds.

Please note you can only apply to one role at a time.
Register your interest
Junior DevOps Engineer

Duration: 3 years
Salary: £20,000
Location: Multiple sites
Entry Requirements: 5 GCSEs grade 4-9 including Maths and English Language. You will also need to have completed further education or equivalent.

Do you have a passion for Technology and making it work? We're looking for people who want to pursue a hands-on technical career working with financial services customers. People who can roll up their sleeves, get stuck in, and get things delivered for a large UK Based financial services customer. Sound like you?

As a Junior DevOps Engineer you will learn about Agile delivery and be part of a team delivering automation and DevOps expertise for the customer. The types of problems you'll face will be varied and the solutions you help create will be innovative. It could be developing a continuous delivery pipeline, automating the configuration of infrastructure, or orchestrating a set of technical activities to make them repeatable.

It will be hard work, you will need to be resilient, but it will be rewarding. You'll need to be the type of person who is up for a challenge and likes learning both on the job and in your own time. You don't need to be studying a technical A-Level or Equivalent, but you will need to be able to demonstrate your passion for technology and explain how you've used it to solve problems.

The role:

You'll learn about delivery frameworks like Agile and work in teams putting theory into practice.

You'll benefit from significant investment in your personal learning including mentoring, a structured training plan and access to online courses

You'll be part of a learning cohort and be in a community of similar minded people at the same stage in their career.

You will gain experience with leading edge technologies including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, IBM Cloud, Kubernetes, Chef and Ansible.

You'll learn to use API'S to orchestrate workflows and automate IT processes.

You will be able to build your knowledge of how to do things securely in an enterprise environment.

You'll develop problem solving and facilitation skills and use IBM's Enterprise Design Thinking.

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/it-solutions-technician/ Register your interest
Junior Technical Consultant

Do you want to learn to engage with clients and help them build technical solutions to their business needs? Do you want to consult with clients across different industries, and turn their business needs into computer code? This role is for you!

As a Technical Management Consultant, you will combine cutting edge methodologies and knowledge of the industry with the latest technologies such as Cognitive Systems, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing and Blockchain.

You'll be responsible for interpreting the clients' needs to develop working prototypes and proof of concepts. You will code, test and architect critical business systems and applications. Ultimately you will create genuine technical solutions addressing real client challenges.

You don't need to be studying a technical A-Level or equivalent, we accept all subject backgrounds.

Please note you can only apply to one role at a time.
Register your interest
Test Engineer

Have you ever thought 'Why?"

"Why does that do that?"
"Why can't we do it this way?"
"Why is this so difficult to use?"
"Wouldn't it be great if we didn't need that any more?"
If you spend some of your time thinking about questions like those, then IBM is the perfect place for your career to flourish.

Our clients include high street banks, petrol and energy companies, the government, mobile phone companies, and names on the high street and on-line shopping. With the right training, you'll be helping our clients prove that the IT systems that their customers use will be fast, secure and reliable. As a software test engineer Apprentice we'll provide you with a mix of classroom based education, mentoring & coaching, and real experience working directly with our teams on client accounts. In return, we'd love you to bring your curiosity, your enthusiasm to try new things and a fresh approach to finding solutions to some of IBM's and our client's problems.

Over the two year programme, you will receive training and learning on:- Software development -how software goes from an idea to a solution a customer can use Software testing -how to prove that what has been developed works as it should do Consultancy -how to work with different people in different scenarios -some nice but some tricky - and in different countries General business knowledge -how do businesses work and operate, from the money to the marketing to the admin support How to work as part of small and large teams, either close to home or around the UK
Register your interest
Junior Management Consultant

Do you want to learn the fundamentals of consulting, as well as develop your technical skills to kick-start your career? Do you want to analyse requirements and manage enterprise implementations? This role is for you!

As a Junior Management Consultant, you will understand the end-to-end client engagement process and couple this with key methodology such as Design Thinking techniques. When you combine this with knowledge of the industry and an understanding of cutting edge technologies, you will be able to create high value solutions to some of the biggest client organisations in the world.

You'll be responsible for understanding and interpreting clients'needs, using evidence to support recommendations, supporting proposals with a focus on the technical implementation of solutions to help our clients improve their business outcomes!

You don't need to be studying a technical A-Level or equivalent, we accept all subject backgrounds.

Please note you can only apply to one role at a time.
Register your interest

Junior DevOps Engineer

Duration: 3 years
Salary: £20,000
Location: Multiple sites
Entry Requirements: 5 GCSEs grade 4-9 including Maths and English Language. You will also need to have completed further education or equivalent.

Do you have a passion for Technology and making it work? We're looking for people who want to pursue a hands-on technical career working with financial services customers. People who can roll up their sleeves, get stuck in, and get things delivered for a large UK Based financial services customer. Sound like you?

As a Junior DevOps Engineer you will learn about Agile delivery and be part of a team delivering automation and DevOps expertise for the customer. The types of problems you'll face will be varied and the solutions you help create will be innovative. It could be developing a continuous delivery pipeline, automating the configuration of infrastructure, or orchestrating a set of technical activities to make them repeatable.

It will be hard work, you will need to be resilient, but it will be rewarding. You'll need to be the type of person who is up for a challenge and likes learning both on the job and in your own time. You don't need to be studying a technical A-Level or Equivalent, but you will need to be able to demonstrate your passion for technology and explain how you've used it to solve problems.

The role:

You'll learn about delivery frameworks like Agile and work in teams putting theory into practice.

You'll benefit from significant investment in your personal learning including mentoring, a structured training plan and access to online courses

You'll be part of a learning cohort and be in a community of similar minded people at the same stage in their career.

You will gain experience with leading edge technologies including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, IBM Cloud, Kubernetes, Chef and Ansible.

You'll learn to use API'S to orchestrate workflows and automate IT processes.

You will be able to build your knowledge of how to do things securely in an enterprise environment.

You'll develop problem solving and facilitation skills and use IBM's Enterprise Design Thinking.

https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/it-solutions-technician/ Register your interest

Test Engineer

Have you ever thought 'Why?"

"Why does that do that?"
"Why can't we do it this way?"
"Why is this so difficult to use?"
"Wouldn't it be great if we didn't need that any more?"
If you spend some of your time thinking about questions like those, then IBM is the perfect place for your career to flourish.

Our clients include high street banks, petrol and energy companies, the government, mobile phone companies, and names on the high street and on-line shopping. With the right training, you'll be helping our clients prove that the IT systems that their customers use will be fast, secure and reliable. As a software test engineer Apprentice we'll provide you with a mix of classroom based education, mentoring & coaching, and real experience working directly with our teams on client accounts. In return, we'd love you to bring your curiosity, your enthusiasm to try new things and a fresh approach to finding solutions to some of IBM's and our client's problems.

Over the two year programme, you will receive training and learning on:- Software development -how software goes from an idea to a solution a customer can use Software testing -how to prove that what has been developed works as it should do Consultancy -how to work with different people in different scenarios -some nice but some tricky - and in different countries General business knowledge -how do businesses work and operate, from the money to the marketing to the admin support How to work as part of small and large teams, either close to home or around the UK
Register your interest

Degree
Apprenticeships

Degree Apprenticeships allow you to work and achieve a Bachelors Honours degree at the same time. You will be doing a real role at IBM and using what you learn in the workplace as part of your degree.

Apprentices on our Digital & Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship are currently studying at University of Exeter and Manchester Metropolitan University. Choice of University is made in response to the needs of our IBM businesses. Time at University is typically one day a week either on site or via online education and you will be required to work during University vacations.

Chartered Business Management Degree

Level: 6
Duration: 3 years
Salary: £20,000
Entry Requirements: 5 GCSEs grade 5-9, minimum 120 UCAS points (subject to change dependent on university requirements)

Learn from the best! Apprenticeships at IBM are all about picking up new skills - and lots of them. It's three years' worth of brilliant training, loads of exposure and the kind of experience you simply couldn't get anywhere else. If you've decided to dive straight into the world of work after college (and if you're as fascinated as we are by technology and how it can change business), our Degree Apprenticeship Scheme is one of the best learning experiences out there.

In this role you will get Chartered Manager status from the Chartered Manager Institute. Our degree apprentices work in a variety of roles including Project Management, Sales, Business Analysis and Operations Management.

Degree apprentices develop a broad range of management skills including: operational strategy, project management, finance, sales & marketing, digital business & new technologies, stakeholder, customer & supplier management, communication, leadership and personal effectiveness.

There's an opportunity to experience University life and meet apprentices from other organisations. On our Pearson College rotational degree apprenticeship, some of our apprentices have the opportunity to experience a work placement at a different organisation.
What we look for:

You don't need to be studying business or technology A-levels, but you must have a keen interest in both.

You must have achieved at least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C/4 or above including Maths and English Language. We also except Level 2 Skills Tests as a GCSE equivalent in Maths and English.

You must also have achieved a minimum of 120 UCAS points

You will need to be mobile - base locations are across the UK (including but not limited to London, Hursley (near Winchester) and Portsmouth), however the work will be project based and typically you'll find yourself working at a client site which requires extensive travel and staying away from home during the week.

Register your interest
Digital & Technology Solutions Degree

Level: 6
Duration: 4 years
Salary: £20,000
Entry Requirements: 5 GCSEs grade 5-9, minimum of 120 UCAS Points (subject to change dependent on university requirements)

Our technology degree apprentices work in a variety of roles including Cyber Security and Technical Specialists, Project Managers, Prototype Developers, Service Managers, IT Architects, Business Analysts and Application Support. You will develop a broad range of technical and business skills, including: information systems, systems development, data, cyber security, business organisations, project management and computer & network infrastructure. You will also take modules to develop your skills in a technical specialism. There's an opportunity to experience University life and meet apprentices from other organisations during days at University and interactive learning sessions.
Register your interest

Chartered Business Management Degree

Level: 6
Duration: 3 years
Salary: £20,000
Entry Requirements: 5 GCSEs grade 5-9, minimum 120 UCAS points (subject to change dependent on university requirements)

Learn from the best! Apprenticeships at IBM are all about picking up new skills - and lots of them. It's three years' worth of brilliant training, loads of exposure and the kind of experience you simply couldn't get anywhere else. If you've decided to dive straight into the world of work after college (and if you're as fascinated as we are by technology and how it can change business), our Degree Apprenticeship Scheme is one of the best learning experiences out there.

In this role you will get Chartered Manager status from the Chartered Manager Institute. Our degree apprentices work in a variety of roles including Project Management, Sales, Business Analysis and Operations Management.

Degree apprentices develop a broad range of management skills including: operational strategy, project management, finance, sales & marketing, digital business & new technologies, stakeholder, customer & supplier management, communication, leadership and personal effectiveness.

There's an opportunity to experience University life and meet apprentices from other organisations. On our Pearson College rotational degree apprenticeship, some of our apprentices have the opportunity to experience a work placement at a different organisation.
What we look for:

You don't need to be studying business or technology A-levels, but you must have a keen interest in both.

You must have achieved at least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) at Grade C/4 or above including Maths and English Language. We also except Level 2 Skills Tests as a GCSE equivalent in Maths and English.

You must also have achieved a minimum of 120 UCAS points

You will need to be mobile - base locations are across the UK (including but not limited to London, Hursley (near Winchester) and Portsmouth), however the work will be project based and typically you'll find yourself working at a client site which requires extensive travel and staying away from home during the week.

Register your interest

Digital & Technology Solutions Degree - Level 6

Level: 6
Duration: 4 years
Salary: £20,000
Entry Requirements: 5 GCSEs grade 5-9, minimum of 120 UCAS Points (subject to change dependent on university requirements)

Our technology degree apprentices work in a variety of roles including Cyber Security and Technical Specialists, Project Managers, Prototype Developers, Service Managers, IT Architects, Business Analysts and Application Support. You will develop a broad range of technical and business skills, including: information systems, systems development, data, cyber security, business organisations, project management and computer & network infrastructure. You will also take modules to develop your skills in a technical specialism. There's an opportunity to experience University life and meet apprentices from other organisations during days at University and interactive learning sessions.
Register your interest

Futures 12 Month
Placement Scheme

The Futures Placement scheme offers you an invaluable opportunity to work with a world-leading company for 12-months, broadening your horizons and giving you a head start in your career. You'll be deployed onto a challenging work placement, where you'll support and learn from experienced professionals across IBM. At the end of your placement, it's in your hands. IBM offer both Business and Technical Placements, with both taking place over a year!

