DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Current students at DCG

Term Dates

Parents Evening Dates

Prospective students of DCG

DCG Open Days

Remaining Open Days for 2022 – for prospective students

Broomfield Hall Open Day – 27/04/22

Drop in between 5pm – 7pm on Wednesday 27th April to find out about our exciting range of courses at Broomfield Hall. Pre-register now!

Get Hired: Apprenticeships Jobs Fair – 12/05/22

Come along to our event to find a huge range of: full time, part time & apprenticeship roles! Pre-registration is required.

DCG Open Evening (All Sites – Held at the Roundhouse) – 9/6/22
Pre-registration is required. Drop in between 5pm – 7pm to meet with a staff representative from the site you wish to study at. There will be staff representation from: The Roundhouse, The Joseph Wright Centre, Broomfield Hall and The Community Centre, Ilkeston. Please note: there will not be staff from every curriculum area present but there will be someone from each site who can give you guidance on what it will be like to study with us.

CORONAVIRUS COVID-19

The government have published information for schools and colleges on how the Living with Covid plan will work from the 1st of April.

The highlights of the guidance are that:

• Free testing for the general public (including students and employees) ends on 1st April.
• There are significant changes in the guidance about students and employees staying at home: “Students and Employees who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend”
• Adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, the advice is 3 days.
Government guidelines for colleges.

Talking futures

Making your careers conversations easier When it comes to education and careers, parents, carers and guardians are the biggest Influence in young people’s lives.

Talking Futures is a resource designed and created to help you have informed and constructive conversations with your child about training and education pathways available.

It can feel overwhelming starting a conversation with your child about their future working life, particularly if they are struggling or disengaged with their college or school. But remember, the first conversation is just the beginning, Neither you nor they should feel under pressure to have all the answers straight away. Talking Futures has loads of ideas on how to start careers conversations and how to make them motivating on an ongoing basis. Visit the Talking Futures website for more information. Making your careers conversations easier – Talking Futures

CAREERS

Virtual Progression Fair

Over 900 Level 3, Year 1 students, attended our Virtual Progression Fair on 23rd March, organised by the careers team at the college.

The Fair comprised of over 65 workshops from members of DCG staff and external providers including 45 different universities, apprenticeship providers, 12 large employers, including Rolls Royce, Toyota and the NHS, and business start-up advice with students choosing 6 sessions to attend throughout the day. The Fair was attended by Level 3, Year 1 students, from a wide range of A-level subjects and vocational programmes.

The event aimed to help students further understand the options choices, develop their understanding about sectors and subjects and gave them a chance to get their questions answered. The event was well received by our students and the providers noted the students involvement in the workshops, both through their participation in a range of interactive activities and their insightful questions.

A snapshot of feedback we’ve received from students about their favourite session, includes:

• Creative careers. Really changed my mind about the nature of being creative in work
• The year abroad one as it allowed me to consider other options I would not have considered before
• HE at Derby College, it helped me discover that HE is for me
• Paramedic Science, the speaker was very detailed about what being a paramedic entailed and he was very passionate about it
• “What is The Russell Group?” since it told me a lot about how to get into certain universities that I’m thinking of applying for
• Degree v degree apprenticeships it was very detailed and highlighted the differences between all aspects of the two

A few examples of what they will do next:

• Further research on courses and universities
• Discuss my options with my parents and begin to look at appropriate courses for me
• Looking into different fields into medicine and looking at UCAT practice questions
• Hope to learn more at UCAS exhibition
• Look into work experience for biomedical science

Be warned, your child may want to visit a university open day!
All students have access to all the sessions as they are recorded.

We will continue to build on the momentum generated at the event, when, after the Easter break, all level 3, year 1 students will receive a tutorial session to help them continue draft a personal statement (for Higher Education, employment, an apprenticeship or voluntary work). We hope that your child found the Progression Fair informative, interesting and enjoyable.

UCAS Exhibition – East Midlands

A number of Level 2 and Level 3 including groups, from GCSE Plus, childcare, A-levels, engineering and creative students attended the UCAS East Midlands Exhibition, held at Derby Arena in late March.
The event aimed to help students to find out much more about their next step choices and explore a range of options in Higher Education and apprenticeships.

As a result of the event, students have requested follow-up careers appointments to discuss and evaluate the information they gathered from speaking to stall holders on the day. One GCSE plus student noted how it helped them to select the right A levels.

As a result of both events and other employer events in college this term your child may have questions about their next steps. Please see the useful information websites that may help you or your child.

USEFUL WEBSITES

We are aware that you might be receiving additional questions from your child about their next step options, as a result of attending one or both events- and so invite you to please get in touch with the Careers team at DCG if you have any questions or you require any support with this: careers@derby-college.ac.uk

You might also find some of the following websites, some of which are specifically designed to for parents/carers, useful:

Support with Higher Education options: Advice For Parents And Guardians | UCAS | Parent Guide To University
Support with Apprenticeships: Support for parents and guardians (apprenticeships.gov.uk) and Parent Zone – Amazing Apprenticeships
Support with post-16 and post 18 options: Post 16 options | National Careers Service and Post 18 options | National Careers Service

LEVEL 3, YEAR 2 STUDENTS – who have applied for Higher Education to start this autumn

A reminder that it is time for your child to apply for their Student Finance. You, and your child, can find out details (plus access the online application form) – https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/ It’s time to apply for student finance! – Student finance: getting it right first time – Find all our latest guidance for students, parents and partners on student finance and how to get it right first time in the academic year 2021 to 2022.

The closing date for completed online finance applications is 20th May 2022. If you, or your child, need help with making sense of/replying to offers on UCAS and/or Student Finance, please contact the Careers team at: careers@derby-college.ac.uk

You may also find the following website and video useful: Support your child or partner’s student finance application: Give details of your household income – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and https://youtu.be/2QDtIc2MnlI

If you or your child require any assistance with making sense of/replying to offers on UCAS and/or Student Finance, please contact the Careers team at: careers@derby-college.ac.uk The College Careers team can support all students with a range of areas, including: making decisions about their next step options, ways to identify and develop their strengths, skills and abilities in relation to their next step; plus, practical help with making applications and preparing CVs

Please contact the Careers team for support if required.
The team can support your child with identifying which programme to apply for and help to check whether they meet the eligibility criteria and support them to complete the application. You can contact the Careers team by email on: careers@derby-college.ac.uk

VIEW ALL DCG’S LATEST NEWS STORIES

More information for Parents and Carers can be found on the DCG website.