Students Explore Progression Pathways at Next Steps Fayre

After two years of ‘virtual’ progression events due to the pandemic, organisers were delighted to welcome representatives from over 50 universities from across the UK. Learners were able to browse stalls, discuss degree options, gather information and access talks on broad range of subjects including; sports criminology, careers in the film and music industry, architecture, nursing, sustainability, art and law.

The subject specific sessions were complemented by a series of practical workshops to help demystify the university application process including; writing a compelling personal statement and preparing for interviews, choosing a competitive programme of study, the UCAS process and managing finance.

The universities were joined by over 35 employers including: Aston Marina, Bee Active, British Army, Capula Limited, DJH Mitten Clarke, EMS Industries, Hitachi, IAE, KMF, NHS Trust UHNM, Moddershall Oaks, Ornua Foods and Rogers Barbershop who all attended to provide practical sector-based career advice and guidance. They were supported by the NSCG apprenticeship team who were showcasing the variety of job vacancies available through ‘The Apprenticeship Hub’, a free service available at the NSCG Newcastle and NSCG Stafford campuses to offer advice on all aspects of employment, including vacancy matching, writing a CV, interview preparation tips and how to find the right job or apprenticeship.

NSCG staff were also on hand to provide advice to those students wishing to further their studies in a familiar environment and enjoy fees that are generally lower than those offered by traditional universities. NSCG offers a range of university-level courses (HNC/Ds and Foundation degrees) in a number of subjects including; Business, Computing, Digital Content Creation, Education, Engineering, Fashion & Textiles, Health & Social Care, Music, Performing Arts, Public Services and Sport.

Liz Wyman, Head of Learning Resources and Guidance at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, said: “This event is one of the biggest of its kind in the West Midlands region. We were delighted to welcome prestigious employers and universities from the four corners of the UK back to our campus to meet students and provide invaluable progression advice and guidance. The event is now in its 12^th consecutive year and just gets bigger each year, we see it as a great way of allowing students to take the first steps on to their future career, without having to leave their doorstep.”

51 universities attended the event from all over the UK including: Aston University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Durham University, De Montfort University, Edge Hill University, Falmouth University, Harper Adams University, Keele University, University of Liverpool, Loughborough University, University of Nottingham, University of the Arts London, Staffordshire University and Queen's University Belfast.

In 2021 circa 1,140 young people left NSCG to progress to over 107 university destinations, studying a wide variety of degree subjects including Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Criminology, Fashion Public Relations, Forensic Psychology, Medicine, Physical Natural Sciences and Theology and Religion.

Karen Dobson, Principal and Chief Executive of Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, said: “The number of students progressing to university from NSCG has grown consistently over the years, we are now one of the largest providers of students to university in the country. However, university isn’t the option for everyone, so we were delighted to welcome back a large number of important employer partners to the College on the back of National Apprenticeship Week, to discuss the diverse range of apprenticeship and employment opportunities available across the region.”

Karen continued: “This is a fabulous event which is very well attended and it is extremely well supported by universities and local employers. It gives students a great opportunity to gain unbiased information regarding their next steps upon completion of their study programme, whether that is going to university or completing a higher apprenticeship. Events such as this serve to re-inforce our commitment to helping students make the right choices for their future career pathway.”

To find out more about university level courses at either Newcastle College or Stafford College, visit nscg.ac.uk or contact the Information Point on 01782 254254 (Newcastle College) or 01785 223800 (Stafford College) or he@nscg.ac.uk.