You will benefit from a salary starting from £18,000.

Please note you can only apply to one role at a time.

Business Futures Placement

You might be uncertain about whether to start work, complete an apprenticeship or go to university, if that's you and you are unsure about what to do next, the IBM's Futures Scheme is for you. The Futures Scheme is our Gap Year program offering a years internship - a try before you commit scheme. We offer you an invaluable opportunity to work with a world-leading company, broadening your horizons and giving you a head start in your career.

What will you do? You'll be deployed onto a challenging work placement, where you'll support and learn from experienced professionals from across IBM. That could be in any area across the company, we currently have Business Futures working in Recruitment, supporting Clients and working internally to make us more effective - all of which are making a difference at IBM. Then, at the end of the placement, it's in your hands. If you would like to consider IBM as a long term career then you could apply for our Apprenticeship scheme or you could go to university - the choice is yours!

Unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply for the Futures Scheme if you are studying for or have already completed an undergraduate degree. Those eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship are eligible for this scheme.
Apply Now
Technology Futures Placement

You might be uncertain about whether to start work, complete an apprenticeship or go to university, if that's you and you are unsure about what to do next, the IBM's Futures Scheme is for you. The Futures Scheme is our Gap Year program offering a years internship - a try before you commit scheme. We offer you an invaluable opportunity to work with a world-leading company, broadening your horizons and giving you a head start in your career.

What will you do? You'll be deployed onto a challenging work placement, where you'll support and learn from experienced professionals from across IBM. That could be in any area across the company, we currently have Technical Futures working in Software Development, Internet of Things and Hybrid Cloud - all of which are making a difference at IBM. Then, at the end of the placement, it's in your hands. If you would like to consider IBM as a long term career then you could apply for our Apprenticeship scheme or you could go to university - the choice is yours!

Unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply for the Futures Scheme if you are studying for or have already completed an undergraduate degree. Those eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship are eligible for this scheme.
Apply Now

Business Futures Placement

You might be uncertain about whether to start work, complete an apprenticeship or go to university, if that's you and you are unsure about what to do next, the IBM's Futures Scheme is for you. The Futures Scheme is our Gap Year program offering a years internship - a try before you commit scheme. We offer you an invaluable opportunity to work with a world-leading company, broadening your horizons and giving you a head start in your career.

What will you do? You'll be deployed onto a challenging work placement, where you'll support and learn from experienced professionals from across IBM. That could be in any area across the company, we currently have Business Futures working in Recruitment, supporting Clients and working internally to make us more effective - all of which are making a difference at IBM. Then, at the end of the placement, it's in your hands. If you would like to consider IBM as a long term career then you could apply for our Apprenticeship scheme or you could go to university - the choice is yours!

Unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply for the Futures Scheme if you are studying for or have already completed an undergraduate degree. Those eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship are eligible for this scheme.
Apply Now

Technology Futures Placement

You might be uncertain about whether to start work, complete an apprenticeship or go to university, if that's you and you are unsure about what to do next, the IBM's Futures Scheme is for you. The Futures Scheme is our Gap Year program offering a years internship - a try before you commit scheme. We offer you an invaluable opportunity to work with a world-leading company, broadening your horizons and giving you a head start in your career.

What will you do? You'll be deployed onto a challenging work placement, where you'll support and learn from experienced professionals from across IBM. That could be in any area across the company, we currently have Technical Futures working in Software Development, Internet of Things and Hybrid Cloud - all of which are making a difference at IBM. Then, at the end of the placement, it's in your hands. If you would like to consider IBM as a long term career then you could apply for our Apprenticeship scheme or you could go to university - the choice is yours!

Unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply for the Futures Scheme if you are studying for or have already completed an undergraduate degree. Those eligible to work in the UK without sponsorship are eligible for this scheme.
Apply Now

Application process

You do not need to have any prior work experience; instead we're looking for enthusiastic, driven and innovative individuals, with a passion for business and technology.

Please don't worry if you are prompted to add a 'University' or 'Degree' when you apply. This is a standard form, so instead please just add your most recent College/Sixth form and the subjects you studied at your A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

IBM's online testing will include a Cognitive Ability Game, to assess your problem solving skills, and a Learning Agility Assessment, which looks at your way of learning.

The application form will focus on competency based questions and will ask you to provide a personal statement.

IBM Assessment Centres will typically require candidates to complete two group exercises, one being based on logical reasoning and the other being on based on discussion.
Candidates will also complete an individual interview where they will show a pre-prepared presentation.
Assessments will be timed.

Final interviews are used to match candidates to their most suited role. These interviews will be with a manager and can be face-to-face, a telephone interview or in the form of a video call.

Now you know the process, what are we actually looking for? Here are our core eight competencies. Think about whether, and how, you can demonstrate them.

Adaptability; Communication; Client Focus; Creative Problem Solving; Drive; Teamwork; Passion for IBM and Taking Ownership.

Please don't worry if you are prompted to add a 'University' or 'Degree' when you apply. This is a standard form, so instead please just add your most recent College/Sixth form and the subjects you studied at your A-levels or equivalent qualifications.

IBM's online testing will include a Cognitive Ability Game, to assess your problem solving skills, and a Learning Agility Assessment, which looks at your way of learning.

Assessments will be timed.

The application form will focus on competency based questions and will ask you to provide a personal statement.

IBM Assessment Centres will typically require candidates to complete two group exercises, one being based on logical reasoning and the other being on based on discussion.
Candidates will also complete an individual interview where they will show a pre-prepared presentation.

Assessments will be timed.

Final interviews are used to match candidates to their most suited role. These interviews will be with a manager and can be face-to-face, a telephone interview or in the form of a video call.

Benefits

Company phone

Dependent on your role you may get a company phone to keep in touch with your clients and colleagues if you go off-site...

Fun outside of work

There's a huge community of young people at IBM meaning you can carry on the fun outside of work!

Assigned Early Professional Manager

You will be assigned an Early Professional Manager to oversee your personal and professional development...

Company laptop

You'll also be given a company laptop so that you can work on the go...

Various IBM rewards

You will also benefit from IBM rewards - offering discounted cinema tickets, high street store discounts and more!

Ignite Scheme

The Ignite Scheme is part of the national 'Movement to Work' programme - a voluntary collaboration of UK employers committed to tackling youth unemployment through provision of high quality vocational training and work experience opportunities for young people. IBM is a proud supporter and partner in this initiative.

We partner with two charities: City Gateway and The Hampshire County Council. Across the 4-5 weeks, these charities work to provide trainees with an understanding of the workplace, as well as building on transferable skills.
Apply for London opportunities through City Gateway

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At IBM, work is more than a job - it's a calling. To build. To design. To code. To consult. To invent and collaborate. Join us today.

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OxbridgeIQ was formed in July 2019 by George Spooner and George Cook, both second year undergraduate students at Robinson College, Cambridge.

Appreciative of the fact that many Oxbridge applicants are simply unable to access ample, quality interview practice material, they created OxbridgeIQ to provide prospective students with the material they need.

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OxbridgeIQ was formed in July 2019 by George Spooner and George Cook, both second year undergraduate students at Robinson College, Cambridge. Appreciative of the fact that many Oxbridge applicants are simply unable to access ample, quality interview practice material, they created OxbridgeIQ to provide prospective students with the material they need.

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Are you thinking of applying to Oxbridge but not sure where to start? Or are you worried all those myths about the 'type' of person that goes there might just be true?...
Don't worry you're not alone. Going to university for the first time is a big step and we all question whether we'll like the place, the course or simply whether we'll fit in. With Oxbridge too, many students worry they might not get accepted even with top grades - and then there's the interview as well, which you can prepare for using these methods.

Luckily, there are a bunch of friendly students, who went through the Oxbridge application process and came out smiling, on hand to help us.

We caught up with Priyasha, who applied to Cambridge from a state school in 2013 and is now in her second year there studying Natural Sciences. She told us what goes into the Oxbridge application process, key words not to use in your personal statement and how you shouldn't believe all the stories you hear...

Important: The 2016 deadline for applying to Oxbridge (as well as most medical courses) is 15 October at 6pm sharp. Find out more from UCAS here.

Name: Priyasha Vadera
Studying: Clare College, Cambridge
Subject: Natural Sciences (Biological)
A-levels: Maths, Chemistry, Physics, English Literature, (Biology AS)
Offer: A*AAA

What made you want to apply to Cambridge?

I heard about the Natural Sciences course at Cambridge when I was younger so I was focussed on that from early on.

I chose Cambridge over Oxford because their courses are broader which meant I could try things out. People always group the two unis together and although they are similar in standard, their approach to courses can be very different.

Everyone assumed I was going to apply to Oxbridge and I wanted to try. But I want to stress I didn't think I'd get in or even get an interview.

My advice is to just apply; even if you're worried you won't get in. The early deadline is even a bonus because you get the UCAS application process out the way before it interferes with your A2s too much. And, whatever rumours you've heard about Oxbridge, 90% of them aren't true. I was really adamant not to go for a bit because I thought it would be too hard but I'm here now. It's still hard but I don't regret it!

What help or advice would you recommend I get from my teachers if I want to apply to Oxbridge?

Tell them as early as possible, and talk to your head of sixth form/college, as well as anyone you know who went to or teaches at Oxbridge. By letting them know, they can push you for the early deadline and give you extra tips. If they can give you a mock interview that would be helpful too.

Schools that don't send students to Oxbridge that often, might not be aware of the Oxbridge application process. But university is about being independent so why not start by finding out what you need to do and letting your school know what help you need.

Is it important which college I pick?

Not really. I picked Clare because it was musical, friendly, and in a central location, but everyone I've met loves his or her college. College is like your family so whichever you pick, people will make you feel included.

I would choose by looking in the prospectus. See what size and location would suit you best, including any specific things like sports grounds and music facilities. The central colleges are the most popular but they also get a lot of tourists wondering around which can be a bit annoying if you want to eat breakfast outside in your pyjamas...

If that's too much to think about, you can do an open application where you get randomly assigned a college, or just pick the one you like the look of the most.

What sort of things did you include in your personal statement?

Some really cringey things! But, mostly why I liked the subject I was applying for and any extracurricular stuff I had done. For every example I gave, I made sure to include the skill I learnt from it or how it changed the way I thought.

My advice would be to make sure you show and not tell in your personal statement plus come up with a good first line to make it memorable.

I would definitely not recommend including the following: cheesy quotes, books you haven't read and the words: 'enthusiastic', 'passionate' or 'fascinated'.

Did you do anything to prepare for your interview?

I had a mock interview at school but it was nothing like my interview. I would recommend asking a teacher to sit down with you in a mock interview just so you're used to the pressure.

I wish I had prepared more by revising over my AS material as I hadn't covered it in a while.

What was your Cambridge interview like and what sort of questions were you asked? Did you have to recite lots of facts or lines of poetry?

No not at all. I would say the best preparation is to revise your A-Level material because that was what I was asked questions on. I didn't really have any personal questions and everything was based on my subject. I had two interviews, one on pharmacology and chemistry and the other on biology. It was a bit scary and I didn't think I did well in the second, but I've met people who thought their interviews went well and people who thought they didn't - they all got in.

I got lots of things wrong in my Cambridge interviews but my interviewers corrected me and we moved on. I think it's best to keep going and ask questions if you don't know something, because it's not about appearing clever or stupid, it's about trying to see if you'll be able to learn in the Cambridge system. Cambridge Interviews are quite similar to supervisions, which are weekly hour-long meetings with an academic in your subject.

Did you do any extracurricular work to help with your Oxbridge application?

I didn't do anything specifically for my application; I just did things I enjoyed. For extracurricular, I play a couple of instruments and I volunteered at the library for DofE but that wasn't specifically for my Oxbridge application.

For medicine, I know it's required, but for other subjects, it's not always essential.

What advice do you have for people applying to Oxbridge who are worried they might not fit in?

The thing I regret most is expecting there to be a certain type of Cambridge person and that just isn't true. There are all kinds of people from different backgrounds there. The only thing they have in common is that they're smart and academic!

Everyone I've met is really interesting to talk to, not just the first years, but even the second and third years were keen to make friends.

In freshers' week, I went to a fancy dinner and ended up next to two guys who were both from private schools and seemed to know each other through this elite rugby league thing. I instantly thought I was in the wrong place, but they were so nice, I can't believe I ever thought they might be stuck up.

