Careers Information & Support

Oaklands College students of all ages, from any course, can access qualified and experienced Careers Advisers who can offer careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) to help support students in their decision-making. But what do we mean by providing careers information, advice and guidance?

Information: is just simply giving you the facts about things like course content, progression routes, or data about where there are skills shortages and which jobs are in demand or in decline.

Advice: is interpreting and explaining the information so that the Adviser can recommend a specific course of action when you might be unsure about what to do. Examples include tips on improving your CV or interview technique, or signposting to relevant websites or events.

Guidance: is a longer and a deeper one-to-one process, and may require more than one session, where an Adviser will discuss with you your ideas, values, interests, strengths and weaknesses, ambitions, and potential challenges so that you can create a more detailed plan of action. This might include finding out what your career path might be if you are uncertain, exploring different progression routes, and examining challenges and strategies to move past them. In most cases, you will be given a detailed action plan, summarising the sessions, for you to follow. Careers Advisers work closely with the college’s Student Advice & Safeguarding Team, who, by your request, can make referrals to if you have problems impacting you that a Careers Adviser cannot directly help you with.

Think of your guidance as a map to your career destination, where advice is the direction to take, and information is a list of things you need to know to complete your journey.

Some of the things a Careers Adviser can help you with:

• Finding out which career you may like to take.
• Course and progression advice.
• Updating or creating your CV.
• Finding and applying for employment, apprenticeships or higher education courses.
• Writing personal statements for university applications (UCAS) or for job applications that require them.
• How to find and apply for student finance for university.

All sessions with a Careers Adviser are conducted in confidence, subject to our safeguarding obligations. They are also impartial, which means that you are always at the centre of the conversation and that the Advisers will help you make informed decisions that you feel are best for you and not for any other individual or institution. You can have a face-to-face appointment at any of our campuses, a telephone appointment, or a Teams call at a time that is convenient.

What should I do if I want to see a Careers Adviser?

There is a Careers Adviser at both the St. Albans and Welwyn Garden City campuses, located in their respective LRCs, who you can go and see to make an appointment, or you can contact them at careers@oaklands.ac.uk.

Oaklands College has an embedded programme of careers education designed to give students different experiences and activities that prepare them not just for their chosen careers but for the world of work in general.

Last year, 99.8% of our students completed a work experience placement — placing Oaklands in the top 1% of colleges nationally. We work with over 2,500 employers and run a packed calendar of careers events, employer encounters and progression activities throughout the year. Some of the activities you can expect are:

• Work experience placements across all 21 curriculum areas — including T Level Industry Placements (315 hours) in Construction, Engineering, Health and Animal Care
• Employability and careers workshops — including CV writing, interview skills, UCAS personal statements and labour market information sessions
• Employer-led projects and industry simulations — students work on real briefs set by employers such as Morgan Sindall, GSK and Computacenter
• Employer encounters and industry talks — including National Careers Week events, guest speakers from local and national employers, and careers fairs with 20+ universities and employers at both campuses
• HE and apprenticeship fairs at both campuses — with university admissions teams, degree apprenticeship providers, and HTQ pathways at our WGC Higher Skills Centre
• Career maps for every curriculum area — real job roles, salary data, and employer partners specific to your course.
• Canvas VLE Careers and Work Experience page which includes valuable resources and links.
• Bodyswaps headsets that allow students to undergo such things as job interviews through a safe virtual reality environment.

We offer over 300 courses at all levels to prepare you for a successful career, from full-time programmes for school leavers to HNDs and foundation degrees for adults. Use our course finder tool to discover the course that's right for you.

The college’s careers education and guidance programme is designed to support students in their decision-making and to develop their career awareness and readiness. Our programme is constructed on and measured by the Gatsby Benchmarks, which have been central to the government's statutory careers guidance for education and training providers since 2018. This ensures that every student receives a high-quality careers entitlement for the duration that they are at the college. You can view the college’s Careers Education & Guidance policy in the link below.

Our Careers Advisers are qualified to at least level 6 certification, a mandatory requirement to deliver CIAG, which is accredited by the Careers Development Institute, the professional body for career practitioners. The careers guidance provided by the college is accredited to the Matrix Standard Award for information, advice and guidance services.

