FROM renewables to midwifery, a careers adviser answered questions from Grimsby Telegraph readers on all sorts of pathways as part of a high-profile campaign.
Darrell Collins, a careers adviser for Franklin College, spoke to readers about where they want to be and how to get there in a webchat on www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
The online debate was part of our Your Life: Your Future initiative, which aims to help people make informed choices about the kind of career they want to have.
The first question came from Katie, a 26-year-old mum who is expecting her second child in October.
Katie told Darrell that she was interested in midwifery – a course that has become popular since fees increased, as students are now looking for qualifications with a clearer link to a career.
However, Katie said she had "no idea where to even start".
Darrell, who described the career path as "very competitive", explained that you need GCSE and either A-levels or an access to higher education course to get a place at a university to study midwifery.
There are also, she said, nearby universities such as Hull and Lincoln that offer the course. Franklin offers GCSE evening classes and Grimsby Institute do access to higher education courses.
The next question came from a reader posting as Bladerunner.
He asked: "How ready is Franklin, and the town in general, for the offshore wind industry?"
Darrell answered: "I can't answer for the town in general but Franklin offer A-levels in maths, geology and the science subjects.
"If anyone was wanting to get onto an apprenticeship scheme or do a degree in engineering, a combination of these sorts of subjects would be invaluable."
Another question came from Laura, 28, who has qualifications in health and social care and worked as a senior support worker for ten years before leaving in January to work with adults with learning disabilities.
She asked: "What path can I take?"
Darrell replied: "There are various opportunities if you would like to study further. Student finance is now available for over-24s in part-time study.
"You can also have a look at www.nhscareers.nhs.uk which will tell you about various positions and routes into them."
Following the webchat, Darrell said: "It was a useful exercise and a good chance to direct people to more information on external websites.
"There is a lot of information out there but most people don't know where to fund it."
Darrell added: "A Levels don't only equip young people for university. I was in York at an apprenticeship launch event on Wednesday and it was clear that there is a big government drive on Higher Apprenticeships which require A Levels. "There are lots of national companies that recruit school leavers with A Levels or BTEC Level 3 qualifications every year. "These are known variously as School Leaver Schemes, Higher Apprenticeships or Sponsored Degrees and are available in different sectors. "They include accounting, business, finance, engineering, marketing, IT, retail management, hospitality and hotel management, as well as opportunities in the civil service and the Armed Forces. "Here's some general advice for anyone unsure of what they want to do in the future. You need to think about your main interests and what you are good at. "A good way to start thinking about this is to do a careers test." Follow these links for careers tests and more info on your future: www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/careers andhttps://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/tools/Pages/default.aspxTo replay the discussion, click on the player below:
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