What was your experience when you showed up in freshers' week?

I met so many people in the first few days, I couldn't remember most of their names an hour after meeting them. At a fancy dress party, I met two people who I really bonded with and the next day, I spoke to two people in a queue for half an hour before realising it was the same people! You may meet your best friends in the first week but it's no worry if you don't.

The three things I would definitely recommend doing in freshers' week are: unpacking, getting your Internet and printer connected and signing up at the doctors. I thought freshers' week was busy and then term started and I got even busier!

Stick the radio on and keep your door open while unpacking so people can wander in, grab some of those people to go to the freshers fairs so you can meet even more people who share the same interests. If you're feeling down, call your family and find someone to talk to. There are so many support systems at Cambridge to help you through difficult times. I found that being so busy stopped me feeling homesick.

What is the teaching like and how are the workloads?

It's intense, I'm not going to lie, but you do get used to it. Because my timetable is quite full (with social events as well as lectures and labs), I have to be really efficient with my time and I found it helped me get my work done quicker. There is definitely a 'work hard, play harder' attitude here.

I do feel like I don't understand things straight away a lot of the time, but so do most other people so it's not too bad! I'm glad I have the opportunity to push myself rather than just coast.

The supervision system is really good as well because you get two on one contact with an academic who can explain anything you don't understand.

What is the best thing about studying at Cambridge?

Some of my friends at other universities say they get bored a lot and that is something I've never experienced at Cambridge. There is so much variety in the things to do; obviously clubbing, but also lots of pubs, bar nights, plays, concerts, debates, talks, swaps, sport socials and a lot of hanging out in other people's rooms. Everyone here is really interesting and even people doing completely opposite courses are really easy to talk to. Because everyone is interested in so many different things, there's a lot of overlap in interests, even where you wouldn't expect it
For more information, check out the Student Room's useful guide to applying to Oxbridge.

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oxbridge application tips and advice for students

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Oxbridge Applications: We Ask a Current Student For Advice

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Are you thinking of applying to Oxbridge but not sure where to start? Or are you worried all those myths about the 'type' of person that goes there might just be true?... Don't worry you're not alone.

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Everything you need to know about University open days

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Everything you need to know about University open days

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University open days are an essential part of the process of shortlisting universities for your UCAS application. They're also exciting, fun, and a great way to acquire free stationery.
Chances are, you'll be visiting lots of unis in your quest to narrow down your final five. With so much to see and think about, it's crucial you prepare for your visits and use your time wisely.

'Make the most of your university open days by being prepared. Check out our top tips'
Tweet this to your followers

What are university open days for?

It's pretty important you answer this question before you visit your first university!

Open days are your chance to compare the universities you're thinking about applying to and get a sense of whether you want to go there.

Here are the key features you're assessing:

Universities can be all based in one place like this one,

or spread across a city

Some universities, like Warwick or Birmingham, are based all in one place, and are known as "campus" universities. Others, like Durham, UCL, Oxford and Cambridge, are spread across the town or city.

What kind of layout suits you best? Pick a few locations within the university that you're likely to use as a student - the department you're applying to and a likely accommodation block, for example. How long does it take you to get from A to B?

What are you looking for in a university, and does the uni you're visiting fit the bill? Do you find it exciting, relaxing, studious? Can you imagine yourself spending three or more years there?

Facilities

Check out the library, the cafes, the canteens, classrooms, and any labs or other facilities you might expect to use as part of your course.

Are they well-equipped with all the resources and equipment you think you're likely to need? If you're planning on studying history, for example, and have an interest in a particular historical period, find out whether they have the books you'd expect them to hold on that topic.

Accommodation

You could be living in uni digs for three years, although many universities expect students to move into private accommodation in their second year. This means you need to be comfortable with your room and any shared facilities you'll need to use, such as the kitchen and bathroom. If you're not willing to share a loo, you need to find out whether it's actually possible to have a private bathroom.

You should also make sure heating and insulation is adequate to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Nothing is less conducive to study that being too cold or too hot!

It's likely there will be teaching staff you'll work with regularly, such as a director of studies or supervisor. What are they like? Are they approachable and friendly? Would you feel comfortable chatting to them about your subject and other aspects of university life?

Open days are a chance to meet the people who are going to be responsible for your learning over the next three years of your education.

Open days also provide the chance to meet current students and hear their thoughts - good and bad - about the uni. If you're going to be working with older/more advanced students studying your subject, take the opportunity to find out what they're like and whether you think you'll get along with them.

What's the general student ethos like, and does it match what you're looking for in your university experience? For example, is it studious and work-orientated, or are students a bit more relaxed and happy to let their hair down as well as work hard?

Tips for the day itself

1. Take someone with you

A second opinion is always valuable. Take a parent or sibling (preferably one who's already been through the university experience) to give you their own thoughts on the universities you visited - and also how you seemed to take to them on your visit.

Recording your notes as soon as you can after your

visit will really help you compare the unis you visited

2. Take notes

You'll probably be visiting many universities, which means good notes will be invaluable in coming to your final decision. Note down details about the points we mentioned above, and do so as soon as you can after your visit - preferably while you're there.

If you're feeling really proactive, you could even include a rating system so you can compare your thoughts from the day more "scientifically" afterwards. Using this system, you would rate each feature out of (say) 10.

Take plenty of photos as well!

3. Get the unofficial view

Many open days include student-led tours of the campus. Be sure to take a few minutes along the way, or at the end, to ask your guide some penetrating questions about what it's really like! Ask them about things that are particularly important to you, or about things they think could be better or which they'd improve.

Bear in mind that tour guides have probably volunteered for the role because they're particularly proud of their uni or involved in university life. If you're feeling super-brave, talk to other students who aren't part of the official programme. You'll probably get the chance when you have lunch in the canteen or while you're exploring the campus on your own.

4. See everything

If there's anything that doesn't find its way onto the official tour - particularly if it's important to you - go and seek it out! This could include lab facilities or libraries - you don't want to receive a nasty shock when you roll up next September and find that half the resources you need are missing, or that all the lab equipment you need is out of date.

5. Think about practicalities

Practicalities include things like:

How long it takes you to get home.

How close the train or bus station is to the campus.

The distance from typical first-year accommodation to the department, facilities or lecture theatres you'll be using frequently.

The cost of living in your area. You probably won't find much variance in the price of milk, but some costs can vary surprisingly from one area of the country to another.

Local amenities like supermarkets, stationers and cafes.

In this video from the University of Hull, students sum up their top tips for university open days:

Planning your open days

If you can, start planning university open days at the beginning of the academic year, since there tend to be lots of events during the autumn, especially in September, October and November.

Check university websites to find out when open days are being held - there will often be a choice.

You may be able to attend departmental open days for your subject. Check out the department's website for details on this.

Some universities, like Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, have different colleges, which hold their own open days, advertised on their own websites. Bear in mind that these universities, as well as music conservatories and medical subject applications, have earlier deadlines than most unis.

You will often need to book a place on university open days. Make sure you've done this before you set out.

If you've missed all the open days for a particular university, don't worry, they will usually try to accommodate you. Just ring or email the admissions department and let them know what's happened.

Now you're ready for all those university open days, make sure you check out our guide to choosing a university to help you narrow down your choices.
Image credits

University icon via Freepik
Nottingham University campus via Geograph Notes via Pexels

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Everything you need to know about university open days

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University open days are an essential part of the process of shortlisting universities for your UCAS application. They're also exciting, fun, and a great way to acquire free stationery. Chances are, you'll be visiting lots of unis in your quest to narrow down your final five.

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Discover the world of work, gain unique industry insights and complete workplace-style activities with leading employers in the UK. And the best part - it's free.

Connect with world-leading organisations

Meet industry experts, complete mini-activities, and get noticed by employers.

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Young people have enrolled on our virtual work experience programmes in 2021 so far. Will you be next?

Live discussions with employers

Meet and interact with industry professionals during our engaging live sessions.

Take off with new skills & industry insights

Develop crucial workplace skills and discover unique insights about your industry of choice.

Experience real workplace activities

Complete mini-activities and projects developed in partnership with industry experts to get a feel for the world of work.

Build your profile

Strengthen your professional profile with experience certificates, and build a portfolio of work that will make your personal statement, CV, and application stand out.

Our featured programmes

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Common Questions

Please take a look at the FAQ's below; and if you still need help email us at hello@springpod.com

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Free Virtual Work Experience | Springpod

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Discover the world of work, gain unique industry insights and complete workplace-style activities with leading employers in the UK. And the best part - it's free. Connect with world-leading organisations Young people have enrolled on our virtual work experience programmes in 2021 so far. Will you be next?

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We're really excited to bring you the latest instalment of PwC's Virtual Classroom - a virtual programme open to students between Years 10 and 13*. The programme combines both live and pre-recorded content.

At PwC, we know that when people from diverse backgrounds and with different points of view work together, we create the most value - for our clients, our people and the communities we work within. To solve important problems we need to be inclusive of our diverse talent and encourage our people to use their creativity, authenticity and human differences to be the champions of change.

This month our Virtual Classroom sessions will focus on racial equality, social mobility and gender equality. You'll also have the chance to engage with a range of PwC ambassadors through the interactive live sessions, whilst having the flexibility to watch and listen to the recorded sessions at a time best suited to you each week. We recognise that you'll continue to have school or college commitments during the four-week period so we've made the virtual programme as flexible as possible.

You'll see below the times and dates for each of the live sessions - you'll need to register for each one that you're interested in attending in advance - the link for each session will be sent to you with the confirmation once you've registered for each event. All live sessions will start at 4.30pm and will last for approximately 50 minutes.

Each week we'll also add new content to this page that you can watch in your own time between sessions - you'll have access to these sessions until Monday 7 December.

We'll also be running a session specifically for parents, carers and teachers.
*(Years 11 to 14 in Northern Ireland and S3 to S6 in Scotland)

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PwC's Virtual Classroom - School and College

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At PwC, we know that when people from diverse backgrounds and with different points of view work together, we create the most value - for our clients, our people and the communities we work within.

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This lesson is designed to help students recognise their skills, personality traits, attributes and interests, and understand how these can help make rewarding career choices.
Lesson learning outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Recognise three key elements of their personality

Explain how different job roles require a range of skills, interests and personality traits

Identify ways of building an accurate self-image that can guide successful career choices

Activities in this lesson involve a combination of personal reflection and working together to identify their strengths while relating these to their aspirations. This includes highlighting the difference between realistic and more ambitious goals. Students will identify what their interests, strengths and personality traits are before considering what they need to improve.

The lesson includes a short ice breaker game called 'Skill Up', which can be played in 10 minutes as a standalone activity. It visually presents the link between different jobs and the associated skills and qualities for people in those roles.

Looking for other ways to help students connect personal attributes to different job roles? Read on to find out how.
How to identify five personal strengths with LifeSkills
The 'Wheel of Strengths' interactive tool is another way to identify skills, interests and personality traits and can be used within the lesson to discover how these personal strengths can be used to match students with jobs.

The 'Recognising and building personal skills' lesson takes the learning from this lesson to the next step by getting students thinking of ways to improve their skills.

The 'Putting enterprise skills into action' lesson is helpful for students actively thinking about how to put their personal strengths into practice. For more information on the range of resources and how they can be used in PSHE lessons and more, check out our Content guide.

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Personal strengths lesson plan | Barclays LifeSkills

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This lesson is designed to help students recognise their skills, personality traits, attributes and interests, and understand how these can help make rewarding career choices.

