At Vireo Academy, careers education forms an integral part of our Personal Development programme. Our careers curriculum is informed and guided by the Black Country Hub partners; CDI Framework Career Development skills and Careers Statutory Guidance. We believe that good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them; every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future. We follow the Gatsby benchmarks which identifies a set of eight benchmarks that we use as a framework for improving our careers provision. There are many different routes a young person can take in their next steps into Post 16 provision: apprenticeships, FE colleges, training centres or employment—we are here to support our young people with whatever path they choose to take. Our team of Transition Tutors are also available to continue to support Year 11s, as they make their journey from The Vireo Academy to their next setting; maintaining contact throughout the summer term and into their induction period in the Autumn.
The Careers Programme will be available during the Spring Term 2026.
Transition Coaches
Our team of transition coaches, including Mrs R Durrant and Miss T Haytree, maintain support and contact with our Year 11 young people to achieve smooth transitions from Vireo to their individual post 16 placements
Please contact us if you need and support – we are here to help
Mon-Fir 10am – 4pm
Personal Development
Careers & Preparing 4 Adulthood
At Vireo, careers education forms an integral part of our Personal Development programme. Our careers curriculum is informed and guided by the Black Country Hub partners; CDI Framework Career Development skills and Careers Statutory Guidance. We believe that good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them; every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future. We follow the Gatsby benchmarks which identifies a set of eight benchmarks that we use as a framework for improving our careers provision.
https://www.goodcareerguidance.org.uk/benchmarks-and-background
Offsite visits to further education providers enhance our programme and where possible, representatives from industry and workplaces are invited into centre. Through these informal encounters, young people are able to ask questions and hear first-hand about a range of work roles and employee experiences.
Our team of Transition Tutors are also available to continue to support Year 11s, as they make their journey from The Vireo Academy to their next setting; maintaining contact throughout the summer term and into their induction period in the Autumn.
There are many different routes a young person can take in their next steps into Post 16 provision: apprenticeships, FE colleges, training centres or employment—we are here to support our young people with whatever path they choose to take. Read on to find out more about the range of options available.
Post 16 Option: Education and the Law
You can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. You must then do one of the following:
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Stay in full-time education at school, sixth form college or further education college
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Start an apprenticeship or traineeship
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Spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering while also doing part-time education or training.
Sixth Form—A Levels:
Sixth Forms can be attached to a secondary school or they can be a college. You choose to study A Levels for a two year period. Usually you opt to study 3-4 academic subjects. For example: English Language, English Literature, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Law, Sociology, Psychology, Business, Economics, Computing, Languages, Drama, Music, Art, and many more. These are excellent qualifications that are valued by employers and universities. A Levels offer a great route to degree level study.
If you want to study A Levels the requirement is usually at least 5 (or more) GCSEs including English and Maths at level 5 or higher. Different colleges/courses may vary so you would need to check what entry requirements are needed. If you are unsure you can meet the grades required, please speak to Miss Durrant for advice.
College—BTEC and Vocational Courses
These types of courses are usually related to a broad employment area such as business, engineering, IT, health and social care. They often lead to specific jobs such as hairdressing, accounting, professional cookery or plumbing. These qualifications are ideal if you have a particular career in mind. Again these courses usually studied for two years.
If you want to go down the BTEC/Vocational route the requirement is usually at least 5 (or more) GCSEs at level 4 or higher. Different colleges/courses may vary so you would need to check what entry requirements are needed. If you are unsure you can meet the grades required, please speak to Miss Durrant for advice.
T Levels are relatively new courses that started in September 2020 and are equivalent to 3 A Levels. They are two year courses developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the requirements of industry and prepares you for the world of work. T Levels offer a mix of class-based learning and work experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours, which is equivalent to approximately 45 days. This provides the knowledge and experience required to enter skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship. Courses available locally include Childcare and Education; Construction Design; Surveying and Planning; Science and Health Care and Digital. For more information, visit the government website: https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
T Level courses include the following compulsory elements:
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a technical qualification, which includes:
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core theory, concepts and skills for an industry area
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specialist skills and knowledge for an occupation and career
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an industry placement with an employer
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a minimum standard in maths and English if students have not already achieved them
Colleges offers may vary so you would need to check what entry requirements are needed. If you are unsure you can meet the grades required or what courses are available, please speak to Miss Durrant for advice.
Getting a job:
You can consider leaving school and finding employment. At 16 years of age you can legally start work either full time or part time. If you are considering working full time you will need to have a clear idea of what you’d like to do. Your employer must provide accredited training for you up until you are 18 years of age.
Armed Forces:
If you are considering a career in the armed forces there are a vast range of jobs and career paths available in all services. Whatever pathway you are interested in, please speak to Miss Durrant for more information on entry requirements and recruitment.
Apprenticeships:
Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study giving you the chance to learn, gain nationally recognised qualifications while getting a weekly wage.
As an apprentice you’ll:
Be an employee earning a wage and getting holiday pay
Work alongside experienced staff
Gain job-specific skills
Get time for training and study related to your role (at least 20% of your normal working hours)
Apprenticeships take 1 to 5 years to complete depending on their level.
For more information, visit the government website: https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice
Traineeships
A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last from 6 weeks up to 1 year, though most last for less than 6 months.
For more information, visit the government website: https://www.gov.uk/find-traineeship or speak to Miss Durrant for advice.
Info coming soon
Careers Information, Advice & Guidance
Black Country Hub working with The Careers & Enterprise Company have produced a comprehensive list of useful links to support parents, carers and young people with their journey into employment and training. Click here to download the leaflet.
Jane Cox is our Connexions advisor, available for expert guidance and advice on careers, local opportunities, and courses as well as practical support to apply for jobs, training, or apprenticeships.
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One-to-one advice and guidance
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Support identifying opportunities
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Support completing applications and CV’s
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Support in the classroom in partnership with local schools
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Events for young people and for local parents to find out more about their child’s opportunities and provide information on qualifications available.
