GCSE Results Day

If any students or parents need advice on results day, please contact the Post 16 Shropshire Youth Team below.
You should also speak to the college that you have applied to, and discuss alternative course offers if necessary.
It may also be possible to make new applications, change courses etc – if your circumstances have changed. Do it ASAP.
Clair, the College Careers Adviser will be available from September 2nd, if you need further advice and support at the start of the autumn term.

Don’t forget to check the Careers section of the latest College News!

Careers advice and guidance (CAG) plays a pivotal role in young people’s educational journey; it supports students to discover their interests, navigate the complex world of work or training and make informed decisions about their future. Its purpose is to deliver tailored support to all young people to gain a clearer understanding of their strengths, interests and aspirations, making choices aligned with their goals.

At the Community College we work closely with the Marches Careers Hub which supports institutions within the local authority areas of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin and works to transform careers education across The Marches region by linking education with business and helping secondary schools and colleges achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks of world class careers guidance: https://www.marchescareershub.co.uk/about-the-careers-hub.

We ensure that all students and parents have access to independent advice and guidance to assist with making important academic or career decisions and support the following:

· Connecting learning to the future

· Motivate students by giving them a clearer idea of the routes to jobs and careers that they will find engaging and rewarding

· Widening students’ horizons, challenging stereotypes and raising aspirations

· Providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to make successful transitions to the next stage of their lives

· Supporting social mobility by improving opportunities for all pupils, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs

To achieve the outcomes, careers guidance and education is delivered using a wide range of sources:

· 1-2-1 careers coaching

· Bespoke careers development planning

· Compass Tool – an online careers benchmark tool (CEC)

· Higher Education and UCAS awareness sessions

· Dedicated careers area in the school library

· Up to date LMI information (local, regional and national)

· Focused careers lessons within the PSHE programmes of study

· Online careers website access from Year 7+, exploring careers information, routes and links.

· Speakers from a variety of career pathways

· Employer visits and industry links

· Work Experience placements

· Networking events and mock interviews

· Post 16 opportunity assemblies, CV and application support

· Teacher industry encounters

· Visits to universities, FE Colleges and places of work

· Bespoke and targeted FE units

· Targeted SEND support

· Enhanced group work sessions from Year 7+ via a range of providers

Policies and Documents

Careers Policy

Careers IAG Schedule 2025-2026

Trips and Events 2025-2026

The Community College Provider Access Policy 2024-2025

How we measure and assess the impact of our careers programme:

· Gatsby benchmarking

· Using destination data

· Future skills questionnaire

· Feedback from pupils/parents/teachers and employers

Information for Teachers

Teachers at The Community College are expected to embed careers education in their teaching, through drawing links from their subject to potential careers and are accountable for helping students to see the relevance of their curriculum to the world of work. There are a variety of resources to support them to do that on the college staff shared area or they should contact Clair Miles, the Careers Leader.

Our careers programme will be reviewed on an annual basis during each Summer term, and amended as necessary. We consistently achieve all of the Gatsby Benchmarks and are supported by Sharon Ruff (Enterprise Co-ordinator) and Ian Cross (Enterprise Volunteer and STEM Ambassador).

Information for Employers

Our local businesses and employers have an active role in our annual College careers programme, including work experience, the careers fair, networking and interview events. Employer engagement is critical to our students and staff development here at The Community College.

The College’s Careers Operational Manager, Claire Miles is available to discuss employment opportunities, training and careers and to give impartial information, advice, guidance and support to students and their families. Please contact Ms Miles on 01588 638257 or on miles.c@ccbcshropshire.com to discuss working with the College at the events to enhance our careers programme.

Information for Students

Students are encouraged to look through the websites outlined below with their parents and to follow the links for further useful information.

Post 16 Information Booklet

Year 11 Post 16 Assemblies 2025-2026

Year 11 Careers Letter September 2025

DfE Post 16 Choices Grid

What do qualification levels mean at Post 16?

College Open Days and Information Events 2025-2026

Top Tips for Making the Most of Open Evenings

Careers Learning Journey

Women in Construction Taster Session Shrewsbury College

Wednesday 15^th April 2026

4.30pm- 5.30pm

London Road campus

School Year: 8-12

Overview of the event:

Construction Inc. Tasters for School Year 8 – 12 girls

Construction and the specialist trades within this sector offer amazing opportunities for those with an interest in creativity, detail and craftsmanship. They can lead to university courses, management jobs and lifelong careers in your area of expertise, with roles as diverse as joinery and bricklaying to site management and interior design.