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Personal development workshops to boost your skills for work

Looking for ways to make the most of your time? Join our on-demand work-readiness workshops. You'll leave these feeling more productive, knowledgeable, and confident about yourself and your skillset!
Productivity and Organisation
Feeling scattered, foggy or directionless? Staying productive and organised can often feel like shoveling snow when it's still snowing. Not to worry! In this video, we look at practical ways you can keep your productivity levels high, stay organized, and help clear your mind so that you're ready for anything!
How to Boost your Confidence
During this workshop, you will discover what makes a confident person confident! We dig into understanding how we build personal confidence through repetition and resilience. We will share simple tools and tricks on growing confidence including how to catch negative self-talk and 'quick hacks' from some of the leading confidence coaches!
The Importance of Networking
Making good connections and networking can make a massive difference to your future career success. But we understand that networking can seem intimidating. In this workshop. we take you through exercises to grow in confidence and self-awareness and successfully build a professional network.
CV Master Class
This practical workshop helps you to build your first online digital CV that you can be proud of to show future employers. We help you understand what employers will be looking for in a CV and the importance of continuing to document your experiences!
Motivation & How To Find Your Why
Staying motivated can be a challenge at the best of times. But when you're trying to get through a daunting task list from home, where there's probably a thousand distractions, it's even tougher. We talk you through our top tips to keep you motivated and help you to build a personalised set of motivation hacks to keep you going through this challenging time. The secret? Unlocking your greater purpose.
Finding your Voice - Communication Skills
Do you struggle to communicate confidently and clearly? Do you feel nervous or anxious when you have to present your point of view? Whether it is in interviews, in the workplace or in front of an audience, communication is one of the most important skills which employers look for. During this workshop, we give you insider tips and hacks to help you communicate in a way so that people really listen.
Knowing your self & Owning your story
In the first half of this workshop, we help you understand the importance of self-awareness. We explore how to identify your core strengths and drivers and how knowing these can help them make decisions about your career. In the second half, we explore how people tend to talk about themselves merely as a sum of their academic achievements. We help you explore their narratives so you can communicate your story in a way that empowers you.
Skills Builder - Goal setting
During this session, we provide you with a framework for efficient and effective life planning. This includes getting clearer on what you are looking to achieve and a method for goal setting that actually works.

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Personal development workshops to boost your skills for work Looking for ways to make the most of your time? Join our on-demand work-readiness workshops. You'll leave these feeling more productive, knowledgeable, and confident about yourself and your skillset! Productivity and Organisation Feeling scattered, foggy or directionless?

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Attitudes towards apprenticeships have evolved significantly over the past few years. Despite university still being a popular further education choice, more and more alternatives are appearing. Degree apprenticeships can offer the same level qualifications as a university degree, but the style of learning and the experience they offer can be quite different.

As the government has pledged to have created an additional 3 MILLION apprenticeships by 2020, the possibilities really are endless. However, universities also offer thousands of different courses that can suit many different career paths and interests.

All these options can make choosing just one a very tough decision; how do you know which is the best option?

Weighing up the different factors involved in further education can help with getting started.

FACTORS - Uni vs. Degree Apprenticeships

Independence

UNIVERSITY: Usually, starting uni means relocating to another city, which means independent living! If you go to uni, you'll most likely move into some form of hall accommodation. There are different types of accommodation that can help you ease into independence; catered accommodation is ideal for those who don't feel too confident in the kitchen!

Another aspect of university is how you end up living with other people in the same boat as you. Uni halls normally also have designated older students whose job it is to take care of you and help address any problems you may be having. University is a gentler way of gaining independence while still having a support network to fall back on if things get tough.

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP: It can be harder to relocate or move out for an apprenticeship as they don't offer the same accommodation support that uni does. Therefore it is common for apprentices to stay living at home, at least for the first year. However, earning your own money definitely grants you independence in other ways.

UNIVERSITY: You're probably sick of hearing about the massive amount of debt uni students get stuck with by now. Sadly, it is true that University is a hugely expensive endeavour. Unless you're incredibly wealthy (lucky you!), you won't be able to get through it without racking up some kind of debt. To learn more about student finance, is a great link to start with. All this being said, it is still very possible to get through university and life beyond without your student debt causing much grief. You only have to repay your loan once you earn £25,000 a year or more. are all the guidelines on repaying your student loan.

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP: The 'earn as you learn' aspect of apprenticeships is one of the main factors in why people choose to do one. You start earning a living from day one and your employer pays for tuition. The average salary for a degree apprenticeship is about £18,000 per year which is certainly not bad!

THE WINNER: DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP!

Social Life

UNIVERSITY: When it comes to social life, university comes out on top. With even the most contact hours-heavy courses, lectures only take up a fraction of your weekly timetable, leaving you to manage your own time. Societies and living with hundreds of other people your age also means you're constantly meeting new people and there is a constant stream of fun events aimed specifically at students to enjoy. You can easily be out every night of the week as a uni student.

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP: Apprenticeships immerse you far more into the 'real world' and that means interacting with people from a variety of walks of life and ages. Though degree apprenticeships don't offer societies and nights out every day of the week, there is still a social element to be had; many companies have their own socials and pub nights.

Career Development

UNIVERSITY: Many people will drill into you that you can get any job with a degree. Whilst this is stretching the truth a little (There are many different factors that determine what jobs you can get), it is true that holding a degree does keep your employment options pretty open. Of course, certain degrees strongly point in the direction of one career (i.e. nursing leads to.. well, nursing), but generally speaking, you develop many transferable 'soft' skills in university that can be applied to lots of jobs.

In terms of career development, however, it's what you make it. University does give you the chance to get work experience and the long summers are a great chance to do some internships... but it is certainly the case with more traditional academic courses that you don't really learn many hard skills that will help with any career development. The financial strain of university often means taking on a part time job, but it's unlikely it will be something related to your desired future career.

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP: In a degree apprenticeship, you're working from day one! Another benefit of an apprenticeship is the support you'll gain from your colleagues, who can coach you through your course. Learning on the job means you are fully immersed in the job you're training for and gaining many employable skills. In terms of career development, it's undoubtedly that degree apprenticeships have much more to offer!

When considering career progression opportunities, however, it's also important to choose wisely. The freedom in options that a university degree offers is a stark contrast to what a degree apprenticeship offers. As they are vocational qualifications, apprenticeships often take you down a specific career path.

THE WINNER: DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP!

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Weighing up the factors between university and degree apprenticeships may help, but it's ultimately down your own preferences to decide which option to go for.

Some aspects you might want to consider are:

What Is Your Working Style; How Do You Learn?

Are you a more theoretical or practical learner? If you learn best by doing and struggle to focus on learning anything theoretical, an apprenticeship might be the better option for you. On the other hand, if you like essays and prefer a more traditional style of learning, University might suit you better.

Whether you did or didn't, can you pinpoint the reasons why? Although University is different from school in a lot of ways, it still follows a similar structure in the way of classes, teaching and learning. If you didn't enjoy the institutionalised setting or just feel ready for a change of scene, an apprenticeship may be the one for you.

Look back over the factors listed above. If you're keen to start earning money and want to get stuck into a job as soon as possible, an apprenticeship is the way to go. On the other hand, if your top priority is academic-related and you don't mind living off a budget, or you just don't feel ready to enter the world of work yet and want the 'uni experience' uni might be the better choice.

This is an important question to ask yourself regardless of what choice you make. If you're unsure of what career you want to pursue, then the adaptability of a university degree will keep more options open than a vocational qualification such as a degree apprenticeship.

Finally, another thing to consider is whether you're ready for work. For a lot of people, going to university gave them that extra few years they needed to grow and develop as a person. If you don't quite feel ready, university will be a much gentler way of entering world of work. On the flipside, a degree apprenticeship is perfect if you just can't wait to get stuck into the start of your career!

In Conclusion: Put Your Own Needs First

No matter which path you choose, nothing will ever be final. It's important to remember that it's okay to change your mind. It's never too late to have a change of heart and no matter which option you choose, there is a lot you can do to steer yourself towards the career that you want. It's equally important to note that you are in control of your own employability; whether you take a degree apprenticeship or go to university, you can take action to get the career you want!

If you did choose to go for an apprenticeship, check out our guide on how to apply!

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Degree apprenticeships vs university: which is best for you? - Fledglink

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Attitudes towards apprenticeships have evolved significantly over the past few years. Despite university still being a popular further education choice, more and more alternatives are appearing. Degree apprenticeships can offer the same level qualifications as a university degree, but the style of learning and the experience they offer can be quite different.

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So what is higher education and what purpose does it serve? Throughout school, we hear a great deal about university as higher education and how it will help you secure your future. But why is this and is it true?

Getting into higher education is pretty straightforward. For those choosing university, a clear path is laid out: do well in your GCSEs, A-Levels, UCAS Applications, then on results day either go to your top choice or go through clearing.

This generation has the largest number of people attending university than ever before. Fights for equality has meant that members of minority groups have been able to get into higher education. Gone are the days when higher education was an exclusive club for rich white men.

However, the cost of universities has also shot up. Attending higher education for 3 years can land you in over £50,000 of debt. Schools are perceived to be successful if a large portion of their students progresses to university. This has led to a significant bias in the way that many schools promote after-school options.

What Else Is Counted As Higher Education?

University may be the most dominant form of higher education but it isn't the only one. Higher education is obtaining a qualification above A-levels. These can be:

Foundation Degree (FdA)

Higher National Certificate and Diploma (HNC/HND)

Certificate of Continuing Education (CertCE)

Certificate and Diploma of Higher Education (CertHE/DipHE)

Bachelor's Degree (BA/BSci)

Master's Degree

Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma (PGCert/PGDip)

Doctorate (PhD)

(A useful summary of these can be found on the success at school website )

There are ways you can get these qualifications without attending university. You can also get a degree by doing a degree apprenticeship , which allows you to be working and earning a wage, whilst studying. Some colleges also offer undergrad degrees too, though they will most likely cost the same as university tuition fees. Studying online is now also available through institutions such as the Open University.

So the answer to the question 'what is higher education?' can be a number of things, but in summary, it means education beyond A Levels.

Why Am I Doing Higher Education?

An important part of defining higher education is exploring its reasons for existing. To do that, you should be asking why should you do higher education, alongside what is higher education.

There are a number of reasons why most people choose to go to university to complete their higher education. Choosing to go to university is a massive decision that many young people have to make, and it's not uncommon to feel like it is the only option available after completing A-levels. Therefore, when exploring what higher education is and what it means to you, it is important to explore the reasons why you might choose to do it.

'To Increase My Earning Potential'

A big reason why many people choose to go to university is because they believe that having a degree will mean they can earn more. This may well have been true in the past, however, there are many ways to increase earning potential and higher education is certainly not the only one.

There are many factors to consider in terms of earning potential and what its relationship is with higher education. In terms of starting out, graduate salaries are generally higher than those of people just starting out.

However, when speaking in terms of earning potential, those who don't get degrees and go straight into work are just as capable of working their ways up, becoming successful and earning the big bucks.

In fact, when speaking in terms of money, it can be argued that doing an alternative form of higher education, such as completing a degree apprenticeship is the best way to maximise your earning potential. Because you learn on the job, you can gain more work experience than if you were studying full time at university.

Earning potential can also depend on what subject you choose to study. The Telegraph just published an that shows which degrees are the highest-earning.

'To Have The 'University Experience''

How many times have you been told that university will be the best years of your life? For many people who choose to attend university, this might be true. However, it is important to understand that this is not guaranteed.

The idea that you might be missing out by not going to university is completely understandable, however, we're about to uncover a well-kept secret...
You can do all the things people do at university, without going to university.
You don't need to attend university to experience a night out, living independently, joining societies and pulling all-nighters. These are all things you'll find you're able to do without higher education.

What is different about higher education and the experience it offers is that it places you amongst many other people the same age as you and offers a slightly more sheltered introduction to living independently. The social life at university is undeniably great and it's hard to recreate the university lifestyle anywhere else.

Having the 'university experience' is not something you must have. Not everybody has the best years of their life at uni. But it is a unique and often fantastic experience.

'I Need A Degree For The Job I Want'

When the question 'what is higher education?' was first answered for you, it might have been presented as something guaranteed in your future. Something that you do rather than do.

Schools are perceived to be successful if a large portion of their students progresses to university. This has led to a significant bias in the way that many schools promote after-school options. It also means that when you decide what job you might want, you may be under the impression that you need to get a degree to do it.

In some situations, this is undoubtedly true. Working in medicine or law, for example, needs qualifications. However, there are alternatives becoming available. You can now become a nurse through an apprenticeship .

Ultimately, getting a degree related to the kind of job you want will help you in getting there. But it's not the only way of getting most jobs.

So What Is Higher Education And Why Am I Doing It?

In summary, higher education is usually gained through going to university. However now, more than ever, it can also mean other things: degree apprenticeships, college, online courses.

Gone are the days when higher education solely meant attending university for a minimum of three years and coming back with an expensive piece of paper. It means gaining more knowledge and experience, increasing your chances of landing a great job and allowing you to become independent. Whatever the reasons are for doing higher education, the most important thing to remember is this: make the most of it.

Explore Your Options With The Fledglink App

Scroll through Fledglink's diverse discovery feed to learn more about higher education, and it's alternatives. Uncover opportunities you never knew existed and increase your confidence to make the best decision for your future. Download and sign up today!

