Careers Education & Guidance Services

HCS offer a range of consultancy services to schools and colleges to support delivery of the careers education

From Sept 2012, schools will be under a duty to secure and fund access to independant, impartial careers advice and guidance for their students.  Our Menu of Services details how HCS can work with schools and colleges to ensure the provision they commission will meet the new duties and requirements.

HCS has a team of experienced, professionally qualified consultants whose expertise has been developed by working in business and education.  The full range of services are available in the HCS Menu of Services pdf.

We work closely with our clients to ensure that we tailor our consultancy services to meet their needs in the following areas:

Careers Education and Guidance Consultancy Service

HCS Careers will create a package of careers education and guidance to support your individual school or college needs, complimenting your existing provision.  Our excellent reputation as a highly experienced specialist careers service is able to focus on the whole age and ability range.

We can:

  • provide a coherent and consistent service of careers education, careers guidance and consultancy to schools and colleges
  • empower all professionals to deliver effective careers education and guidance provision
  • promote “Lifelong Learning” and development of career management skills for individuals

HCS Careers has delivered services for careers education consultancy, careers guidance and work experience across much of southern England, including Northamptonshire, Luton and Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Essex, Thurrock, Southend, several London boroughs and, of course, Hertfordshire.

Careers Guidance Service

HCS careers guidance practitioners are fully qualified, experienced professionals who are able to address the specific needs of all your students, irrespective of age or ability and will work flexibly including text and e-mail support as necessary to accommodate the curriculum and other demands of your school or college.

Our areas of speciality include:

  • Post 18 options for students in the 6th form
  • Option choice at key stage 3 and 4
  • Web based guidance packages
  • Entry requirements and applications processes
  • Psychometric testing, specifically The Morrisby Profile
  • Working with parents and carers
  • 1:1 careers advice and guidance
  • Small workshop groups
  • Job hunting clinics

Careers Education Service

HCS Careers can support you to think carefully about your policy, programme and professional development and how careers education is embedded in your school or college.  HCS Careers Consultants will support you to explore the effectiveness of your careers provision within your institution with reference to the short checklist of 11 key points for senior leaders (pdf)

Diploma support and Applied Learning

Engaging employers and brokering support for the delivery of employer led assignments, projects and commissions to undertake real work.  Training practitioners in the use of effective applied learning strategies and providing professional development opportunities to enhance their teaching practice.  HCS offer a 2 day workshop, "Making it Real" – for teaching professionals to support the Applied Learning programme.

Get in touch

If  you are looking for service that can be differentiated to suit the individual needs of your students and to provide your staff with appropriate consultancy support: – 

Contact David Ritchie – Director of Careers Education Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) david.ritchie@hcs.co.uk or mobile 07748 761393

alternatively use our Call Back Service and David with contact you.

Take a look at David's local and national profile (pdf)

Menu of Services
Psychometric test - can help you make a new start!
Work experience placement programme for students from Yr10 upwards

Other useful links:

Herts Ahead - careers information about the world of work 

Herts Choices on-line prospectus of courses and apprenticeships in Hertfordshire

Career ideas - what you could do (information and video clips)

Career Box - video library showing different types of jobs/careers

Which Way Now? - choosing your subject options for year 9 students

Its Your Choice - options post year 11

Post 16 - information and advice for 16-18 yr olds

Not going to Uni? - options, jobs and advice 

UCAS - deciding what to study at university 

Course Finder - for university degree courses