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Careers at NUAST

Careers at NUAST are at the very heart of everything that we do. Around 80% of our Post 16 students go on to University study, with the majority of the rest choosing higher or degree level apprenticeships.

This page of our website is designed for our current students to help find the future direction that is right for them.

All schools have a designated careers leader. At NUAST this is a member of the leadership team and from 2024 this is Mr Modi, Assistant Headteacher.

We follow the Gatsby Benchmarks, which provide the methodology by which we can significantly improve the employability and life skills of our young people, regardless of their academic ability or which career pathway they choose to take. Students will experience multiple interactions with employers through careers talks, events, work experience, assemblies and in lessons across the wider curriculum. In addition to this, students are able to access personal guidance which help shape their thinking regarding their potential pathways and future destinations.

Careers Initiatives by Key Stage

Key Stage 3

• Unifrog launch to all year groups (Y7)
• Assemblies on employability skills and higher education
• Focused programme during Personal Development Time to understand careers and future pathways
• Curriculum Choices
• Individual lessons linked to careers pathways
• Enrichment opportunities including STEM Awareness Days

Key Stage 4

• Careers programme during Personal Development Time
• Tutors support students to develop their Curriculum Vitae
• Work Experience opportunities for all students
• Mock Interview Day
• Students attend the National Apprenticeship Fair
• All students have a careers appointment with a careers advisor to discuss the next steps and possible pathways.
• Assemblies on employability skills and higher education
• Support from tutors to apply and secure Sixth Form/College destinations
• Futures provide one-to-one support for students who require additional support and guidance.
• Effective use of Unifrog to complete careers activities and track their journey
• Post 16 destinations assemblies
• Individual lessons linked to careers pathways
• Enrichment opportunities including STEM Awareness Days

Sixth Form

• Assemblies on employability skills and higher education (Rolls Royce, Army)
• Support from tutors to apply and secure University placements/Apprenticeships
• All students in Year 12 have a careers appointment with a careers advisor to discuss the next steps and possible pathways.
• Researching Higher Education opportunities
• Teachers discuss careers opportunities in their subject area
• Individual lessons linked to careers pathways
• Enrichment opportunities including STEM Awareness Days
• University Visits
• UCAS Application Support
• Year 12 Work Experience

Click here to visit our Virtual Careers Library

NUAST Parent guide to careers

Please find below a link to our parent's guide to careers education at NUAST. This booklet gives you the information you need about who to contact and how, the Gatsby benchmarks we work to and how we aim to fulfill them , how to use both Unifrog and KUDOS and the provision we plan for your child all the way through their school life, from year 7 to year 11

Click here to download our Parent guide to careers education at NUAST

Independent careers advice

We are proud to have worked for many years with Ideas4careers, a professional independent careers advice company based locally. They provide independent, expert, sound advice to our students about their next steps, producing a careers action plan that is linked to the student's unifrog account.

Your child will have a one to one careers interview with a qualified careers advisor three times:

• In year 9, to support with making the best choices for their GCSE options
• In year 11, to support with making those crucial Post 16 choices and college applications
• Year 12, to support with future careers plans and their choices of university course, apprenticeship or other route.

For more information on Ideas4careers, please see their website

ideas4careers.co.uk/

​Unifrog

At the heart of careers at is Unifrog. All students from year 10 upwards currently have a unifrog log in. Unifrog is an extremely powerful tool that allows students to see current university places on offer, apprenticeships of all levels as well as sixth form places. Students can enter their own predicted grades and Unifrog will find you courses related to your interests that suit your likely results.

Students can filter opportunities according to distance, type of institution, student satisfaction and much more. Students can write their Cv's and application letters using its software.

Students can sign in here

In addition, Unifrog offers:

• Access to thousands of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
• ​Comprehensive information and videos about jobs and careers
• Loads of advice on the application process
• Ability to record any work experience you might have
• Ability to record skills you have learned for competency based interview questions
• Ability to record interactions with employers

We encourage ALL students in years 10-13 to use Unifrog frequently. Students can use their phones to access it.

Destinations and apprenticeships

Please see the excellent video below by D2N2, showcasing some of the excellent apprenticeship opportunities out there. The video features two of our former engineering students who, with our support, won apprenticeships at Swiftool Precision Engineering, a local Nuclear and Petrochemical engineering company that has worked with NUAST

For Employers

NUAST is determined to develop fantastic young people who are "work ready" and professional from their first day on the job. Our aim is to shape young people that local businesses will want to employ, and we are delighted that so many local employers come back to us again and again seeking new recruits because they have seen how great our students are.

We aim to ensure our students are placed in the best possible apprenticeships, training opportunities and jobs. If you are an employer looking for young people to join your apprenticeship, training scheme or for work opportunities and there are specific skills you are looking for, please get in touch with us via enquiries@nuast.org

We will speak to students with the right skillsets you are looking for and, with their agreement, forward you their CV and facilitate an application.

We are always delighted to hear from new employers who would like to work with us, either on outreach activities or to advertise their career opportunities. Again, please contact us on enquiries@nuast.org if you would like to discuss working with us.