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What is Higher Education and why am I doing it? - Fledglink

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So what is higher education and what purpose does it serve? Throughout school, we hear a great deal about university as higher education and how it will help you secure your future. But why is this and is it true? Getting into higher education is pretty straightforward.

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Are you interested in pursuing a career in Business?

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Are you interested in pursuing a career in Business?

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With industry engagement at the core of everything we do, this autumn, Pearson Business School will host a series of virtual events. Our aim is to grow the collaboration with industry through exploring, debating and sharing knowledge about relevant business-related topics.

The first ever Enterprise Festival, will include a total of ten virtual events which will be offered to a range of audiences from school students to industry professionals.

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The Enterprise Festival - Virtual Series | Pearson Business School | Pearson College London

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The Association for Project Management, the chartered body for the project profession, is committed to developing and promoting project and programme managem...

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You'll meet NHS professionals in live workshops where you'll be able to ask them questions.

You'll complete activities and work assignments to develop an understanding of what a career in the NHS can mean.

Much more than just another
online course

West London & Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trusts work experience programme is open to 15-18 year olds who attend schools based within the following local authorities:

Hammersmith and Fulham, Camden, Hillingdon, Ealing, Westminster, Richmond-upon-Thames, Harrow, Barnet, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Hampshire, Wokingham, Surrey, Windsor and Maidenhead, Oxfordshire, Bracknell Forest, West Berkshire, Berkshire, Reading or Slough

The 3 work experience programmes will take place on the following dates:

During all live parts of the work experience programme there will be a DBS cleared member of staff on the webinar, students cannot be seen and sessions are recorded.

Careers Leaders or teachers will also have access to the programme. For additional information please attend our Careers Leader Webinar .

This work experience programme will give you the chance to see life inside the NHS. You'll learn about day-to-day life, the values you'll need to succeed and how you can get into Health Care.

Take part from the comfort of your own home

All you need to access this programme is a computer that you can use for 10 hours over the 2 weeks. You can fit the work around your schedule.

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You'll meet NHS professionals in live workshops where you'll be able to ask them questions. You'll complete activities and work assignments to develop an understanding of what a career in the NHS can mean.

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Obsevre GP: Virtual Medical Work Experience

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Obsevre GP: Virtual Medical Work Experience

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UniAdmissions: The Oxbridge and Medical Experts

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Getting relevant work experience will help you decide whether pursuing a career in Medicine is right for you, and will give you an insight into the working life of a doctor. More importantly, undertaking medical work experience shows medicine admissions tutors that you are truly committed to the field and are willing to take the time to further your learning.

By going through medical work experience, you will able to see first-hand the day-to-day work a doctor goes through. In turn, you'll be able to speak about your experiences and insights gained through your work experience in your Personal Statement and medical interviews. The most important aspect of your work experience is not simply attending and logging the hours, but having deep reflection of your time spent experiencing the job. Medical schools aren't interested in the amount of work experience you have managed to obtain, but the quality of the reflection you've attained.

The issue for many students is not that they aren't willing to spend the time at a medical work placement, but that medicine work experience can be difficult to attain. If you are the first person in your family to go into the medical profession, or do not have any family or friends working in the medicine field, it can be hard to get a foot in the door.

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Observe GP: Virtual Medical Work Experience

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Getting relevant work experience will help you decide whether pursuing a career in Medicine is right for you, and will give you an insight into the working life of a doctor. More importantly, undertaking medical work experience shows medicine admissions tutors that you are truly committed to the field and are willing to take the time to further your learning.

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University events for schools and outreach opportunities | UniTasterDays

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Award-winning source of university taster events, workshops, residentials and open days for teachers, students and parents. Find events today.

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Use our selection of personal statement examples tailored for international students to create a statement that resonates with your own perspective and ambitions.

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Royal Holloway Webinars to assist with UCAS applications

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Royal Holloway Webinars to assist with UCAS applications

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Please register for one of our upcoming webinars by clicking on the relevant link below. Or, if you would like more information please email schools@RoyalHolloway.ac.uk

How to choose a course and university
9 June 2020, 10 am or 12 June 2020, 1 pm
Understanding the UCAS process
23 June 2020, 10 am or 26 June 2020, 1pm
How to write a personal statement
30 June 2020, 10 am or 3 July 2020, 1 pm

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Please register for one of our upcoming webinars by clicking on the relevant link below.

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Writing your personal statement can be tricky, especially when you're applying for Medicine. It's a fine balance between hitting all the points required, but making it unique to your own personality and experiences.

With university admissions tutors reading thousands of personal statements every year, here are five common mistakes to avoid to give a good impression and do your hard work justice.

1. "I want to be a doctor because I want to help people."

Opening with this seemingly heroic reason is a very easy trap to fall into. While mentioning your hope to help people and serve the community is completely valid, and should definitely be mentioned at some point in your personal statement, it will be considered a weak opening.

Realistically, many jobs help people: nurses, policeman, fireman - you name it - and this is something your interviewers will eventually challenge you on. Instead, I would recommend starting by mentioning a specific aspect of Medicine which you are interested in and linking it to something personal and specific to you.
Read how to start planning your personal statement>>
2. "Medicine is great because..."
Read 5 Tips on Writing About Motivation for Medicine>>
Many candidates are often tempted to give extremely elaborate, flowery statements praising Medicine. However, people reading your personal statements are probably doctors or researchers who have dedicated their life to Medicine - they appreciate just how great it is.

Instead, they are much more interested in you as a person and would likely skip over these parts. Therefore with such a strict limit on word count, it is better to avoid these descriptions as they are often too general, and do not give them any idea on your personality and why you, specifically, want to study Medicine.

3. A synopsis of a book
Read 5 Tips for Writing a Stand-Out Personal Statement>>
It's great to mention a book that you've read in your personal statement, it shows your inquisitive nature and interest in studying this subject. Unfortunately, many candidates make the mistake of using up a big paragraph purely to describe what the book was about.

This is something you should definitely avoid as university admissions are much more interested in what you've gained from the book and your opinions on it.

For example, if it was a fictional novel addressing an ethical issue such as abortion, you could discuss whether the pros and cons of issue were portrayed well, and if you agreed with the character's choices of action.
Read 5 Original Ways to Write About Work Experience in Your Personal Statement>>
If it was a non-fiction book, you could mention which aspects you found most interesting, and how you extended your knowledge by perhaps doing extra research on that particular topic.
Read about the Words: Michele Chan writing style of medicine personal statements Want more tips on writing your personal statement? Read more below: >>
4. Name dropping famous hospitals and world-class surgeons

Work experience forms an integral part of many personal statements. Some candidates may think that mentioning famous hospitals and doctors leaves a better impression, but this is not true.

People reading your application are frankly not interested in whether you had a placement at an award-winning trauma centre or a district hospital, or whether you shadowed a pioneering heart transplant surgeon or your local GP.

What they value is what you've learnt from the experience. Was it the doctor delivering bad news sensitively to a patient that impressed you? Was it the long hours that made you aware of the realities of the profession? Was it the son's smile of relief after seeing his mother wheeled out from a successful surgery that inspired you?

These are situations that you would be able to witness in any hospital, shadowing any doctor, and are reflections that university admissions are definitely much more interested in.

5. "Thank you for your consideration."

Now that the university has read about all your great achievements, leadership qualities, work experience, it is important to end strong. By applying to that particular university, it is clear that you wish to be admitted.

Therefore, while it may seem polite and courteous to end by saying "I hope that I will be admitted to your university", or "thank you for your consideration", these sentences are too general and would not do justice to all the impressive aspects of your application you've mentioned in your personal statement.

Drafting your personal statement and want expert feedback? Try our Personal Statement Review! Get your Personal Statement reviewed by an expert

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5 Common Personal Statement Mistakes to Avoid - The Medic Portal

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Writing your personal statement can be tricky, especially when you're applying for Medicine. It's a fine balance between hitting all the points required, but making it unique to your own personality and experiences. With university admissions tutors reading thousands of personal statements every year, here are five common mistakes to avoid to give a good impression and do your hard work justice.

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Rina, The Young Psychologist Summer Experience 2022

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Learn from industry-leading professionals how to choose and succeed in your dream career with InvestIN. Choose your career, maximise your potential.

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Speakers for Schools
Virtual Talks & Broadcasts

Virtual Talks & Broadcasts

Here at Speakers for Schools, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to give hard to reach students access to top opportunities.
We're excited to announce that, as part of that effort, we've launched our Virtual Talks and Broadcast Programme.
The SFS Virtual Talks programme allows speakers to remotely connect with students in classrooms and share their unique insights and advice with young people. A SFS virtual talk is generally between one speaker from the network who is paired with one school to deliver a talk with Q&A via a video calling platform. SFS have found that schools generally use Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Google Meet. You can find information on planning a virtual talk here.

The SFS Broadcast programme consists of a timetable of curated content that will be livestreamed to young people studying at home and those still attending school.

In the academic year, 2020-21 the Speakers for Schools Inspiration Team will host virtual webinar talks a few times throughout the year, do look out on our upcoming talks page for regular updates from our speaker network. These events will run outside of typical school hours and will be one-way video webinar style as we have previously put on for students during the coronavirus lockdown.
We're delighted to have been able engage with over 80,000 young people, across the UK, via our Broadcasts!
If you would like to apply to host speakers through Speakers for Schools, please apply here.

SOME OF OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS

DAVID
MORRISSEY

Actor, Director & Producer, Stagereel Films

JOSIE
ROURKE

Film and Theatre Director

DR NIRA
CHAMBERLAIN

President of the Institute of Mathematics

LADY NICOLA MENDELSOHN

Vice President for EMEA, Facebook

Why Try Virtual Talks & Broadcasts?

our Virtual Talks programme supports...

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Virtual Talks & Broadcasts - Speakers for Schools

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Speakers for Schools Virtual Talks & Broadcasts Here at Speakers for Schools, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to give hard to reach students access to top opportunities. We're excited to announce that, as part of that effort, we've launched our Virtual Talks and Broadcast Programme.

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Live and online Internships and Careers Programmes to get involved in July-Dec 2020

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Live and online Internships and Careers Programmes to get involved in July-Dec 2020

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Imperial College - How to write your personal statement

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Imperial College - How to write your personal statement

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How to write an excellent personal statement

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Video to assist with writing your personal statement

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Video to assist with writing your personal statement

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Brokerage - Working in the City opportunities

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Brokerage - Working in the City opportunities

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To register with The Brokerage, you must:

Have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the past six years
OR previous generations in your family haven't attended university in the UK

Have attained grades A*-B/9-5 at GCSE English Literature, English Language and maths

Be eligible to work in the UK

Step 2. Look out for an email from us inviting you to book a registration appointment at our City-based offices. We must meet you in person for you to have full access to all of our relevant opportunities.

Step 3. Attend your registration appointment so we can found out a little bit about you, discuss the opportunities you are looking for and inform you about what we can offer.

Once you have completed these three steps you will start receiving invitations from us. You will be able to apply for different opportunities and receive support from our team.
Please note that some of our opportunities and programmes that we offer have additional criteria, including geographic restrictions or minimum academic requirements. Sign-up here
Why register with The Brokerage?

If you have the aspiration and motivation to work within financial, professional and related services, we'd love to hear from you.

By working with London employers, we provide opportunities in the following sectors:
Sign-up here
We will provide you with:

Access
We'll let you know about exclusive career opportunities with leading London employers.

Invitations
You'll be invited to events that will help you develop your employability skills and build your professional network.

Bespoke advice and feedback
We'll help you develop your CV writing and interview skills to ensure you're meeting the high standard expected by London employers.
Find out all about the sectors we specialise in!

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To register with The Brokerage, you must: Have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the past six yearsOR previous generations in your family haven't attended university in the UK Have attained grades A*-B/9-5 at GCSE English Literature, English Language and maths Be eligible to work in the UK Step 2.

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Push's blog gives you the latest study tips, uni news and hard-won advice on student life. Check out the featured blog posts below which tell you all you need to know about university. Scroll...

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The personal statement is a mandatory part of your UCAS application and it is about your personal and educational achievements linked to what you want to study and why.

The maximum length of a personal statement is around 47 lines, 4000 characters or one side of A4 typed up in size 12. It might seem long, but it needs to include a number of different points about you so you will have to think carefully about the key points to put across. The first draft you produce is unlikely to be the final draft. Make sure you type out the first draft on a document you can save and edit before uploading onto your UCAS application.

