Careers and transition guidance

The RNC experience is more than being outcome focused or obtaining vocational or academic qualifications. It’s about achievement beyond the classroom and raising aspirations. Your career programme will start with you becoming accomplished in your chosen medium of accessible technology, utilising time management practice, developing independent living skills and gaining industry recognised qualifications, all of which will provide you with a solid foundation to succeed within the workplace.

Career Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme

Our CEIAG team ensures all students have access to comprehensive, unbiased, individualised careers advice, guidance, and planning.

Every student will create a Career and Transition Action Plan to have clarity and confidence in taking their next steps.

Our Career Development Programme is progressive, student-focused, and personalised. The aim is to prepare you to independently navigate your career pathway with an awareness of opportunities available, employer and employee responsibilities, and what to expect along the way.

Vocational

Our training programmes give you the practical skills, experience and qualifications you need to follow specific career pathways. At RNC we are proud of the number of qualified students who leave us and embark on careers in fitness, massage, business, technology, media, the arts and sport.

Preparing for employment

To help you move into your future career, the CEIAG team will guide you through a range of employability skills, including how to compile CVs, write covering letters, and complete application forms. You will undertake mock interviews. You will learn how to conduct digital job searches and establish a professional presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Google.

University preparation

You will benefit from a dedicated team who will guide you through your university and course research, UCAS applications, student finance and Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) applications; support you with university visits; and provide informed talks from Higher Education professionals. Living at a residential college is great preparation for university life.

Work experience

Students complete a minimum of a week-long work experience placement each year. You may also attend regular placements provided by local employers, or internal/external work-based learning projects, where you can further develop your employability skills.

RNC can supply a prospective employer with any assistive technology that might be needed, as well as being on hand to answer any questions the employer might have. An employer health and safety risk assessment will be conducted for any placements organised and the employer will also undergo an RNC work experience briefing session and be checked to ensure they have public liability insurance in place.

The RNC’s Careers Programme and the Annual Career Development Planner can be downloaded here.

Careers strategy

Our careers strategy document outlines a stable / structured Careers Programme that aims to prepare young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life which is a core statutory responsibility for RNC. It should enable all students to make well-informed decisions about education, training, apprenticeships and employment opportunities as well as help to cope with challenging labour market conditions.

RNC's Careers Programme is delivered in line with the Government's Careers Strategy as published in 'Careers strategy: making the most of everyone's skills and talents' (Department for Education, December 2017) and is based on the eight benchmarks of good career guidance, developed by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.