Connexions Magazine |

THEconnexionslifemagazine is

sue 2

connexions 2/12/08 2:54 PM Page 1


Page 4: Welcome from ConnexionsPage 6: About ConnexionsPage 8: Choices in Year 9Page 10: Find out more…about Year 9 optionsPage 12: Find out more…about career ideasPage 14: Making your planPage 16: Beyond 16 – Career PlanningPage 18: Career planning calendar

Urban Fox’s guide to...Page 20: So you want to be a…Page 21: Preparing for examsPage 24: Your guide to CourseworkPage 26: Writing the perfect CVPage 30: Useful numbers

Contact us: Urban Fox | Jubilee House, Wheeleys Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2LD.

t: 0121 446 1345w: www.urbanfoxmag.co.uke: [email protected].

For editorial opportunities, contact Hayley Longdin on 0121 446 1345 or [email protected]

For advertising opportunities, contact Zoe Cooksey or Natalie Chamberlain on 0121 446 1345 or [email protected].

3


WelcomeHappy New Year and

welcome to the

second edition of the

Connexions Life Mag.

Remember to put those

resolutions into practise so

you can have a great year

ahead! For students in Year 9, now is

the time to start planning for

the future. In this issue we

have provided a

comprehensive guide on the

choices you can make in Year

9 with information on what

subjects to take, what courses

could suit you best and where

you can get help and further

information, plus much more.

For those of you who are in

year 11, we have followed on

from the last issue, which gave

an overview of the choices you

can make beyond 16. Now we

will be looking at Career

Planning and we have

provided a checklist of things

you need to do before you

decide on a chosen career

path. We have also included a

career planning calendar

which we hope will help you

throughout 2008.

If you need further information

on what choices are available

don’t forget you can always to

talk to a Connexions Personal

Adviser.

Birmingham & Solihull

Connexions Services

www.connexions-bs.co.uk


4


We can offer information & advice about...• Learning & Education • Working • Money

• Relationships • Health • Housing • Free Time • Volunteering Opportunities

Connexions is a FREE & FRIENDLY support service for all 13 - 19 year olds (and up to 25 for young people with learning difficulties

and/or disabilities)

Visit our website www.connexions-bs.co.uk or Freefone: 080 800 13-2-19

The best start in life for every young person...

5


This is extended to age 25 if

you have a learning difficulty

or disability.

It brings together all the

services that help young

people and gives them access

to a personal adviser, some-

one they can trust.

What's on offer?

Connexions provides a range

of free services to help you

make informed choices,

prepare for your future and

tackle issues you may

encounter.

• An inclusive service for all

young people regardless of

where you live, your back-

ground, gender, religion, race,

ability or sexuality

• Trained and friendly staff in

an atmosphere that is safe and

comfortable

• Advice and planning to

achieve your educational and

life goals

• Access to personal

development opportunities to

broaden your horizons and

develop your talents

• Information and advice on

health, lifestyles, housing,

employment, benefits, careers,

drugs awareness,

relationships, personal

development, stress and much

more • A job and vacancy service

Career planning sessions

• A specialised service, where

needed, for young people with

learning difficulties and/or

disabilities

• Access to publications and

software

For information about where to

find your nearest Connexions

Centre and their opening

hours, go to


If you need help or advice

outside Birmingham & Solihull

Connexions Services' opening

hours, please contact

Connexions Direct.

Connexions is a youth service providing

advice, guidance, support and personal

development services for all 13-19 year olds.

6



In Year 9 you will be making achoice about which subjectsto study in Years 10 and 11.This will probably be thebiggest decision you’ve madeabout your future so far butdon’t worry - there’s lots ofhelp and advice around.You will need to choose whichGCSE subjects you want totake and, depending on whatyour school offers, you mayhave a choice of other cours-es as well.There are some subjects thatyou have to study and otheroptional subjects that you cantake because you enjoy themor need them for your careerplans.

What type of course will suitme best?As well as choosing what subjects you want to take,you’ll need to think about theway you prefer to study andlearn.

Do you enjoy learningthrough practical, hands-ontasks? Vocational courses offer you achance to learn work-relatedskills through practical learn-ing, projects and real work-place experience.

Do you prefer more traditionalwritten coursework andexams? GCSEs cover general educa-tion subjects such as English,maths, science and history.Some subjects will combinecoursework with exams whileothers will just have exams.

Would you like to combineboth ways of learning?Some courses, like The Diploma,

combine classroom and hands-on learning. You mayalso be able to take vocationaland traditional courses together.

Which subjects do I have totake?

There are some compulsorysubjects that everyone willhave to study, these are:

• English • Maths • Science • ICT.