When writing your personal statement, use the A-B-C (activity - benefit - cause) method. Write about what you have done, the skills and experience you gained and how this links to the course you're applying for.
Avoid repetition on the same things. Structure your statement with an introduction and conclusion and then the remaining 75% of your statement should focus on how you meet the desired qualities. Try also to avoid using complicated language when writing. Before you complete your application, check your spelling and grammar and ask others to proofread for minor errors before submitting.

Aspects to consider:

About the course:

Why are you interested in applying for the course? Where did your passion start? How has it encouraged you to get to where you are now?

Do your current or previous studies relate to the course you're applying for? If so, how?

How can you demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm for a subject? If you have done for example any outside reading, field trips, work shadowing, visited lectures, masterclasses, taster days, do include these in your personal statement

Personal achievements and skills:

List any relevant skills you have gained from the studies that will help you on your course. What words describe you the most? How can you incorporate these into your personal statement?

List any achievements you have gained in or out of school that help you to stand out compared others, e.g. prefect, head boy/girl, awards, competitions.

Do you have any hobbies that have helped you to demonstrate any particular skills you can link to the course?

Work experience:
Describe any work experience, part-time job or voluntary role you have undertaken and link any experiences or skills to the course

Future plans:

What would you like to achieve once you have completed the course?

How will the knowledge you have gained relate to what you want to do in the future?

Practical advice
Do...

be positive

always link back to your course

keep it neutral

research the courses

sell yourself

make several drafts

proofread

Don't...

lie

plagiarise

use fancy formatting

repeat information elsewhere on the form

make lists

use humour or jokes

use quotes

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how to write a ucas undergraduate personal statement

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brunel ucas undergraduate personal statement

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The maximum length of a personal statement is around 47 lines, 4000 characters or one side of A4 typed up in size 12. It might seem long, but it needs to include a number of different points about you so you will have to think carefully about the key points to put across.

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Here's a list of virtual tours and videos from universities and colleges so you can see what it's like on campus and what facilities are available.

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University open days

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University Open Days

University open days can be a great way to discover more about whether somewhere is right for you

Saturday 13 June 2020

AECC University College All Faculties Undergraduate Open Day

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University open days can be a great way to discover more about whether somewhere is right for you Saturday 13 June 2020 AECC University College All Faculties Undergraduate Open Day

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What are tuition fees?

Tuition fees are charged by universities and colleges to cover key elements of your course and academic life, as well as core services related to students' wellbeing and experience on campus.

Tuition fees normally cover :

lectures, seminars, and tutorials

course admin costs

access to course-related facilities and equipment (e.g. laboratories, studios)

access to campus libraries and computer rooms

support services for students

student union membership

field trips essential for completion of your course (travel and accommodation only)

graduation ceremony

However, tuition fees won't usually cover :

printing or photocopying at libraries or IT facilities

non-compulsory field trips

textbooks and other course materials, e.g. art supplies, dancewear

personal technology, e.g. laptop, tablet, specialist software, camera, and accessories

membership to union clubs and societies

travel costs to work placements

professional body membership

living costs e.g. accommodation, travel

graduation attire, photography, and guest tickets

If you're unsure if something is covered by your tuition fees - or if you'll have to pay for it, ask your university or college.

Tuition fees can vary quite a bit - even for similar courses. You can see exactly how much they are by searching for a course, but you can get an approximate idea from the table below.

How much are tuition fees?

These are the maximum tuition fees depending on where you're from and where you're studying. Exact fees will be shown when you search for courses.

Tuition fees by region for courses starting in 2023 to 2024

Student's home region

Studying in England

Studying in Scotland

Studying in Wales

Studying in Northern Ireland

* This will not apply to Irish nationals living in the UK and Ireland whose right to study and to access benefits and services will be preserved on a reciprocal basis for UK and Irish nationals under the Common Travel Area arrangement.
Learn more about undergraduate tuition fees and funding available in your region: Check out our guides to student finance for students in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and for EU/international students.

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF): What it means for tuition fees

The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) assesses undergraduate teaching, awarding either a gold, silver, or bronze award to participating universities and colleges.

Universities and colleges in England that receive a TEF award are allowed to charge a maximum tuition fee of £9,250 per year for full-time undergraduate courses. Those without a TEF award can only charge up to £9,000.

The TEF has no impact on tuition fees in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

Search for a university to see its TEF ranking (and much more). Alternatively, learn more about TEF.

What financial help can you get?

Student loans can include a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan to help with your living costs.

Tuition Fee Loans, to cover the full cost of your course, are paid directly to the course provider, and you won't have to pay it back until after your course, when you're earning above a certain level.

Maintenance Loans can be applied for at the same time, lending you money at the start of each term (or monthly in Scotland). How much you get depends on your household income, where you study, where you live, and how long for.

Students can apply for grants if they're eligible for certain benefits, disabled, or need help with childcare costs. Read our blog on what these changes are and what they mean. You can also find out more on the student finance pages on GOV.UK.

EU students

EU students starting courses on or after 1 August 2021 must have settled or pre-settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme to get student finance. This does not apply to students who are Irish citizens.

It's important that you're aware of this requirement before applying for student finance, otherwise you will not be eligible for funding.

Visit the EU Settlement Scheme information guide on GOV.uk for more information.

How to apply for a student loan

Student finance usually consists of a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan to cover - or at least partially help with - your university costs.

All full-time undergraduate students are eligible for student finance, provided they meet some basic criteria:

Residency - you're a UK national or have settled status, normally live in your home country, and have been living in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man for three years before the beginning of your course.

Your university or college - you're studying at a recognised publicly-funded university or college (or a private institution studying a course approved for public funding).

Your course - you're studying a recognised full-time course e.g. a first degree, a foundation degree, a Higher National Diploma (HND), or an initial Teacher Training course.

It's your first higher education course - you can still get some funding if you've studied a HE course before, but it will be limited and you'll have to make up any shortfall.

Both Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans must be paid back once you graduate and you're earning above a minimum salary. Repayment systems vary from country to country.

You have to apply for student finance for each year of your course - not just your first year. This is to guarantee you get the support you're entitled to throughout your studies.

You must apply to the student finance body in your country, as well as notify them of any changes to your circumstances, e.g. you leave or change your course. Below is a guide to who looks after student finance in each country.

It can take up to six weeks to process student finance applications. Make sure you apply early - even if you have a conditional offer - as you can amend or cancel your application if your plans change.

Applicants from England

Full-time undergraduate applications for 2023 to 2024 applications are now open. The quickest and easiest way to apply is online at www.gov.uk/studentfinance. It's important to apply as soon as possible so your funding is in place for starting your course.

Applications take at least six weeks to be processed, but Student Finance England will do an initial assessment so you have some money as close to the start of your course as possible.

For an independent view of what it costs, go to Money Saving Expert.

Applicants from Northern Ireland

Full-time undergraduate applications for 2023 to 2024 are now open. The quickest and easiest way to apply is online. View more information about how and when to apply.

Applicants from Scotland

Apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) - although you can apply to the SAAS to cover your full tuition in Scotland, you may also get other support for living costs, or for tuition fees elsewhere in the UK.

SAAS encourages students to apply as early as possible to allow themselves time to gather the necessary supporting evidence.

Applicants from Wales

Full-time undergraduate applications for 2023 to 2024 are expected to open from April 2023.

Wherever you study in the UK, you can get support from the Welsh Government - you can get a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,000 if you study in Wales, or £9,250 if you study elsewhere in the UK.

Applicants from The Channel Islands and Isle of Man

Apply to the Guernsey Education Department, the States of Jersey website or the Isle of Man Department of Education & Children. If you're from these areas the fees can vary - find out more from the unis or colleges.

Applicants from outside the UK

Fees can vary depending where you're studying and whether you're from the EU or outside the EU - check university and college websites. Find the links in our search tool.

Tuition Fee Loans

Tuition Fee Loans are available to cover the full cost of tuition fees upfront.

They're paid directly to your university or college, so you don't have to worry about them too much (until it comes time to repay them).

Usually you can get a Tuition Fee Loan for the duration of your course plus one extra year, e.g. in case you drop out and return at a later date.

Maintenance Loans

Maintenance Loans are available to help with some of your living costs at university, e.g. accommodation, transport, food, and books. It's unlikely this will cover all your living costs, in which case it's up to you to make up the shortfall.

How much you get will work on a sliding scale, based on:

where you're studying - students studying away from home in London receive more to account for the higher cost of living here, compared to those living at home

your household income - students from lower income backgrounds are eligible for more - this is often referred to as 'means-tested' finance, and requires your parents/guardians to provide evidence of their income

In some countries, Maintenance Loans are combined with non-repayable grants, with your household income deciding the ratio of loan-to-grant you get, i.e. students from lower income households receive higher grants and thus less in maintenance loans which they have to pay back.

Whatever maintenance support you receive will be paid to you in instalments, at the start of each term.

How much will you need to live on at university? Get a rough monthly cost in seconds with our student budget calculator.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) helps cover some of the extra study-related costs you may incur due to an impairment, mental health condition, or learning difference. This is a non-repayable allowance which is in addition to other student finance.

The amount you'll receive depends on your individual needs not on your income, nor that of your parents or partner. However, there are some restrictions on what you may use DSA for and there are regional differences around the UK, so check the details carefully.

Read more about DSA.

Extra financial support

There are also a number of grants and allowances to help with any extra costs you might incur while studying as a result of your personal circumstances, namely if you:

are disabled

are a parent

have adult or child dependants you're financially responsible for

are facing financial hardship

Student finance not enough?

Once you know what student finance you're eligible for, if your student budget is still looking tight - or quite frankly, simply not enough to cover the cost of university - it's worth looking into additional funding, in the form of scholarships, bursaries, and grants.

These don't have to be paid back either, and are awarded for all sorts of reasons - so check if you're eligible.

Our full guides on scholarships, grants, and bursaries go into detail about what they offer, how to apply, and the extra benefits they come with.

Our guide to managing your money at university contains lots of tips to make your cash stretch. Plus you can find the latest support on dealing with the cost of living here.

​

UCAS article

UCAS article

UCAS article

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Undergraduate tuition fees and student loans

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How much are tuition fees and how are you going to pay for them? Find out how to fund your studies and how to apply here.

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Apprenticeships/Internships

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Accountancy and Tax Insight schemes Job Search | RateMyPlacement

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10 Jobs for undergraduate students available - Search and apply for Insight schemes in Accountancy and Tax and start your career today.

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Investigate your subject of interest in greater depth while experiencing University life in London. Attending one of our free summer schools will give you a valuable taste of the subject you'd like to study, and an insight into life as an undergraduate student. They offer an inclusive, empowering, and experimental space for you to develop your creativity, confidence, and research skills.

This year, Goldsmiths is offering Summer Schools in the following subject areas:

Apply now

Please fill out the application form to enroll on one of our summer schools.

Please note: The application takes approximately 10 minutes, and you will not be able to save the form part-way through.

Important Information

Our Summer Schools are free, and are available to students aged 16 to 18. They are non-residental, therefore students will be expected to travel daily to and from Goldsmiths. Everyone is welcome to apply however; you must be currently studying in the UK.

Most days will run from 09:30 - 16:00 with lunch provided. Some Summer Schools will run evening activities, such as a trip to central London, and therefore times may vary slightly.

These Summer Schools are funded through our widening access initiatives at Goldsmiths, and as such, we strongly encourage applications from students who would be the first in their family to go to university, who are care experienced, estranged students, and students with a disability.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please get in touch by email or phone.

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Investigate your subject of interest in greater depth while experiencing University life in London. Attending one of our free summer schools will give you a valuable taste of the subject you'd like to study, and an insight into life as an undergraduate student.

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Sutton Trust University Summer Programmes 2021

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Sutton Trust University Summer Programmes 2021

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Students are welcome to apply to any of our partner universities in the UK, even if they don't live nearby.

We want you to choose your university based on where you want to apply and what you want to study and not because of any financial restrictions, so we will cover any travel costs to and from the university and you will be provided accommodation there. The programme itself is also completely free.

Applications for UK Summer Schools 2023 are now closed. Register interest for 2024 below.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

Steps to apply

Before you apply, make sure you have reviewed our eligibility criteria. The application must be submitted online and should take 10 - 15 minutes. Once you have started, you will be able to save and return to the application at a later time if necessary. You will be able to edit your application once it has been submitted until the deadline passes.

