Careers Advisors Info
We know that the August results time is a very busy time of the year for Careers Teachers and Advisors. Vocational, GCSE and A-level results are out. Some students will do better (or worse!) than expected and need your support to modify their career plans. The aim of this Fact Sheet is to bring you up-to-date information on opportunities in the technology industry in Wales.
- identify current job vacancies for 16 and 18 year olds
- gain clearing tips for degree courses in electronics and related subjects
- signpost young people to relevant websites to research career opportunites
- The Technology Industry is the new buzzword for software, semiconductor and electronics companies including Sharp, Panasonic and Orion but the industry also boasts hundreds of smaller, world class and specialist companies in financial software, opto-electronics and security.
"We always look internally to see who has the flare to become a technician before we advertise externally"
HR Manager of a semiconductor company
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- There are excellent prospects for career progression through part-time and work-based learning which can enable a young person to progress from operator to technician and upward to professional engineer levels. The industry employs over 30,000 people and accounts for 3.5% of the Welsh workforce.
"Our policy is to "grow our own" and we advertise jobs internally firs"
Training Manager of a contract manufacturer
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- With over 300 companies in every corner of Wales, the Welsh Electronics Forum maintains a list of current vacancies for operators which are suitable for school and college leavers.
To research careers information, encourage your students to visit:
www.welsh-electronics.com They will find relevant information on: - vacancies
- profiles of software, semiconductor and electronics employers
- personal profiles of young people who have made it as apprentices and graduates
- Directory of Colleges and Universities in Wales offering relevant courses
- live links to relevant web pages such as:
- Institution of Engineering and Technology - www.theiet.org
- British Computer Society - www.bcs.org.uk
- SEMTA - www.semta.org.uk
- Women into Science and Engineering - www.wisecampaign.org.uk
At 16 and even at 18, a good first step is to suggest that the young person considers a job as an operator if they don't want to continue their studies: - training is always offered: health & safety, transferable technical skills and personal skills which will add to a young persons future employability.
- there are great career progression opportunities as many companies have a "grow your own" policy to select young people for apprenticeships
- companies recruit apprentices early in the new year "think of the operator placement as a long interview"!
- the career routes in electronics are very flexible, many young people progress from a successful apprenticeship to a degree course and chartered engineer status.
- entry can be at 16+ or 18+. Below the age of 18 a young person is not allowed to work shifts so check with the company first
- for up-to-date details of vacancies, visit www.welsh-electronics.com, remember, these job adverts don't specifically say they are for school leavers but employers are looking for potential operators who demonstrate initiative and have a good work ethic
If your student has just missed the grades to get into a highly competitive science-based degree course such as medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, they may wish to consider a change of direction:
- young people with good science and maths qualifications are welcomed by university electronics and software departments through the clearing process.
- looking for something similar? Advances in healthcare rely as much on electronics as they do on the medical profession (nerve stimulators, foetal monitors, keyhole devices)
- alternatively, consider Aerospace Communications (Swansea), Manufacturing Engineering (Cardiff), Computer Systems Engineering (Bangor) or Information Technology (Glamorgan)
- the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) publishes a comprehensive, on-line list of courses offered by every universities in the UK. Visit our website for a live link from the school leavers page
- after identifying a clearing place, get the young person to phone the Admission Tutor directly, after all, this is a big change in direction and the Tutors are pleased to advise
- better still, suggest a visit to the department. Many universities will contribute to the cost of this visit for serious candidates
- remember, the clearing process for engineering courses is quite different and much more accessible than for popular arts and humanities coursestip: its a good idea to recommend an accredited course (see the IEE list). These are either 3-year BEng courses (min three C's or vocational equivalent) or 4-year MEng courses and provide a more straight forward route to professional chartered status.
If your student has missed the grades for their firm and insurance places, there are some practical steps they can take:
- check the UCAS and university websites for clearing places
- remember that although BEng courses require three C's or vocational equivalent, BSc degrees can have less stringent entry requirements and may not require a mathematics qualification
- students on BSc courses who perform well can often transfer to BEng or MEng courses later, usually at the end of their first year.
- if poor results preclude direct entry to a degree course, an alternative may be to consider a Foundation Course.
- a Foundation Course successfully completed, is a great base for BSc, BEng and MEng qualifications
- a Foundation Course can also be a good way to change direction after studying for arts-based qualifications
- note: it is always wise to check the LEA funding situation for Foundation Courses
- and finally, working as an operator at 18+ with a view to gaining an apprenticeship is also a good vocational alternative to further academic study
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