Students at Ashton Sixth Form College who have identified an alternative route to university attended the 'Employability Conference'. The students in Employability tutor groups have shown an interest in progressing on to apprenticeships, further training or employment. As a result, they gain access to a wide range of options and opportunities such as the conference. 

Throughout the day students had the chance to improve their personal skills working with Barclays Life Skills and met with employers and providers including Brother UK, GMP and Network Rail.

The aim of the Employability Conference was to provide students with a greater understanding of the application processes involved, as well as connecting students to prospective employers and providers face-to-face. On arrival, students registered in the Food Market where they were treated as professionals with a networking breakfast.

The Employability pathway requires a range of skills. Many apprenticeship and application processes are getting tougher each year and more competitive - including assessment centres, tasks, group work activites, psychometric testing and more. The conference officially began in the Lecture Theatre with Barclays Life Skills as the first section of the day was dedicated to 'Building Confidence and Reslience'. Students learned the need to present themselves and work efficiently at interviews or assessment days, as well as being confident in their own abilities and strengths moving forward.

After lunch, the Employability Conference broke up in to groups. While some students learnt about the different ways to find opportunities after college, other students met with apprenticeship providers and employers. These included Brother UK, Greater Manchester Police, Network Rail, the Apprentice Academy, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, CDL and Daymar Training. Past students from Ashton Sixth Form College who are currently on apprenticeships with the providers mentioned, also spoke to students about their own personal experiences alongside representatives from the companies.

With a greater knowledge and understanding, these students are now able to move forward and make informed and focused decisions about their futures.

Employability Day 2018