Pick a course

Browse the courses and universities on offer. You can only apply to for one course, so make sure you select your top choice and ensure you will be available on the dates. Remember all travel costs are covered by the programme, so you don't need to worry about the distance. Please check you meet the subject specific course requirements.

Make an account

In order to register, you will need to confirm you are in the correct year group, have always attended a state-funded school, and are not enrolled on another Sutton Trust programme. Once you have entered your information, you will be sent a link to create a password - don't forget to check your spam folder!

Fill in the application form

The application will ask questions on:

Your current school and academic profile

Your parent(s)/guardian(s)

Choose a teacher reference

This can be either a current or past teacher, as long as they will be able to verify your grades, and details on your background. They will receive a request as soon as you submit your application, and you will be notified once they have verified your applications. Please note, once verification is complete you will no longer be able to edit your application. Please contact [email protected] with any changes that need to be made.

After you've submitted your application, If you need to make any more changes after this point, please email [email protected] with the correct information as soon as possible.

If you're unsure about applying, just do it. There isn't just one type of student a university wants - if you love your subject and you're ambitious, you're the type of student universities wants. As cheesy as it sounds, believe in yourself. The only way you 100% won't get a space on a programme is if you don't apply.

Samira | University of Cambridge Summer School 2019

Find out if the Sutton Trust UK Summer School is right for you

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Students are welcome to apply to any of our partner universities in the UK, even if they don't live nearby. We want you to choose your university based on where you want to apply and what you want to study and not because of any financial restrictions, so we will cover any travel costs to and from the university and you will be provided accommodation there.

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The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 includes more than 1,250 universities, making it our biggest international league table to date.

It is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. We use 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.

The calculation of the rankings for 2019 has been audited by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), making these the only global university rankings to be subjected to full, independent scrutiny of this nature.

View the World University Rankings 2019 methodology

This year's list of the best universities in the world is led by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge for the second year in a row.

Yale University is the only newcomer to the top 10, joining at eighth place, up from 12th . Meanwhile, Switzerland's ETH Zurich has fallen out of this elite group, dropping from joint 10th to 11th place.

Tsinghua University is now the top university in Asia, after rising eight places to 22nd , becoming the first Chinese institution to lead the continent under the current methodology (since 2011). China as a whole has increased its standing, driven by improvements in citation impact.

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan has overtaken the UK as the second most-represented nation in the world, with 103 institutions (the UK has 98).

There is also good news for France, which has a top 50 university for the first time since 2011, while several leading universities in Italy, Spain and Canada have risen.

Overall, 86 countries are represented, including Iraq, Jamaica, Nepal, Tanzania and Kazakhstan for the first time.
Read our full analysis of the THE World University Rankings 2019 results

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The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 includes more than 1,250 universities, making it our biggest international league table to date. It is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

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Allen & Overy UK graduate and student careers

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Allen & Overy UK graduate and student careers

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Our Open Day is an opportunity to hear about our firm; A&O First is our year-long work experience scheme; our Vacation Schemes will allow you to see if we're the right firm for you; A&O Training Contract is the start of a career with us.

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The Russell Group's 24 members are world-class, research-intensive universities. They are unique institutions, each with their own history and ethos, but they share some distinguishing characteristics.

Our universities believe people and ideas are the key to meeting global challenges. Through world-class research and education they are helping to create a dynamic economy, stronger communities and a better future for the UK. They maintain the very best research, an outstanding teaching and learning experience and unrivalled links with local and national business and the public sector.

Russell Group universities have huge social, economic and cultural impacts locally, across the UK and around the globe:

They produce more than two-thirds of the world-leading research produced in UK universities and support more than 260,000 jobs across the country.

They inject nearly £87 billion into the national economy every year.

In 2018-19, 446,450 undergraduates and 155,655 postgraduates were studying at a Russell Group university .

Our members attract students and staff from around the world and work with major multinational businesses and international organisations:

32% of students are of non-UK nationality, attracted to our universities by the quality, relevance and reputation of research.

Russell Group members also have a strong role and influence within their regional and local communities, collaborate with businesses on joint research projects and supply highly-qualified and highly-motivated graduates to the local workforce.

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University events for schools and outreach opportunities | UniTasterDays

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Award-winning source of university taster events, workshops, residentials and open days for teachers, students and parents. Find events today.

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Over 250 Example Personal statements

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"In the long history of human kind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." I think Darwin was absolutely right. It excites me to think that one day I could be part of the scientific community of collaboration and improvisation; without sharing ideas, criticising our peers and opening our minds to new ideas, our successes would never prevail. I believe studying at university would prepare me with the knowledge, skills and confidence to be a successful scientist at the forefront of medical developments.

Although my real passion lies in biological sciences, I extend my enthusiasm to all my work, both in my school life and outside the classroom. I find art particularly relaxing yet I feel inspired and stimulated when I visit the local art exhibitions at Tate Liverpool or the Walker. This summer I had a fantastic time volunteering at a Design Technology summer school for primary school children which provided me with a great opportunity to improve my communication skills with staff and younger students. I was designated the role of team leader which gave me the chance to refine my leadership and organisational skills. I am excited to have recently been elected Student Head of House at my school which also lets me demonstrate my ability in leading a team and gives me the opportunity to set up and run inter-house competitions, events and student councils.

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"In the long history of human kind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." I think Darwin was absolutely right. It excites me to think that one day I could be part of the scientific community of collaboration and improvisation; without sharing ideas, criticising our peers and opening our minds to new ideas, our successes would never prevail.

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It doesn't matter what your background is, or where you come from. It's where you're going that we care about.

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More than 10,000 people used The Medic Portal's courses, questions and guides to prepare for UKCAT in 2017. And we were trusted by more than half of The Telegraph's Top 50 schools to boost their students' UKCAT scores.

Join thousands of students and hundreds of schools. Place your trust in an official Royal Society of Medicine partner. Secure your place on our 2018 UKCAT Course today for only £175.

Book our 2018 UKCAT Course

Want to book multiple UKCAT preparation products at a discounted rate? Try our UKCAT Bundles (including UKCAT Tutoring, Online UKCAT Course and in-person UKCAT Course) and save 20%!
Already booked a course? See our Course Venues, Dates and Times page.
Our UKCAT Course Gets Results

We're a full-time operation, run by qualified doctors and officially partnered with the Royal Society of Medicine. Students love our UKCAT Course and get real results from our strategies.

Across 2016 and 2017, 99% of attendees said they would recommend our UKCAT Courses to a friend, while 98% said they felt better prepared for the exam after the course. (Sample size: 1,000+).

And our 2016 study followed the outcomes of 100 UKCAT Course attendees, which showed an average score that was 3 deciles higher than the national UKCAT average.
"I attended a UKCAT Course in London and my UKCAT score skyrocketed from 580 Band 2 to my actual exam score of 730 Band 1. You guys are amazing!" - Tom
Book our 2018 UKCAT Course

Top Schools Trust Our UKCAT Course

The Medic Portal is trusted by more than half of The Telegraph's top 50 schools to teach their students UKCAT. This includes Eton, Harrow and Cheltenham Ladies' College - as well as a whole host of academies and state schools.

So, by booking with The Medic Portal, you're getting the same preparation that's been vetted and used repeatedly by the UK's leading schools.

"We were hugely impressed with the UKCAT training provided by you for our medical applicants. The scores the students went on to achieve were undoubtedly improved as a result." - Cheltenham Ladies College

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In a Nutshell: Why Book T he Me dic Portal's UKCAT Course?
"Thanks for your help, it really turned around my UKCAT preparation - I went from finding it utterly impossible to scoring in the top 10%!" - Portia

Partnership with the Royal Society of Medicine. We're the only UKCAT provider in official partnership with the Royal Society of Medicine.

Experience and popularity. In 2017, more than 10,000 people used us to prepare for their exam.

Proven outcomes. Surveys show a 99% recommend rate from thousands of students, supported by excellent results.

Trusted by top schools. Over half of The Telegraph's Top 50 schools trust us with their UKCAT preparation.

Full-time, doctor-led team. Our UKCAT Courses are created by qualified doctors and people with years of admissions test experience. We do this full time, 24/7!

Book our 2018 UKCAT Course

UKCAT Course 2018: What Does it Include?

Our full-time team is tasked with ensuring that our UKCAT Courses are always 100% up to date.

The UKCAT Course has been fully revamped for 2018 - and even includes a new edition of our UKCAT book, which has sold thousands of copies.
"The course was amazing. The best course I have ever been to in my life. It was so relevant, interactive and a great kick-start to UKCAT preparation. The speaker was so encouraging." - Imoru
When you sign up for a UKCAT Course with The Medic Portal, you will get:

Access to our renowned UKCAT preparation course at a venue of your choice

A comprehensive course workbook, including UKCAT practice questions

A copy of the bestselling Mastering the UKCAT (RRP £16.99)

Detailed examination strategies for all UKCAT sections, including: - UKCAT Verbal Reasoning - UKCAT Quantitative Reasoning - UKCAT Abstract Reasoning - UKCAT Decision Making - UKCAT Situational Judgement

An electronic key pad to privately track your performance against your peers

A selection of tea, coffee, biscuits and refreshments, served throughout the day

Book our 2018 UKCAT Course

UKCAT Course 2018: The Timetable

The following timetable is indicative and may change in order to ensure the course is as responsive as possible to UKCAT 2018 updates.

UKCAT Course in Action: Watch the Video

Book our 2018 UKCAT Course

UKCATSEN Courses 2018

If you're looking for expert UKCATSEN preparation, we're running UKCATSEN Courses in London in 2018 - book your space now!

UKCAT Consortium advise that students who are entitled to additional time in public exams (based on a medical diagnosis or report from a specialist teacher) should book the UKCATSEN version of the exam, which is 25% longer. They state that this is likely to apply to candidates with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dysorthographia, attention deficit disorder or working memory deficit. This may also apply to a range of other medical conditions.

Book your UKCATSEN Course space now!

Book our 2018 UKCATSEN Course

UKCAT Courses 2018: Locations

Due to popular demand, we will be offering our 2018 courses in more locations than ever before! You can now attend our UKCAT course in the following cities:
"I have been very pleased with your input. Our pupils gave positive feedback on the UKCAT Course and were able to approach their exams with significantly higher levels of confidence." - "We use the team for UKCAT, BMAT and Medical Interview training and their knowledge and professional expertise is invaluable for the boys." - "We have run two UKCAT training days using The Medic Portal. The students have benefitted hugely, and left with a deeper insight into how the exams are run and strategies to implement" - "Not only did these courses massively boost my knowledge of the basic structure, but they also set me up with efficient ways to practice my technique going forward." - Jasmine City of London Freeman's School Merchant Taylors' School Winchester College

UKCAT Courses London

UKCAT Courses Birmingham

UKCAT Courses Manchester

UKCAT Courses Nottingham

UKCAT Courses Leeds

UKCAT Courses Bristol

UKCAT Courses Oxford

UKCAT Courses Cambridge

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The Medic Portal's UKCAT Courses: What Do Other People Say?

We believe that our UKCAT Course leads to higher UKCAT scores. Based on our feedback, it looks like others agree! Here are a few things that people have said about our UKCAT Course...

See more reviews of The Medic Portal!

Online UKCAT Course and Private UKCAT Tutoring

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UKCAT Courses - The Medic Portal's 2018 UKCAT Course

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More than 10,000 people used The Medic Portal's courses, questions and guides to prepare for UKCAT in 2017. And we were trusted by more than half of The Telegraph's Top 50 schools to boost their students' UKCAT scores. Join thousands of students and hundreds of schools.

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GrantFairy | University Scholarship App | Graduate with Zero Debt

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GrantFairy is a mobile app which matches students to thousands of UK scholarships and university grants to help pay their university tuition fees and living expenses.

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Clearing Information for Parents and Carers 

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Clearing Information for Parents and Carers 

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Summer programmes for Year 12 students - 2020

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Summer programmes for Year 12 students - 2020

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University summer programmes for Year 12 students.docx

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Every summer, Allen & Overy gives young people from state schools access to a high-quality work experience programme in our London office. Following the programme's success in India and South Africa, we recently extended Smart Start to Hong Kong.

In 2017, Smart Start was awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise for 'Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility'. The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are presented to businesses for outstanding achievement. This award recognises the contribution of A&O in broadening access to the legal profession through initiatives such as PRIME and The Smart Start Experience.