You can never overestimate the importance of support from parents and carers when young people are making important life choices, such as a career. Taking time to talk to your young person about their plans for the future can make a big difference, and if they have questions and challenges concerning career choices, you can encourage them to contact the careers team, who will give them the professional help that they need.

We also want to support parents and carers to support their young people. So, if, as a parent or carer, you need some help, then you are invited to contact the careers team, who will provide you with the same quality of service provided to the students. You can contact the careers team at careers@oaklands.ac.uk. Careers Advisers will be present on our main campuses on open days, parents’ evenings and various other events.

We would also like to know how we can further help parents and carers in the future. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please contact us at the email address above.

Working With Oaklands — Industry Advantage

A unique, free employer partnership programme — built around what your business actually needs.

Oaklands College works with over 2,500 employers across Hertfordshire and beyond. Our students — approximately 2,600 each year, across 21 curriculum areas at St Albans and Welwyn Garden City — are training in the sectors you recruit from: construction, engineering, health and social care, business, computing, hospitality, animal management, performing arts, and more.

99.8% of our students complete a work experience placement before they leave us — placing Oaklands in the top 1% of colleges nationally. Many go on to become apprentices and employees with the same employers who gave them that first opportunity. We are not asking for favours — we are offering a genuine, structured partnership with tangible benefits on both sides.

The Industry Advantage Scheme

The Industry Advantage is our free employer partnership programme. You commit to at least three ways of supporting our students — tailored to your business and available time. In return, Oaklands commits to a range of tangible benefits for your organisation.

Examples of what you can contribute (choose at least three): Work experience placement (min 30 hours) | T Level industry placement (45+ days) | Employer-led project or industry simulation | Guest speaker or Industry Insight talk | Mock interviews or CV workshops | Industry board attendance | Mentoring or coaching | Apprenticeship recruitment | Course validation or co-design | Use of facilities, equipment or as a case study | Job interview guaranteed for completing students | Staff CPD shadowing of Oaklands staff | Strategic partnership agreement.

What Oaklands provides in return: Free stand at B2B and B2C events | Access to 50+ free online qualification courses for staff | Access to 50+ CPD courses at heavily discounted rates | Exclusive networking events with 150+ businesses | Membership and exclusive invite to industry boards | Access to our student talent pool and job shop | Exclusive invites to industry insight days and key student events | Discounted advanced professional development (L3+) | Bespoke training packages | Discounts on facility hire, conference rooms and the Stables restaurant | Consultative student work projects for your business | Spotlight in our employer newsletter and weekly internal newsletter | Volunteering opportunities for staff | Logo, description and reciprocal website link | Free advertisement of vacancies via Grofar.

Ways to Get Involved

Work Experience Placements — Host a student from any of our 21 curriculum areas. Study programme students complete a minimum of 30 hours. Our Work Experience team handles all documentation, safeguarding, and student preparation.

T Level Industry Placements — T Level students complete 315 hours — approximately 45 days — of structured industry placement. T Levels are available in Construction, Engineering, Health, and Animal Care at Oaklands.

Employer-Led Projects — Set our students a real workplace brief and let them work on it in college, with your team involved throughout. Available across all 21 curriculum areas. Past examples include tender simulations with Morgan Sindall, laboratory projects with GSK, and digital skills workshops with Computacentre.

Guest Speaking and Industry Talks — Come in and talk to our students about your sector, career, or what you look for when hiring. Even a 30-minute session makes a significant difference to a student's career thinking.

Mock Interviews and Skills Workshops — Help our students prepare for the real world. Mock interview sessions, CV workshops, and professional skills days are among the most impactful activities employers deliver at Oaklands.

Industry Boards — Sit on one of our curriculum advisory boards and help shape what we teach. Board membership is one of the most strategic ways to build a lasting relationship with Oaklands.

Get in Touch

For work experience, T Level placements, employer-led projects, guest speaking, and employer encounters: Ravin Anenden, Head of Careers, Work Experience & Industry Placements — careers@oaklands.ac.uk

For commercial partnerships, apprenticeships, skills bootcamps, and funded training: Lauren Murkin, Business Development Manager — 01727 737000