Careers & Work Experience
Careers Programme
To support individuals on their journey to a successful career all students studying with us here at Trafford College are enlisted onto our Careers Programme, as an integral part of their study programme. We even provide impartial careers guidance and support before students choose to enrol with us.
Trafford College holds the Matrix Standard for the provision of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG). There are teams of professional, qualified and impartial Advisors available to offer a range of IAG services. This programme highlights the IAG offer available careers to learners and is mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Start Careers
Start is a free, online careers platform designed to connect 11-18 year olds to their future career potential. With tools such as job suitability profiling and an online record of achievement students can use the platform to explore job profiles, apprenticeship vacancies and course information.
Who uses the Start Careers platform?
- Students – as the key beneficiaries, students between the ages of 11-18 are the significant user group on Start.
- Teachers – from senior leaders to heads of year and subject teachers, Start is used by everyone involved in the careers process.
- Careers advisers – personal guidance from a professional is an essential part of any careers programme and Start helps these users to stay up to date and engage with students.
- Parents – as a key influencer in a young person’s careers advice, Start provides parents with access to the same information so that they can better support their children.
Anyone can join the careers platform, at anytime. Simply follow the link here to register for Start, and start your journey to a thriving career.
Gatsby Benchmark
Good career guidance helps inspire students towards further study and enables them to make informed decisions whenever choices are open to them. It helps them to understand enough about the world of work to know what skills and qualifications they need to succeed. It is critical for social mobility because it helps open students’ eyes to careers they may not have considered.
The Benchmarks for Colleges listed here outline the important elements of a robust career guidance programme, as well as outlining how we at Trafford College meet the benchmark. They have been developed from the Gatsby Benchmarks for good career guidance, following consultation with a range of colleges across England to align them with the needs of the sector.
A stable careers programme
Embedded within each study programme
Learning from career and labour market information
Careers Section on our website and information in tutorials
Addressing the needs of each student
Careers Guidance Team and Tutorials
Linking curriculum learning to careers
Programme of Study
Encounters with employers and employees
Work Experience expectation within programme of study
Experiences of workplaces
Work Visits, Work Shadowing, Work Experience, Work Placements
Encounters with further and higher education
Careers IAG provision, HE fairs, Visits from HE Providers
Personal guidance
Careers Guidance is provided for all students