Our job is ALL about progression. Whether that’s coordinating work placements that students need to progress through their course, offering impartial careers advice to get students ready for the future, or working alongside the curriculum teams and progress coaches to develop students’ employability skills.
Our careers services provides all students with an opportunity to have a free one-to-one confidential conversation with a qualified Careers Adviser about aspirations, planning, decision making, careers research, options for education, progression, employment, qualifications, and training.
Appointments offered are tailored for an individual's needs. Please click here to book if you are an existing student at York College.
We also offer e-guidance to all prospective and current students. Please email Careers@yorkcollege.ac.uk for more information.
Our service is empowering, meaningful and inspiring. We encourage our students to reach their full potential and have happy and successful futures.
We have two desks in the Student Experience Hub, one dedicated to work placements and one dedicated to careers, so students can see someone face-to-face when needed. We are also reachable via email and phone call.
As well as our work with students, we also have working partnerships with many employers and Careers Information Providers. These partnerships enhance the careers provision both in and out of the classroom and incorporates wider local market intelligence knowledge.
Careers Leader - Emily Grimes
Careers Adviser - Freddie Hopkins
Careers and Enterprise Officers – Rebecca James, Charlotte Picking, Neal John, Nikki Hill and Lynsey Griggs
For more information on the York College Careers Programme Calendar 2023– 2024, click the link below.
York College is part of the York and North Yorkshire Careers Hub, part of the Careers and Enterprise Company's network of Careers Hubs. The Careers Hub brings together schools and colleges to work together with employers, careers professionals, universities and training providers to improve careers education.
What is careers guidance?
A careers guidance appointment is an impartial, meeting between you and a professionally qualified Careers Adviser. The Careers Adviser can help you to: identify your personal qualities and skills, identify the skills you would like to develop, explore specific career areas and job opportunities, understand the process of job search, writing a CV and going for interviews and much more. Come and meet us to see how we can help you.
Our programme of careers activities is a whole College offer, incorporating careers guidance, progress coach tutorial delivery, curriculum work, work placement services, events, apprenticeship support and training. The programme is designed to prepare our students to leave York College happy, confident, resilient, self-aware and prepared to progress to the next step on their journey.
It is a privilege to work with our students, employers, parents and carers here in College, to play a part in the exciting future that awaits all our students.
Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations help of learn about different occupations and identify potential careers.
It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as description of the occupation.
Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which you can select the most relevant to you. You can then look up another two occupations and compare. You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected.
Please click here to use the Careerometer.
You can access the Shape Your Future report for York and North Yorkshire here.
We evaluate all our work in the careers programme with students, parents, carers, staff and visitors. We measure our programme every term against the Gatsby Benchmarks, maintain the Quality in Careers Standard Award and the Matrix Standard in Information, Advise and Guidance across the College. We measure success by our destinations survey and our student experience whilst here at the College. Our student voice is strong and very important to drive forwards our service for our students.
Click here to view our Provider Access Policy.
Post 16 Pathways and Progression Routes
Post 16 Pathways and Progression Routes
There are many different career pathways to go down. We have collated some resources with help to identify and explain them:
Department for Education Post-16 Choices Animation - YouTube
Post 16 options | National Careers Service
16+ Choices | CEC Resource Directory (careersandenterprise.co.uk)
Undergraduate Qualifications at York College University Centre
If you are the parent of a student, you can find our Parent Information page here where you can find general information about the College.
The National Careers Service
The NCS provides information, advice and guidance to help students make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities. The service offers confidential and impartial advice and is supported by qualified careers advisers. You can chat with an adviser using webchat (8am to 10pm, 7days a week). Or you can call
Prospects website
An invaluable careers resource for students.
Find courses, read reviews and get expert advice on higher education options.
iCould
Get ideas for your future with free career videos, job information, plus advice on career options and the world of work. iCould provides career inspiration and information for young people through free access to over 1000 personal video stories, detailed job information, plus practical tips, insight and advice.
Parental Guidance
Offers advice and information on all aspects of the process of career choice for young people aged 13 to 25.
The Parents Guide To T Levels
This page gives a fantastic introduction to T Levels, what are they and why they might be right for your child.
Degree Apprenticeships
Explore degree apprenticeships in this useful and informative video.