There are also some other subjects that you will need tostudy but may not have to takeexams in. These include:• careers education, • work-related learning, • citizenship• physical education and reli-gious studies.

What else can I study?

Here are some of the main academic and vocational courses that your school mayoffer.

GCSE General Certificate ofSecondary Education.

These are offered by allschools in a variety of subjectsand include Applied GCSEs forvocational subjects and shortGCSE courses. Entry level qualifications thesecourses can help students toprogress onto GCSEs or otherqualifications and are availablein a range of subjects.

NVQ National VocationalQualification.

Some schools may offer thesework-related qualifications, which allow you to learn hands-on skills and gain realworkplace experience.

VRQ Vocationally RelatedQualifications.

These include BTECs, whichare based around broad areasof work such as art and designor business studies. They alsoinclude a range of shorter vocational courses taken alongside GCSEs.

The Diploma

This is a new qualification for14-19 year olds which combines classroom studywith work placements andhands-on experience. From September2008, around 200 Diplomaplaces will be available inBirmingham and Solihull forYear 10 students, covering ICT,Engineering, Creative & Mediaand Construction. The Diplomacan be studied alongsideGCSEs in Years 10 and 11, atFoundation or Higher level(equivalent to 4-5 or 5-6GCSEs).

Remember, not all schoolswill offer the same courses,so check what is availablewith your school before youmake your decision!

How many subjects should Itake?

A full programme of GCSEs isusually seven or eight differentsubjects but you may be ableto do more than this or combine GCSEs with other courses.

Choices in year 9


9


To find more

information about

your options in Year

9 have a look at...

Which Way Now?

www.connexionsdirect.com/w

hichwaynow

A step-by-step interactive

guide to Year 9 options,

including quizzes, case studies

and checklists. Which way

now? Is also available as a

printed booklet.

E-CLIPS

E-CLIPS is a careers software

program which lets you view

and print out leaflets on lots of

different topics. Try looking at

Education, then Options after

year 9.

As a Birmingham or Solihull

student you can access

E-CLIPS from our website,

www.connexions–bs.co.uk

You will need a code from your

school to log on to the

program – ask your school for

details.

Find out more... what does

my school offer?

All schools will offer different

courses and subjects, to find

out what you can do at your

school check out...

The Local Area

Prospectus website

www.youchoose14-19.co.uk

You can use this new website

to find out which courses and

subjects are offered at your

school – click on Providers

and then search for your

school to find out what’s

available.

Your options evening

Try to attend your school

options evening. This is an

ideal opportunity to talk with

subject teachers about the

subjects and courses on offer

and to see which ones are

right for you. Your school

may also give you an options

booklet with all the courses

and subjects offered.

Find out more...about year 9 options

10


11


If you’re not sure whatoptions to choose, it’s a goodidea to find out more aboutthe kind of careers you’reinterested in. Try some ofthese ideas...

Surf the webThe internet is a great sourceof careers information. To startyou off, you could explore ourBirmingham & SolihullConnexions Services website


As well as the Choices @14pages, you’ll also find lots ofinformation about what youcould do when you leaveschool. If you have an idea ofwhat you want to do after Year11, it can help you make theright choices now! If you wantto find out what happens afterYear 11, visit the Beyond 16pages. To find out more about different career areas, go toAreas of Work.

If you’re interested in finding apart-time job or putting together a CV, try the Getting ajob pages. For links to lots ofother useful websites, have alook at Need more info? –Links. You could also visit...

Jobs 4 Uwww.connexionsdirect.com/jobs4u

This site has information onhundreds of different careersand jobs.

Works 4 mewww.works4me.org.uk

A site which challenges ideasabout traditional “male” and “female” careers, with quizzes,information and links. If you want to find out more,try using a search engine like www.google.co.uk

to look for information on particular areas of work thatinterest you (for example, youcould search for key words like“engineering careers” or“health care jobs”).

Find out more...about career ideas

12



Use careers software

Careers software programscan help you to find out moreabout different careers and see which ones might suit you.

As a Birmingham or Solihull student you can accesscareers software programsKudos Online and E-CLIPSfrom our website. You will needa code from your school to logon to the programs – ask yourschool for details.

Kudos Online takes youthrough a series of questionsto find out more about yourinterests, skills and careerideas and then matches youwith suitable careers. E-CLIPS lets you view andprint out leaflets on hundredsof different careers, as well asinformation about other topicssuch as health, education, freetime and the law.

Get hands-on - Work experi-ence, part-time jobs and volun-teering will all give you thechance to find out more aboutcareers in Years 10 and 11.

