LABOUR MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Please do take the time to look at this link, it really is very interesting and informative about employment in Berkshire. The Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership has very kindly provided this information:

Hope that you find it helpful.

DESTINATIONS EXPO – READING

8 December 2016, 100 Longwater Avenue, Green Park, RG2 6GP 15:00-17:30

Over 60 businesses will offer hands on experiences and interactive challenges to students. It will provide an opportunity to learn about options for work and training and reveal the breadth of careers available locally. This event is free and all are welcome. To book a place please visit:

E.ON ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR 100 NEW APPRENTICESHIPS

The energy company E.ON says that it will create 100 new apprenticeships that will continue a scheme launched in 2014. Last year E.ON won the award for Youth Engagement Initiative of the Year at the National Skills Academy for Power Annual Awards, while its apprenticeship programme also received Platinum Provider Status. They intend to extend their recruitment and training model beyond customer operations into areas of field operations and support functions which will include:

  • Smart Metering
  • IT
  • HR
  • Highways Lighting

More details are available on:

BBC DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP

Applications are now open for a paid Higher Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management with the BBC, incorporating a BA honours degree in Business Management. Students have the opportunity to:

  • Gain an honours degree in Business Management and a Higher Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management
  • Be paid an annual salary of £17,015
  • Have tuition fees paid by the BBC
  • Build a CV fullof amazing work experience through working in one of the world’s most creative and innovative media organisations

They have 8 positions available for a paid Higher Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management based in London. Their sponsored programme incorporating a Pearson College London BA Honours degree in Business Management is for two years at the BBC. This will entail three work experience placements at the BBC, whilst also studying for the degree. Students will attend college one day a week. To find out more information please refer to:

BSc BANKING & FINANCE - UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

This specialised degree gives students the chance to prepare for a career in banking and finance at a Russell Group University. Students will be taught by leading experts in the prestigious research based Leeds University Business School, which is recognised as a national Centre of Excellence by the Chartered Banker Institute. The course covers a thorough grounding in theory and current practice including specialist modules in commercial banking, investment banking, and risk management. Students will also develop the analytical, quantitative, research and communication skills required by leading employers in retail and investment banking, the City and financial services more generally. For more information please refer to:

MEDICAL STUDENTS

Medlink Intensive are running a 2 day residential conference for students in Y12 & Y13 on the 17th-18th December at the University of Nottingham. The weekend will cover the following:

  • UKCAT
  • Personal Statements
  • Free Personal Statement assessment – when ready to apply
  • Medical Schools
  • MMI
  • Interview Skills
  • Chemistry Masterclass
  • Social Media
  • Medical students share tips
  • Free Deluxe Stethoscope and guided Auscultation practical

For more detail please refer to:

THE MEDLINK EXHIBITION & HEALTH SCIENCES FAIR

21/11/16 Kensington Town Hall, London

This is a free event where everything is in one place relating to medical school and veterinary school. They have what they call “Activity Pods” which offer a range of interactive and relevant activities aimed at covering everything that is needed to succeed in these fields. For example, the following pods will be available:

  • Suturing with the Royal College of Surgeons
  • Flash Interviews
  • Personal Statement Analysis
  • Virtual Reality Simulation
  • MMI Stations
  • UKCAT Practice Questions
  • Work Experience Clinic

To book a free ticket, please go to:

THE PERILS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

According to the Guardian Jobs Recruiter Survey 2015 three quarters of recruiters have looked up potential candidates on social media. The past decade has seen the prolific growth in the popularity of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and LinkedIn. What many people neglect to realise is that the boisterous use of social media has repercussions that can impact on future employability. Your next post could cost you your career!

Mrs Coneley & Mrs Wooller

Job Spotlight

Doctor

Mr Chris Wilding

Medicine; some people fall into it, some say they’re born to do it and some are forced into it. I’d say I probably fall between the first two categories having always been vaguely interested in biology in general and medicine but not really considering it as a future career. This changed when the time came to decide on which GCSEs to do. It was at this point, because I preferred the sciences, I started to consider it as my potential future. Selecting A levels my choice was limited as many courses required Chemistry and Biology and many showed a preference for a third science, but I did at least break the mould slightly by taking English Literature for AS level rather than Physics.

I attended University College London medical school as the format of the course appealed to me being a traditional 6 year course with the first two years focused on theory with lectures, dissection and lab based practicals. In my third year I also then had the opportunity to undertake an intercalated BSc which I did in Orthopaedic Science and Musculoskeletal Biology. Even in the early stages of my medical school career my main focus was to one day specialise in Orthopaedic Surgery so taking such a relevant BSc was a real bonus. The final three years of medical school were more taxing, the focus switched to clinical knowledge with 12 weekly hospital rotations through various clinical specialities with vigorous written and practical exams at the end of each block. Despite it all there was still plenty of time to play rugby, get involved with charity activities and generally unwind with an amazingly tight group of friends. The stresses and strains were also a good practice for life as a doctor.

I graduated from UCL in 2012 and moved up to Birmingham to undertake an academic foundation training programme, a two year period of four monthly rotations in various specialities which also included a four month period focused on research. These first two years were difficult at times; feeling overwhelmed in a manic A&E department, overnight on calls covering an entire hospital wing with numerous sick patients, breaking bad news to patients and their families and of course dealing with the inevitable deaths of patients. At the same time it was also a period in which I learnt and developed with each day, and during my research time at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital realised that Orthopaedic Oncology was the field I wished to specialise in moving forward.

At the end of my foundation training I did not apply for a training job, after working for exam after exam since my GCSEs and throughout medical school and a year off seemed like a sensible option. I spent 10 weeks in India mixing travel with working at a huge public cancer hospital in Mumbai witnessing some remarkable surgeries, as well as volunteering in the Mumbai slums with a leprosy and TB charity. I also spent 10 weeks in South and Central America which was more focused on rest, relaxation and travelling around.

On my return I obtained a coveted academic clinical fellowship in Orthopaedics in Coventry which I am now in my second year of. The fellowship offers opportunities to undertake research and training up to consultant level. My first year of specialist training was enjoyable, having the opportunity to perform surgery and learn from some very talented surgeons. For the academic part of my training we are allocated blocks of time to work towards applying for a PhD grant in the field of our choice. At this moment in time I am currently based in Sheffield with a cancer research team working to develop my lab skills and focus on a project looking at chondrosarcoma, a relatively rare cancer.

Medicine as a career is one which takes a lot but gives back even more. There are times when it exhausts you with its unrelenting nature, it keeps you awake at night with stresses from the day, it moves you away from friends and family, it makes you miss weddings and birthdays through unsociable rotas, it drains your bank account with fees, exams, courses. Conversely each day is different, you have the opportunity to work within a remarkably cohesive team, you make incredible friends, you learn a huge range of skills, you get to talk to a wide range of (generally) grateful patients and at the end of the day, and most importantly, you can sit down with a cup of tea with a great deal of satisfaction that you’ve made a difference.

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