Guidance is available to you before you start at the College, as well as throughout your course, from Induction to Exit, so that we can help you progress with your plans for the future. The College has a dedicated Guidance team, staffed by four advisors, who are on duty at each of the main campuses and by request at the outreach locations. Students, or prospective students, can make an appointment to see one of the advisors in private about concerns that arise. We can help with:
Personal Matters
Our skilled team is there to help you if you need advice and support during your course. You can discuss various matters in confidence, for example:
financial worries;
housing problems;
health issues, including mental health;
issues affecting attendance e.g. care responsibilities, homelessness.
If need be we can put you in touch with other agencies who are there to support and help you.
Financial Concerns
The Guidance staff can advise you about funds you may be able to claim, for example Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), Bursary, SAAS funding, Student Loans, ILAs, and Scholarships. Advisers can also talk you through the internal Money Does Matter system to help students who are having financial difficulty linked to being a student, for example having to pay childcare and rent. Advice on managing debt can also be provided.
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Educational Choices and Concerns
The College is committed to ensuring students feel supported while they are at college and, should they decide to progress in education, preparing them for further study. Guidance staff are available to help students think about progression, research information on courses and find out about funding that may be available to them.
The College offers prospective and current students:
a Guidance team who are available for individual interviews;
support with course choice;
advice on bursaries, grants, loans and other financial matters;
an extensive range of prospectuses from colleges and universities which can give details on entry qualifications etc.
Careers
Careers Advisors from Skills Development Scotland are available to see students by appointment at the Kirkcaldy – St Brycedale and Glenrothes – Stenton campuses. You can make an appointment to see one of their advisors by telephoning:
Kirkcaldy – St Brycedale (01592) 223400
Glenrothes – Stenton (01592) 223000
A careers library is also available at each campus with resources to help students research job options, look at their employability skills, for example CV writing and interview skills. There is also information available on writing personal statements (for CVs and UCAS) and a range of educational opportunities.
Skilled and professional staff from the Guidance Team and Skills Development Scotland can help you:
match your interests and abilities to careers/courses;
make job and course applications;
with employability skills, for example CV writing, interview skills etc.
and find out about:
a range of careers including entry requirements;
job/industry trends;
college and university courses;
information on self-employment.
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Assessment Centre Practice
It has always been common practice for employers to use interviews as their main method of recruitment. More recently however organisations have realised that interviews on their own do not provide enough information about your ability to cope with the requirements of the job.
If you are invited to attend an Assessment Centre, as part of the job application process, you could be asked to undertake a combination of some of the following: a one to one interview, a personality test, a group discussion, scenario questions and an ability test.
Further information, along with sample exercises, will be coming soon, but in the meantime if you would like help preparing for attendance at an Assessment Centre please make a Guidance appointment.
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