Find out more... from otherpeople It can help to discuss

your ideas with someone else.

Your Connexions personaladviser can give you advice onyour options as well as anypersonal worries or concernsyou may have.

Your teacher or careers co-ordinator can help you todecide what you might begood at and give you information on what differentcourses might involve.

Your parents or carers, familyand friends know you betterthan anyone - they know whatyou’re good at, what you likeand dislike and what kind ofperson you are.

If you have family or friendswho do the kind of job you areinterested in, talk to themabout their work.

You may also have a chance tovisit careers fairs and exhibitions, where you can talkwith employers about jobs intheir sector.

Gather as much information asyou can to help make thechoices that are right for YOU!

Making your plan

So you’ve found out whichsubjects and courses you cantake at your school and you’vegathered lots of informationabout the kind of careers youmight be interested in.

Now you’ve done yourresearch, you can use the subject checklist and examplegiven here to help make yourfinal plan.

Subject checklist

Make a list of subjects andcourses that you have to take.Remember, there are somesubjects that are compulsory. You definitely want to continuewith.

You may have subjects youparticularly enjoy or ones youknow you are good at, or youmay have found out about asubject you need for yourcareer idea.

You’ve had recommended toyou. Teachers, Connexionspersonal advisers, family orfriends may have suggestedsubjects which could be usefulfor your career plans.

14



Career planning can help

you to make the right

decision about what to do

when you leave school or

college.

After Year 11...where

do I start?

You can use the career

planning checklist below as a

good starting point for thinking

about your choices.

Remember that although these

are important decisions which

may affect the rest of your life,

there's plenty of support avail-

able. Click here for the section

on Finding More Help.

Career planning

checklist

Before you decide what to do,

you need to:

• Talk to your careers co-ordi-

nator about your ideas. They

may suggest that you see your

school or college Connexions

personal adviser

• Consider the advantages

and disadvantages of each of

the four options – Education,

Apprenticeships, E2E or Jobs

• Use your Connexions Area to

find out about careers that

match your interests and

strengths.

Use careers software Kudos

Online to find out what jobs

might suit you, and E-CLIPS to

get more information about

different careers.

Find out if you can enter these

careers straight from school or

if you need to get further

qualifications or do an

Apprenticeship first.

Visit www.youchoose14-19.co.uk

for a searchable database of

courses, with full address and

contact details for schools,

colleges and learning

providers.

Have a back-up plan in case

something goes wrong with

your first choice, especially if

you're aiming for a popular

course or career

Consider what money you will

get if you stay in education or

start an Apprenticeship, join an

E2E course or get a job.

What happens if I

make a wrong

choice or change

my mind?

Don't worry; it's never too late

to change direction. People

often change careers later on

in their lives. If you need

advice there are lots of people

around to help you

Beyond 16career planning

16


17


Spring Term 2008

Applying for jobs and

Apprenticeships

January Applications for

Apprenticeships and jobs

starting in the summer should

be made as early as possible

in the spring term.

February / March

Keep checking the jobs and

Apprenticeships in our Job

Search area –


Summer Term 2008

Continuing with applications,

results day, using Connexions

April / May

If you haven't found the right

option as the end of term

approaches, you should con-

tinue to make applications to

schools, colleges or

learning providers, or apply for

jobs. June If you're still not

fixed up with a job or course

when you leave school,

Birmingham & Solihull

Connexions Services will

continue to help you. Your

Connexions personal adviser

can offer advice and support

whatever your chosen option.

July / August

If your exam results mean a

change in your plans, contact

your Connexions personal

adviser immediately. They

should be available in school

or college on results day, or

you can call into your local

Connexions Centre.

Career planning

calendar

18



There are hundreds of collegecourses out there that canlead to so many differentjobs. Each issue we will tell youhow to take the path to yourdream job, what to expectwhen you get it, and whatqualifications you are goingto need to get there…

So, you want to work in the

media…

Working in the media can be afulfilling and rewarding career. Though it can also be tough. You can work in the mediathrough a variety of channels,including through radio, TV,journalism, PR and marketing. You can either be a presenter,broadcast journalist,

newspaper/magazinejournalist, PR executive, marketing assistant/manageror even take on managerialroles in all of the sectors. Many people that choose towork in the media industry alsocan have the opportunity towork in sectors other than theirchosen area.

How to work in the media…Though qualifications are realistically needed, experience is essential toobtain a job in the industry. Work placements are invaluable, as not only to youhave examples of work toshow to potential clients, youhave experience of the environment.

Most media jobs require a minimum of five GCSE’s. For more advanced positions -such as news editors, seniorjournalists, camera techniciansand PR executives – other certificates and qualificationsare needed, such as training todegree level, as well as plentyof hands-on experience.

