Students explore next steps at one of the region’s largest progression fayre

Over 3,000 students from NSCG Newcastle College and NSCG Stafford College, part of the Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG), attended an annual ‘Next Steps’ Fayre at Newcastle College’s Knutton Lane campus on Tuesday 19th March 2024. NSCG hosted the event to help students explore the next steps towards their future career.

Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) were delighted to welcome representatives from 49 universities from across the UK. Learners were able to browse stalls, discuss degree options, gather information and access talks on broad range of subjects including; Architecture, Business Management, Biomedical Science, Criminology, Engineering, Education and Teaching, Forensics, Film, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology, Physiotherapy, Sport, English and Physics.

The subject specific sessions were complemented by a series of practical workshops to help demystify the university application process including; writing a compelling personal statement and preparing for interviews, preparing portfolios for creative courses, the UCAS process and managing finance. Talks from employers such as Dell, Siemens and TMT Stoke enabled students to also hear about options for degree apprenticeships.

The universities were joined by 39 employers and training providers including: Axia Solutions, British Army, Capula, Radwell International, Ornua Foods, EMS Industries, Home Instead, Incap, KMF, Martec Training, MOOG, Newcastle Borough Council, Royal Air Force, Staffordshire Police, UHNM, DougieMac and the CPS.

They were supported by the NSCG apprenticeship team who were showcasing the variety of job vacancies available through ‘The Apprenticeship Hub’, a free service available at the NSCG Newcastle and NSCG Stafford campuses to offer advice on all aspects of employment, including vacancy matching, writing a CV, interview preparation tips and how to find the right job or apprenticeship.

NSCG staff were also on hand to provide advice to those students wishing to further their studies in a familiar environment and enjoy fees that are generally lower than those offered by traditional universities. NSCG offers a range of university-level courses (HNC/Ds and Foundation degrees) in a number of subjects including; Computing, Digital Content Creation, Education, Engineering, Leadership & Management, Performing Arts, Healthcare Professions, Esport, Protective Services & Criminal Management and Sport.

Liz Wyman, Head of Learning Resources and Guidance at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, said: “This event is one of the biggest of its kind in the West Midlands region. We were delighted to welcome prestigious employers and universities from the four corners of the UK back to our campus to meet students and provide invaluable progression advice and guidance. The event is now in its 14th consecutive year and just gets bigger each year, we see it as a great way of allowing students to take the first steps on to their future career, without having to leave their doorstep.”

49 universities attended the event from all over the UK including: Aberystwyth University, Coventry  University, De Montfort University, Edge Hill University, Falmouth University, University of Liverpool, Keele University, Liverpool Hope, Leeds Trinity University, University of Nottingham, University of the Arts London, Staffordshire University, Lancaster University and Wrexham University.

In 2023 circa 1,111 young people left NSCG to progress to over 98 university destinations, studying a wide variety of degree subjects including Automotive & Transport Design, Business Management, Criminology, Fashion, Public Relations, Forensic Psychology, Medicine, Midwifery, Law, Physical Natural Sciences and Theology and Religion.

Craig Hodgson, Principal and Chief Executive of Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, said: “The number of students progressing to university from NSCG has grown consistently over the years, we are now one of the largest providers of students to university in the country. However, university isn’t the preference for everyone, so we were delighted to welcome back a large number of important employer partners to the College to discuss the diverse range of apprenticeship and employment opportunities available across the region.”

Craig continued: “This is a fabulous event which is very well attended and it is extremely well supported by universities and local employers. It gives students a great opportunity to gain unbiased information regarding their next steps upon completion of their study programme, whether that is going to university or completing a higher apprenticeship. Events such as this serve to reinforce our commitment to helping students make the right choices for their future career pathway.”

To find out more about university level courses at either Newcastle College or Stafford College, visit nscg.ac.uk or contact the Information Point on 01782 254254 (Newcastle College) or 01785 223800 (Stafford College) or he@nscg.ac.uk.