Welcome to the Academies
The Academies at Cirencester College bring the worlds of business and education together through a powerful academic and vocational mix. The Academies raise careers awareness and help students reach their aspirations by providing the job skills and experience valued by employers and universities. Employers influence and determine what the college offers and students are inspired by the opportunities available to them.
In a recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), covering almost 600 companies across all sectors, the top criteria for recruitment were:
- employability skills
- having a positive attitude
- having relevant work experience!
This picture of the employer’s view is something we have always known at Cirencester College as we have worked very closely with industry through our Academies team.
The Academies are designed for individuals with a strong determination and ambition to build a successful career. Students will be expected to articulate their career goals, take a high degree of responsibility for their own development, and demonstrate skills required by employers, such as communication and presentation skills, accuracy, teamwork, and attention to detail and deadlines.
The structure of each Academy is determined by their own employer driven Advisory Boards but in general the structure follows a national framework agreed with Career Academies UK (see www.careeracademies.org.uk). The Boards consist of a group of sector specific industry and academic representatives who meet regularly to review the Academy course content against employer needs and industry best practice.
The Academies enable students to study for A level and BTEC courses, while learning all about the skills employers are looking for. Guest speaker presentations and visits to local employers are arranged and tailored to the needs of each Academy. Students can be supported by a business mentor and have the opportunity to apply for a paid internship.
Feedback from employers on the students that did internships in 2010 this year include comment such as; “exceeded expectations” “a pleasure to work with” “100% professional” “a remarkably mature approach” “role model” “a credit to himself, his family and the College”.