What to expect…Working in the media can be avery demanding and busycareer, though no two days arethe same. Hours are usual flexible,though can be long, with earlystarts or late nights if you arein a job working shifts, or evenworking as a broadcast journalist.

So you want to be a…?

20


Whether it is a module exam,a mock exam, a GCSE or an A-Level, all exams need preparation.

Before you start…If you are revising for morethan one exam, it is alwaysworth planning your revisiontime and sticking to it. That way, you are only concentrating on one thing ata time.Also make sure you havesomewhere quiet and relaxedto revise – there is no pointrevising in a noisy room full ofpeople!Some people prefer to work ina quiet room with no sound atall, whilst others work best tobackground noise, music, oreven the television, so makesure you are somewherewhere you are comfortable.

Revision Techniques…Try to revise one subject or

section at a time. Write short versions of yournotes by summarising the keypointsRead important facts andstatements and memoriseMany people have a ‘photo-graphic memory’, so draw dia-grams where possibleTake short breaks every half anhour or soRevise with a friend when youcan – this way you can discussidea or even question eachother on the harder topicsIf you can, attend revision tutorials held by your school orcollege – they tend to con-dense they more importantparts into manageable chunks

Preparing for your exam…Getting worked up and toonervous before an exam cando no good – try to relax andtreat an exam day as a normalday at school or college. It always pays off (and saves

time) if you take your own stationary, and, if you’reallowed, textbooks.

And finally, Doing the exam…• Stay calm and relaxed• Know how much time youhave, and stick to it.• Always spend five minutesreading through the paper• Take time to plan what youare going to write if it’s anessay question• Concentrate on what you doknow, rather than what youdon’t• Write neatly• If it is a maths exam or question, always show howyou worked out the question• Budget your time to ensureyou answer all the questions

21


Early YearsConstruction Crafts

Administration

Beauty TherapyBusiness

Hairdre

ssingElectrical Installation

Accounting

Health &

Social C

are

Moto

r Vehicl

eSp

orts

Sci

ence

Retai

l

for your futureat City College Birmingham

2pm - 8pmWednesday 21 May 08st

Fashion & Fashion Retail

OpenDay

A Levels

Computing

GCSEs

‘Every Child Matters’Visit our website for further details www.citycol.ac.ukor contact our Course Enquiry team on 084 50 50 11 44

Suppor

ted Le

arni

ng


084 50 50 11 44 [email protected]

NEW

www.citycol.ac.uk

Call, click or email for more information

The doors have opened to our state-of-the-artAcademy on Stour Street in Ladywood.

Courses on offer include:

North West Skills Academy

North West Skills Academy48-68 Stour Street, LadywoodBirmingham, B18 7AJ

A-Z Ref: page 100 6CBus No. 8A, 8C, 80, 81, 82, 83, 87, 88

Come to our next Open Day on Wednesday 21 May 082pm - 8pm to find out more.

st

How to find us

Apply early to secure your place for September 2008


Whether you are doing yourGSCEs, A-Levels of even a university course, thechances are that you will havea certain amount of course-work to get through eachterm.

Whether it is practical-workbased, theory-based or evenresearch-based, there arealways many factors to consider when completingcoursework. Follow our useful courseworkguide to get the best gradesyou can!

Things to consider whendoing coursework…

Coursework can often be setto a certain theme or topic, soit is important when selectingyour direction that you find thetopic interesting. If the coursework set has roomto be tailored, tailor it to howsomething that you will find fun– that way you will be moremotivated to go that extra mile. Also remember to give yourselfplenty of time to do yourcoursework – it can often takehours of preparation and

research to address your topic,so make sure you know yourdeadlines. Make sure you know the typeof coursework you are workingtowards as well – is it a report,essay or even practical project?When completing report-stylecoursework projects, remember you can be flexiblewith the format you adopt –graphs, diagrams and visualsare always a good choice. If you are working towards anessay, remember to choseuseful quotes, and reference

24


your quotes properly – you’llprobably gain more marks aswell!

Things you should avoidwhen doing coursework…

Make sure you never leaveyour coursework until the lastminute – there is more to consider that you think. Things such as front covers,references and page numbering can be overlookedwhen you are in a rush, andthese are sometimes thethings that make your

coursework run out. You should never try to writeyour coursework before youhave done all your research –you will find you keep slippingup and missing important factsand information that couldreally gain you marks.

Another thing you shouldnever do when doing coursework is copy others’efforts or plagiarise.You can run the risk of gainingno marks at all if you end upcopying from sources such asthe internet, friends, or books.

