Careers and Guidance

Guidance
As a student at BHASVIC, you will have a personal tutor to look after your general welfare, to watch how you progress in your subjects, and to help plan your future.

You will see your personal tutor in the middle of each day at a meeting for registration and the daily college bulletin, with extra time available for one-to-one consultation with your tutor if needed.

Personal tutors have a senior tutor available for further help as necessary, and your college reference will be put together by these two people when you apply for a job or a course in higher education.

Your personal tutor will also put together the reports from subject teachers on progress in your subjects that will go home to parents each year.

Whether you are a BHASVIC for one, two or three years, the college guidance system will ensure that you are known and treated as an individual, and are helped to become an independent and successful student.

Careers
Careers education and guidance at BHASVIC is delivered within our pastoral tutorial system.

We hope that all students will wish to consider courses and careers very carefully before deciding to go on to further or higher education or directly into employment or further training when they leave BHASVIC.

Your tutors will help you clarify your career plans and ideas during consultation periods. Should you need more specialist advice we have a Careers Adviser based here in college. You can ask for a careers interview simply by signing up for an appointment on a sheet in the Careers Suite.

Careers Staff
In addition to your tutor there is a team of Careers advisers who are there to assist you to make the right decision. The Careers Suite is open during normal college hours and for most of this time there will be a member of staff available for consultation.

Information Days
There are two careers information days for students. The first (in February) is a progression day for students completing their courses at BHASVIC this year, and includes a Careers Fair for all students. The second, in March, is a higher education information day at Sussex University.

Also in March we have a Gap Year Fair.

Higher Education
All students are offered help in completing their university application form via the tutorial system and through workshops with the Careers Adviser.

The Careers Suite and Careers Library
The Careers Suite, which is situated above the Canteen, provides a comfortable area where students can read magazines and periodicals and use the Careers Library. We have an assistant who will help you to find the information you need and help you with computer software.

The Careers Library contains:

General careers information â€" Information is grouped in families so that related jobs and careers are together.

Training routes â€" Details of entry requirements are available for most career areas.

Periodicals, newspapers and magazines â€" These are available for you to read and photocopy any relevant material.

Reference books â€" We have a wide range of reference books covering general Careers information, further and higher education, job hunting, the gap year and planning for your future.

Higher education reference material â€" University prospectuses, departmental brochures plus many reference books.

Video Library â€" We have an extensive range of university prospectuses and occupational videos. These can be viewed in college or borrowed on overnight loan.

Careers notice board â€" There are a number of Careers notice boards around the college. The main board in the Careers Suite carries current information, job vacancies and details of the careers bulletin. Other notice boards give information relating to higher education, conferences, open days and university departments.

Computer software â€" Available for your use, for example:

Career Builder â€" Identifies interests and skills. Enables you to focus on a particular area of interest or skill. Produces a list of job suggestions with occupational details.

Ecctis â€" Higher education course database. Can produce list of courses according to specific criteria, for example all joint degree courses in Psychology and Law in South East England.

Kudos â€" Gives list of job suggestions in response to questions. Helps you to prioritise areas of interest.

C.V. â€" A programme which enables you to write your own C.V.

Which University â€" a multi-media CD Rom which allows you to find out about universities and university courses.
Many university prospectuses and occupational information packs are also available on disc.