Find and apply for Year 10-12 Work Experience or Apprenticeships tailored to you, your interests and your location.
A number of qualifications running here at College have a mandatory work placement element. The type of placement and number of hours that are required to be completed, will depend on the specific course requirements. If you are unsure, please ask a tutor or the Careers and Enterprise team. There are two desks in the Student Experience Hub, one dedicated to Work Placements and one dedicated to Careers.
The Careers and Enterprise Team are here to support you with your next steps for the future, and this includes your work placement. We do this by:
- Offering you impartial careers advice and guidance.
- Providing support with planning the next steps of your future.
- Working alongside curriculum teams and Progress Coaches to help develop your employability skills.
- Engaging with local employers to secure work placement opportunities.
- Supporting you to apply for placements and gain opportunities that are in line with your course.
Our service is empowering, meaningful and inspiring. We encourage our students to reach their full potential and have happy and successful futures.
Work placements are extremely beneficial in helping you gain transferable skills and experience needed for your future career path, whatever that may be.
Whilst these placements are mostly unpaid, they offer an invaluable opportunity. A placement will:
- Give you a better chance of obtaining a job or further training
- Make your CV stand out and give you something to talk about in an interview
- Provide an insight into the industry and roles within it
- Allow you to make useful contacts in the world of work
- Help build your confidence and communication skills
- Give you hands-on experience
Your work placement requirement will vary depending on your course. The key types of work placement are:
Industry Work Placements
Industry Placements are part of the new T Level qualifications which will help students to hone their technical skills whilst gaining vital on-the-job training. Industry Placements are 315 hours in length and are to be completed over the two years of the qualification. (315 hours works out at around 45 days, depending on day lengths).
Students will attend placement one or two days per week over a specific period to fit in with their course delivery model. Employability skills are built into the T Level, so students will have an idea of what employers are looking for and how to conduct themselves in the workplace.
Mandatory Placements
These placements range from 35 - 750 hours. Students will attend placement one or two days per week over a specific period to fit in with the course delivery model.
Standard Placements
These are 35-hour placements and can be spread across five or more weeks or can be completed in College holidays where a block may be possible.
All employers who host a student on work placement must go through a York College Health and Safety check to ensure their working practices and environment are safe and have Employers Liability Insurance in place. Until this check has taken place and been approved, no work placement are allowed to start.
If you feel anything is unsafe or doesn’t feel right in your workplace, then please ensure you discuss this with your Progress Coach/Work Placement Coordinator immediately.
What checks need to take place before a placement can start?
- Health and Safety check
- Workplace induction
- Industry Placement Agreement (T Levels only)
- DBS check if applicable
- ECCS or CSCS check if applicable
Do I meet my employer before starting?
We encourage employers to complete an induction with students prior to starting placement, however some will take place on the first day of placement.
Who will help me organise my work placement?
You will begin by discussing placement ideas with the Careers and Enterprise Team at enrolment. They will take some basic information on your interests and current skillset. They will also discuss your travel options.
Once you have started at College, your course tutors and progress coach will be available to discuss your ideas. You can ask your family, friends, and other contacts for ideas of organisations to approach, or you might already know someone working who can offer you a placement. A Work Placement Coordinator can also support you in this process. If you’re really unsure of where you’d like your career to go, please click here to book a careers appointment.
What do I do if there’s a problem during my placement?
Talk to someone. Either your placement line manager or mentor, at the employer, or someone at College such as: your Progress Coach or Careers and Enterprise Officer, Assessor or Course Tutor.
What can I do if I can’t attend my placement?
If you are ill, or can’t attend for any other reason, please make sure you phone your placement employer as soon as possible. Their contact details will be within the confirmation email. Please also let us know in the Careers and Enterprise.
What happens once my work placement is arranged?
When your work placement is arranged and all checks have been completed by the Careers and Enterprise Team, a Confirmation Email will be sent to the student, parent/ carer, employer and course lead/ assessor so everyone is aware the placement is finalised and approved to start.
If you would have any further questions, please contact the Careers and Enterprise Team:
Telephone: 01904 770830 Email: placements@yorkcollege.ac.uk
You can also view our Your Future Your Placement Document here.
