A new service has been launched to give students at Bishop Auckland College extra support as they choose their next step in education or employment.
The newly launched Student Progression Service provides a personalised mentoring service to all learners and apprentices and will also be open to new course applicants.
Located in a dedicated space at the heart of the college’s main campus, the Student Progression Hub, it offers high quality careers education, information, advice and guidance on employment and further study opportunities.
Staff also help sourcing and arranging meaningful work placements with employers and developing employability skills.
The new hub was opened this week at a launch event attended by guest speaker Matt Joyce, Regional Manager: North East Ambition, set up by the North East LEP in 2017 to support schools and colleges to achieve national careers guidance benchmarks.
Bishop Auckland College was one of the few further education colleges in the region to join the initial pilot of the Gatsby Benchmarks scheme, which provides a clear framework for defining world class careers provision in education.
The opening of its new Student Progression Hub coincides with a celebration of 100 years of career guidance in the UK. In 1922, the National Association of Juvenile Employment and Welfare Officers, forerunner to the Institute of Career Guidance, was formed from a recognition of the need to apply professional expertise and theory to assist young people. The ICG was later followed by the Youth Employment and Connexions services.
Jennifer Phillips, Student Progression Manager at Bishop Auckland College, said: “The vision was to have a welcoming, bright, airy space for students, staff and visitors – an area that students felt comfortable in to discuss their career aspirations.
“Students are at the heart of the new Student Progression Service and all members of the team are passionate in the role we have in supporting and inspiring our students to explore career options, leading to high aspirations, clear career aims and achieving their full potential.”
The college is holding its latest open evening on Thursday May 12, from 5pm to 7pm at its main Woodhouse Lane campus, where tutors will be available to give advice on the huge range of full and part-time courses on offer.
Email careers@bacoll.ac.uk or call 01388 443059 to find out more about courses or book a tour of the college and its facilities.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