Remember…

There is always loads of helpavailable when doing coursework. Many subjects will allow you tohand in coursework more thanonce, meaning you can gethelp from teachers as andwhen you need it. Other tines you supplied withinformation to use when working, for example a textbook, information bookletor a novel – it all depends onwhat coursework you areworking on.

25


Writing your CV for the firsttime can be a hard task, andit can be difficult to knowwhat to put in or what to leaveout. You may also feel like youhaven’t got much to writeabout, or feel you have noexperience to draw upon. But don’t worry, follow ourguide to writing the perfectCV, and it will suddenly seema whole lot easier…

What do I include?Always clearly divide your CVinto several different sections;one for personal information,one for your education history,one for previous employment ifyou have any, and one for yourskills, interests and achieve-ments. Employers don’t only look forwhere you have workedbefore, they are often just looking for the right person forthe job. By stating your interests andachievements, an employer isable to get a feel for what youare like as a person.

How do write your CVBefore you begin to type yourCV, ask yourself what sort ofjob it is you are looking for,and what sort of skills it mightrequire. Start by including yourfull name, date of birth and contact details should theemployer want to contact you. Don’t suggest why you want toapply for the position on theCV – this is for the covering

letter. List your education background; including whatschool, college or institutionyou attended, and what qualifications (and grades) youobtained while there.If you have had a job before(even if it was a paper-round!),list these next – it givesemployers an idea of the environment you have workedin before, as well as what youare capable of. Follow this with your skills,interests and achievements. In this section, you may wishto include things such as‘computer literate’, ‘good teamworker’ or ‘excellent time keeper’.

How should my CV look?Always type your CV, andmake sure that it looks cleanand sharp. Each section should be headed up clearly, and shouldcover no more than two sidesof A4. Try not to include fancy anddifficult-to-read fonts either. It is always best to stick toyour point as well, and avoidwaffling – employers aren’tinterested in how you got yourgrade B, or even why youchose that subject.

Anything else?When you think you havecome up with the best CV youcan, pretend that it belongs tosomeone else. Be critical of it, and find waysyour can improve it by stillkeeping it simple.

The Ins and Outs of CVs

26


27




Education: South Birmingham College 0121 594 5000

City College 0121 204 0000

Bournville College 0121 483 1000

Cadbury College 0121 458 3898

Joseph Chamberlain College 0121 446 2223

Josiah Mason College0121 603 4757

College of Food, Tourism andCreative Studies 0121 604 1000

Matthew Boulton College 0121 446 4545

University of Birmingham0121 414 3344

Aston University 0121 204 3000

Birmingham City University 0121 331 5000

Archway Academy0121 772 7772

Reflections Training Academy 0121 643 2147

Birmingham LCS0845 019 4143

Entertainment: Showcase Cinema, KingsburyRoad, Erdington0871 220 1000

Odeon Cinema, New Street0871 224 4007

UGC, Broad Street0871 200 2000

Vue Cinema, Star City0871 224 0240

IMAX theatre, Millennium Point0870 870 4771mac, Cannon Hill Park0121 440 3838

Tenpin, Star City0871 873 3150

Lakeside Superbowl, PershoreRoad0121 458 4444

Bowlplex Birmingham,Broadway Plaza0121 410 5888

Hollywood Bowl, Park Way,Rubery0121 453 0333

Birmingham Hippodrome0870 730 1234

Alexandra Theatre0870 607 7533

The Rep0121 236 4455

Pizza:Perfect Pizza, Bristol Road0121 476 6165

Dominos, Stratford Road0121 778 4448

Pizza Hut Delivery, High Street,Kings Heath0121 444 6200

Health and Sexual Health:NHS Direct0845 4647

British Pregnancy AdvisoryService0845 365 5050

Whittal Street Clinic0121 237 5700

Advice:Childline0800 11 11

Useful Numbers:Birmingham Central Library0121 303 4511

Birmingham City Council 0121 303 1111

Useful websites:Birmingham City Councilwww.birmingham.gov.uk

Connexions serviceswww.connexions-bs.co.uk

Yellow Pageswww.yell.com

Usefulnumbers

30


Policing a diversecommunity isn’t just aboutbeing able to use the toolsand restraint items on yourbelt. It’s aboutunderstanding andrespecting the people onyour patch.

That’s why we’re committedto building a force thatreflects our communities,but we can’t do it withoutpeople like you.

To find out more aboutbecoming a police officer,please call 0121 265 7007.

www.west-midlands.police.uk/recruitment

Just doinghis job regardless...

30937



Documents

Connexions Magazine |