Whilst there is a perception that this area of industry remains male-dominated, there is a fast-growing number of women joining the workforce and finding career success and job satisfaction.

Construction Inc. Taster sessions aim to give girls the opportunity to try out these trades and see where their skills lie, in a supportive and welcoming environment. Led by our female teachers this is your chance to investigate typical trades activities and ask the questions you really want to know the answer to, surrounded by your peers and friends.

Held in our Electrical Plumbing & Gas workshop you will undertake activities in:

Carpentry & Joinery
Electrical Installation
Painting & Decorating
Plumbing

There will be the opportunity to ask questions during each activity or you can drop your query into our anonymous “Ask-it Basket” for the teachers to answer at the end of the session.

We will also have staff on hand to tell you more about Apprenticeships (earn whilst you learn), and Work Experience programmes where you spend part of your time at college in a real workplace doing a real job.

On completion of the session, you will receive a personalised certificate for your Achievement Portfolio and a better insight into the brilliant world of careers in construction.

College Careers Fair 2025 – Invitation to Participate

Careers Resources

Year 11 Pupil Post 16 Choices invite

Book your place now

11 – What’s Next in The Marches | PDF to Flipbook

The website for the new recently launched National Careers Service: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/home

A free on line library of careers related films, news and information: https://www.careersbox.co.uk/

A useful resource to help advise and support parents: https://www.careersadviceforparents.org

You could register and log on to Barclays Life Skills which has some fantastic resources: https://barclayslifeskills.com

Advice on becoming an apprentice can be found on: https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Amazing apprenticeships also produce some useful resources including:

Parents’ and Carers’ Pack March 2023

Information for Parents

Your Child and Work Experience

All students are expected to undertake a two-week work experience placement during the summer term of year 10. The aim of Work Experience is to provide students with an opportunity to experience the world of work first-hand, and to develop their communication and employability skills. Where possible, students should seek a placement in an environment which is linked to a vocational pathway which may be of interest, although we recognise that this is not always possible. During the two weeks, students will develop a broad range of skills, learn about the expectations of the workplace and possibly develop a number of transferable skills, which will help with college / apprenticeship visits, applications and interviews.

Preparation for Work Experience starts early in Year 10, but it is ultimately the student and parents’ responsibility to ensure that they have secured a placement. The college appreciates that access can be heavily restricted by contacts, transport limitations and health and safety constraints, however the careers team provide a considerable amount of advice and support via IAG sessions, the college website, database, local networks and a range of linked events.

Prior to the placement, students will participate in focussed IAG sessions, CV Workshops and mock interviews with an external business partner. A Work Experience briefing will also be held for all students in Year 10 before their placements to ensure that they understand how to approach their placement, and the procedures to follow if there are any problems. Necessary and relevant health and safety information will also be covered. Each student will be visited or telephoned during their placement by a member of staff and all employers are asked to complete an assessment of the students’ performance. At the start of Year 11 all students are given the opportunity to reflect and feedback on their work experience within their coaching groups. This allows students to share their experiences with their peers and new year 10 cohort.

Significant consideration has been given to the development of the colleges careers and work experience program during 2023 / 2024 and as a result the college has purchased the digital national platform ‘Unifrog’ https://www.unifrog.org/ which will allow staff, parents and students to manage IAG, careers education and work experience via an online resource facility, an exciting development that will enhance the student and parental experience of integrated careers provision.

Shropshire Council – Introduction to Post 16

Work Experience Letter March 2025

Filling out your student initial form – a walkthrough video for students on how to fill out the student initial form.

Parent’s Guide to Apprenticeships

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships

Pathways Poster

Conversation Starter Game

Child Employment – A Guide for Children

National Apprenticeship Week

National Careers Week 2nd to 7th March 2026

Careers Week Media

Resources – Activities

Careers – BBC Bitesize

Click Here for Links to general information websites

Helping students find their future

Unifrog brings all the available information into one comprehensive, user-friendly platform that helps students make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications.