Careers – Sixth Form

Pathway	Description	Typical Next Steps
University	Undergraduate degrees (BA, BSc, etc.) Foundation degrees Higher National Certificates/Diplomas (HNC/HND) Specialist colleges (e.g. art, music, drama)	Apply via UCAS. Students usually choose up to 5 courses and write a personal statement.
Higher and Degree Apprenticeship	Higher Apprenticeships (Level 4 and 5) – equivalent to a foundation degree Degree Apprenticeships (Levels 6 and 7) – equivalent to a full bachelor’s undergraduate or master’s degree   Students are employed and earn a wage while studying. There are no tuition fees because the government cover all training costs, so students graduate debt-free. This makes them highly sought after and competitive. Entry requirements: Usually require Level 3 qualifications (A levels, T Levels, Cambridge Technicals, BTECs, or equivalent).	Apply to employer/university or via gov.uk
Further Education	Advanced vocational qualifications. Higher National Certificates (HNC) and Diplomas (HND) and can be great for students who want to go to university but lack traditional qualifications or didn’t achieve high enough grades at post 16.	Apply directly colleges
Gap Year	Structured gap year programmes (some with travel, volunteering, or paid work). Experience, travel, work, volunteering.	Research programmes, arrange placements.
Employment	Students may enter full-time work directly, often in roles that offer on-the-job training or professional development.	Job search, CV/interview preparation

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UCAS	The UCAS website is the prime site for researching higher education courses at universities and colleges. There are other information sections on student finance, higher and degree apprenticeships and taking a year out.
Times HE Rankings	Best universities in the UK 2026
Good Universities Guide	A multi-media directory of all the universities and higher education colleges across the UK, currently available free of charge.
Discover Uni	Comparison of different courses and universities.
Guardian University Guide	University league tables.
The Student Room Uni Guide	Comprehensive search and comparison website for university study.
Morrisby	As a school we use Morrisby, an interactive careers guidance platform to help young people understand their aptitudes, interests, and personality for making informed decisions about education and career pathways. Through its comprehensive platform, students can search and compare university courses and apprenticeships across the UK, gaining access to detailed information about entry requirements, subjects, and career pathways. Morrisby also includes data on the top 450 universities worldwide, enabling students to compare options both nationally and globally.The following video explains all about the platform, including how to gain parental access: Video Link
Experiencing university life and admissions
Opendays.com	Details of university open days.
Admissions Tests	Sitting an admissions test is required for entry to some university courses areas. Find out more on this website
Summer Schools
Uniq	UNIQ is the University of Oxford’s access programme for UK state school students in their first year of further education.
Sutton Trust	Support young people from less advantaged backgrounds to access leading universities and careers.
	Money and sponsorships
Student Finance	Financial support for higher education.
NHS Students Services	Financial help for certain health care and social work students.
The Scholarship Hub	Information on scholarships.

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Prospects	A website mainly geared at postgraduate study but includes individual country profiles and information on working/studying abroad.
Fulbright Commission	Information on studying in the US.
Study in Europe	Information on studying in Europe, including a search facility for courses.
Hot Courses	Find a course abroad

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Find an Apprenticeship	Search the national database for apprenticeship vacancies. You may either search by a job title or see underneath the option to ‘browse by interest’. You can also specify whether you would prefer to stay locally or search across all of England. It will then take you to a page where you can filter (left-hand side) by level of qualification you hope to achieve. At post-18, you are likely to be looking at Level 4 to 7 apprenticeships (degree apprenticeship is level 6).  Note that new apprenticeships are uploaded frequently, so it is worth checking back even if there’s nothing at first glance.
DCC Apprenticeships	Useful information about apprenticeships in Derbyshire.
Amazing Apprenticeships	A great website for anyone considering an apprenticeship. There are resources and webinars for both students and parents.
Which? Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Guide	This website is a useful starting point got researching companies that offer apprenticeships.
Choices Magazine	Choices magazine is the ultimate parent and carer guide to apprenticeships and technical education.
A-Z of Apprenticeship Standards	There are hundreds of apprenticeship standards. This list, organised alphabetically by routes, helps you to explore the different apprenticeship standards available.
Higher & Degree Apprenticeships listing	Explore 1,600+ Higher and Degree apprenticeship vacancies. Discover vacancy details from over 50 employers, including: • Vacancy locations • Salary information • Direct application links

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Not going to Uni	Job and apprenticeship vacancies.
Find a Job	Apply for jobs on this national government website.

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King’s Trust	Support for starting a business.
Shell LiveWIRE	Information on self-employment.

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vinspired

Connecting 16-25 year olds with volunteering opportunities.

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Year out	Year out providers and opportunities.
Camp America	Opportunities for work in holiday camps in the USA.
BUNAC	Working holidays overseas.
JENZA	Flexible working holidays, ski seasons and professional internships in Canada, Japan, the USA, UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Camps International	Sustainable student travel since. Discover our fully supported ethical journeys.
Year in Industry	Opportunities for STEM paid work placements arranged by the Engineering Development Trust.

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D2N2 Labour Market Information	Information on Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) local labour market information and specific East Midlands growth sectors: construction, visitor economy, transport equipment manufacturing, transport and logistics, low carbon industries, life sciences, health and social care, food and drink manufacturing and creative industries.
People in Work	Office for National Statistics website giving national employment data covering employment rates, hours of work and earnings.

Compare Jobs

You can discover up-to-date Labour Market Information (LMI) by clicking on each of the boxes below and  typing in a specific job. You may compare the salary and predicted workforce growth of up to 3 careers at a time:

If you need help, advice or guidance on your future education or career options; or help in finding an apprenticeship, the links below may be useful.

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