Closing the gap between the world of education and the world of work is vital if young people are to make the best choices in life, according to Elaine Bowker, Principal of The City of Liverpool College.

Whilst she welcomes recent government plans for a Careers and Enterprise Company in schools, Mrs Bowker believes institutions must put their own systems in place now to ensure the delivery  of first class careers advice:

“It’s vital that all institutions strive to provide outstanding careers services that will inspire young people to explore all their options and understand how decisions they make now will impact them in the future,

“Education has to work hand in hand with careers and job opportunities and careers advice is an essential element of this mix.”

The City of Liverpool College now has their own Careers Coach service, to help advise students and potential students on what their options.

Careers Coach is an online resource which gives details of trends in the jobs market, explains a wide variety of roles in all sectors, covers careers progression and salary, outlines what training and skills are necessary to enter a particular field and even goes as far as assessing personality, attitude and aptitude to suggest possible careers.  The service also offers the option for students to build their own CVs and has live job vacancies.

Careers Coach has been part of The City of Liverpool College’s careers offering for the last year.

Liverpool Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills, Nick Small said:

“The Government’s changes to careers advice and guidance has let students down. The City Council welcomes the College’s Career Coach initiative and believes that this is best practice.  Anything that builds strong links with employers and gives young people strong advice on the choices available to them is great news for the city and city region.”

Elaine Bowker added:

“Now with the job market ever more competitive it is crucial that young people are making informed decisions about their future, choosing training and courses which will give them the skills they need for their career goals.

“At the College we see the transition from education to the workplace is critical and we aim to create skills for jobs and ensure all of our students have a clear picture of the potential paths ahead,  whether they be careers straight after leaving us or after Higher Education.”

The City of Liverpool College holds the Matrix Standard, a national quality award to recognise the standard of information, advice and guidance provided to students.

For more information on Career Coach and the college visit liv-coll.ac.uk