Through Smart Start, we want to inspire talented and ambitious young people to consider a career in business. We equip our students (who are either eligible for free school meals or will be the first generation in their family to go to university) with the skills and belief to take their first steps on the career ladder.

The Smart Start Experience is also the only work experience scheme in the UK legal sector to be accredited by City & Guilds. This means all those who attend the full week-long programme in London and who pass City & Guild's assessment criteria gain a formal certificate of achievement.

Alongside this completion certificate participants can opt to share their achievements online, through a digital badge. A digital badge is an image file with verified information that can be viewed online, and is issued by City & Guilds who has recognised the skills and achievements of participants. The digital badge can be shared on popular social or professional media platforms to employers to promote and amplify participant's achievements.
The application process for Smart Start 2020 is open until 17 January 2020.
Please take a moment to read our privacy policy.

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Every summer, Allen & Overy gives young people from state schools access to a high-quality work experience programme in our London office. Following the programme's success in India and South Africa, we recently extended Smart Start to Hong Kong. In 2017, Smart Start was awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise for 'Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility'.

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Work Experience | Work Experience | A Level 1st Year

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We can help you find the perfect employer for your work experience so that you can get to grips with the career path you want.

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Project managers are responsible to the project sponsor/owner for the end-to-end delivery of a project or a subset of a project dependent on the complexity and criticality to the business. They have responsibility for delivering the project in line with defined objectives, taking decisions to manage stakeholder expectations by leading a multi-skilled, cross-disciplinary team to deliver the project to time, cost and quality requirements.

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UK university Open Day checklist : Unifrog Blog

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UK university Open Day checklist - Unifrog Blog

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Hillingdon Young Peoples Volunteers Award

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Hillingdon Young Peoples Volunteers Award

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London Borough of Hillingdon - Hillingdon Young Volunteers Award

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The Hillingdon Young Volunteers Award (HYVA) programme is a volunteering project for young people, delivered in partnership with Uxbridge United Welfare Trusts.

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Voluntary jobs - The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Our volunteers play an important role, helping our staff make the hospital experience better for patients. Voluntary support is committed to recruiting individuals from a spectrum of the community. They match individual skills/experience to appropriate placements, with training and support to develop skills.

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London Borough of Hillingdon - Volunteering opportunities in Hillingdon

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There are many ways you can help your community.

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IAI TV - Philosophy for our times: cutting edge debates and talks from the world's leading thinkers

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UniTalks is a brand new podcast which unlocks access to university for the next generation of big thinkers - answering all of your questions on applying for and studying at, the world's best universities, above and beyond the A-level curriculum. Listen to sixth-formers interrogate the UK's pre-eminent philosophers, scientists and academics.

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What is independent learning?

Independent learning is when an individual is able to think, act and pursue their own studies autonomously, without the same levels of support you receive from a teacher at school.

In other words, you need to be able to do your own research instead of expecting a teacher to give you all the background material you might need.

To become a good independent learner you need to be:

Motivated

Resilient, to overcome challenges

An excellent time manager

Why is independent learning important?

Independent learning is not just important to become a good student. The skills you gain are transferrable to most jobs. These include:

How can I become an independent learner?

Read actively: You will need to be an active reader, paying close attention to the words you are reading and their meaning.

Skim read: Speed read or skim material before reading it in detail and then summarising the text in your notes.

Go solo: Practice working on your own for long periods of time without seeking the help of an adult.

Different sources: When doing research, try to draw from a variety of different sources.

Be persistent: If a task is challenging, don't give up. Keep at it until you understand what you need to do.

Seek help where necessary: Asking for support and advice is an important part of independent learning. Unlike school, you are unlikely to be spoon-fed all the information you need in work or at university. If you need help, ask for it!

Discussions: If you want to expand an argument but are stuck for ideas, get a debate going with friends or peers. This could help you think about an element you hadn't considered before.

Set goals: A good way to keep your motivation up is to think what you want to get out of your work and remind yourself next time you're flagging.

Effective time management: In work or uni studies, you're more than likely to have several pieces of work to juggle at any one time. Break each project down into the relevant tasks, work out how long you will need to spend on each part, then allocate time in your diary in order or priority.

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What is independent learning? Independent learning is when an individual is able to think, act and pursue their own studies autonomously, without the same levels of support you receive from a teacher at school. In other words, you need to be able to do your own research instead of expecting a teacher to give you all the background material you might need.

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Start your 2020 University UCAS application here

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Start your 2020 University UCAS application here

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Managed Challenge / I’m Under Attack Mode

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Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property.

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Leicester University opens new Nursing courses

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Leicester University opens new Nursing courses

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#LaunchYourself at one of our Open Days - University of Leicester

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Book a place on an Open Day to find out first-hand about life at Leicester, or find out about other opportunities to visit us, including campus tours and more.

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Russell Group

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The Russell Group's guide Informed Choices provides students with information, advice and guidance about their post-16 subject choices

Choosing your A-level (or equivalent) subjects carefully is really important - especially if you have aspirations to study at a leading university. The Russell Group's guide, Informed Choices, includes advice from admissions professionals on the best subject combinations for a wide range of university courses as well as the best choices for students who want to keep their options open.

Choosing your A-level, Higher, IB and equivalent subjects

Universities look for students who not only have good grades, but grades in the right subjects for the course they want to apply for. If you already know what you want to study at university, you should think about choosing subjects which give you the best possible preparation for your chosen degree course. If you're not sure what you want to study at university yet, it's important to choose subjects which will leave as many options open as possible.

Many courses at university build on knowledge and skills which students gain while still at school. For this reason, some university courses require you to have studied a particular subject already. For example, for general engineering degrees, mathematics and physics are typically essential A-level qualifications.

Some advanced level subjects are more frequently required for entry to degree courses than others. We call these subjects 'facilitating' because choosing them at advanced level leaves open a wide range of options for university study. These facilitating subjects are:

* Biology

* Chemistry

* English literature

* Geography

* History

* Physics

* Modern and classical languages

* Maths and further maths

If you don't know what you want to study at university then it's a really good rule of thumb that taking two facilitating subjects will keep a wide range of degree courses open to you.
While Informed Choices brings together advice about subject choices from across the Russell Group, each university and each course will have its own entry requirements. Some institutions publish a list of preferred A-level subjects which are acceptable for general admission, as well as specific requirements for individual courses. We advise students to check the guidance given by institutions very carefully. This information should be easily accessible on universities' websites or in their prospectuses.

The 2017/18 edition of Informed Choices has now been published. We hope that you find our guide useful, and wish you every success in your studies.

Informed Choices

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The Russell Group's guide Informed Choices provides students with information, advice and guidance about their post-16 subject choices Choosing your A-level (or equivalent) subjects carefully is really important - especially if you have aspirations to study at a leading university.

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Careers. They all want a piece of you. And that includes the ones that come from studying science, maths and technology. So prepare yourself, because they're all waiting to stake their claim.

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Careers. They all want a piece of you. And that includes the ones that come from studying science, maths and technology. So prepare yourself, because they're all waiting to stake their claim.

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Step into the NHS | help young people discover NHS careers

The Step into the NHS KS2 and KS3 schools competition is open until Tuesday 30 April! Download the resources and enter now.

Your future.

Map your career

Find out more about the 350+ careers in the NHS

Welcome to the Step into the NHS schools competition

View all teacher resources and competitions

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"nhs careers" "teaching resources" "nhs work experience"

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Step into the NHS | help young people discover NHS careers

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Step into the NHS offers careers information and advice on the range of career opportunites, including finding work experience and jobs.

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TheBigChoice.com, the fastest growing youth career network, we have hundreds of student and graduate employers eagerly waiting to network with you. Create an account today and connect with the very latest student and graduate companies.

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Our events and activities are funded by UCL's Access Agreement and Widening Participation funds. As such, there are eligibility criteria that all applicants should consider before applying. Please note, these masterclasses are only open to students at state-funded UK schools.

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Law careers, training contracts and pupillages - Chambers Student Guide

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Over 160 law firms and barristers' chambers independently reviewed. The student's guide to the legal profession.

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Useful Websites for Work Experience and Internships

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Useful Websites for Work Experience and Internships

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Useful Websites for Work Experience and Internships.docx

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Volunteer opportunities, rights and expenses

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Find volunteering opportunities, and volunteer rights, pay, expenses, age limits, criminal record checks.

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MyKindaFuture - Build your CV, meet employers, find a job

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We are experts in our field with over 40 years combined experience working face-to-face with young people. Our network covers 4,500 schools and colleges and 50 universities with 38,000 members in our network. Last year alone we delivered over 1,100 workshops, working with leading employers across the UK, to help them reach 88,000 young people.

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Get into Medicine with free guides and expert prep for UCAT, BMAT and interview. The Medic Portal is partnered with the Royal Society of Medicine.

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Admission Testing for UK Health Professions (UKCAT)

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Admission Testing for UK Health Professions (UKCAT)

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Admissions Testing for UK Health Professions | UKCAT Consortium

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The UKCAT Consortium is committed to fairness in selection to medicine and dentistry and to the widening participation in medical and dental training of under-represented social groups. Through an ongoing programme of research UKCAT is seeking to identify the characteristics in applicants which will make them good clinicians and thus to improve the quality of those who enter the professions with the ultimate aim of improving patient care.

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Everything you need, in one place.

Our platform helps students with the whole progression process - from exploring their interests, to recording the great things they've done, to finding education and training opportunities, to drafting their applications.

Unifrog also helps teachers and counselors to manage the process - from delivering engaging lessons using our off-the-shelf teaching resources, to tracking careers interactions, to drafting References, to submitting applications.
More about International schools More about UK schools + colleges

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We help students compare every opportunity, then apply successfully. We also empower teachers and counselors to manage the progression process effectively.

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Her appointment follows the departure of Clare Marchant in September 2023, after 6 years in the position, to take up the role of Vice Chancellor at the University of Gloucestershire.

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UCAS connects people to University, post Uni studies including teacher training, apprenticeships & internships. Find all the information for your next step.

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Discover apprenticeship training opportunities in the healthcare industry - from science careers to engineering, manufacturing and roles in our business operations.

The scope and breadth of our business is reflected in the range of apprenticeship opportunities we offer to talented and ambitious individuals. Our apprenticeships will give you hands-on experience in your chosen discipline and the opportunity to play a key role in contributing to the future success of the company. While you learn on-the-job from industry leaders (and earn a competitive salary), you will study towards a nationally recognised qualification, which could lead onto further study towards an honours degree or post-graduate qualification.

If you're looking for an alternative route to college or university, our apprenticeship programmes have been designed for you! We developed our apprenticeship programme to create an alternative career route and ensure that we provide opportunities for as many people as possible. As you'd expect, there are minimum entry requirements in order for you to be eligible and these vary depending on the programme.

Each of our locations in the UK offers you the chance to join us on an apprenticeship programme. Depending on your location, you can apply for one of our apprenticeship programmes at your chosen site.

Explore our different Advanced & Higher and Degree apprenticeship programmes to discover how each one offers you the chance to take on the global health challenges of today and tomorrow.

Interested in going to university?

We recognise that some students will want to go on to university. We have a number of graduate careers opportunities for those that choose to go down this route after completing their degrees and if you're looking for an internship or 12 month placement opportunity whilst at university you can learn about our placement roles here.

GSK is focused on creating an inclusive organisation where all employees feel engaged and know their work makes an important contribution. We aim to attract and retain the most talented people from all backgrounds and cultures regardless of actual or perceived race, colour, ethnic or national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, gender identity and/or expression, religion or belief, physical ability/ disability.

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Discover apprenticeship training opportunities in the healthcare industry - from science careers to engineering, manufacturing and roles in our business operations. The scope and breadth of our business is reflected in the range of apprenticeship opportunities we offer to talented and ambitious individuals.

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University events for schools and outreach opportunities | UniTasterDays

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Award-winning source of university taster events, workshops, residentials and open days for teachers, students and parents. Find events today.

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Whichever role you choose, you'll have the KPMG community at your side providing the support you need to build your confidence and be at your best. You'll be part of a team of diverse and dedicated problem-solvers, who will help you to grow in your own way.

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About us

The National Careers Service can help you with your career, learning and training choices. Find out more about us and the different ways we can support you.

This service is available to people who live in England.

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The National Careers Service can help you with your career, learning and training choices. Find out more about us and the different ways we can support you. This service is available to people who live in England.

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Register your profile, search vacancies and apply for an apprenticeship - you must be 16 or over