Careers advice and guidance

Our careers advisers are qualified and give you impartial advice. That means they help you find the option that's right for you, not just the courses we offer.

They can help you:

• choose the right course for the job you want
• find out what different jobs involve and what they pay
• decide what to do when you finish your course
• write a CV and prepare for applications and interviews
• apply to university, an apprenticeship or a job
• find out about fees and the financial support you can get

We have careers advisers at every campus, so you can get help wherever you study.

No. You can drop in to see a careers adviser at your campus for quick questions.

For a longer conversation, book a one-to-one appointment. This gives you time to talk through your plans in detail. Email careers@ncclondon.ac.uk to book, or ask your tutor to arrange it for you.

Yes. Our advisers can help you choose a university course and apply through UCAS, the service you use to apply to university in the UK. They can also help you write your personal statement and apply for student finance.

University is not the only route to a good career. Our advisers can also tell you about other options, such as:

• degree apprenticeships, where you work and study for a degree at the same time
• higher education courses at New City College
• going straight into work or training

Yes. Our advisers can help you search for jobs and apprenticeships that match your skills and interests. They can also help you:

• write a CV that stands out
• fill in application forms
• prepare for interviews

You can search for apprenticeships across England on GOV.UK's find an apprenticeship service. You can also find out about apprenticeships at New City College.

Yes. Our careers advisers support students of all ages. If you're returning to education, changing career or learning new skills, we can help you plan your next steps.

We can also help you understand how to pay for your course. For example:

• if you're aged 19 and over, you may be able to study some courses for free, including free Level 3 qualifications
• you may be able to get an Advanced Learner Loan to pay for some courses
• from January 2027, the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will replace some Advanced Learner Loans for higher level courses (Level 4 to 6)

You can also get free careers advice from the National Careers Service.

At our careers fairs, you can meet employers and find out about jobs, apprenticeships and training. Employers of all sizes come along, from international companies to small local businesses. This means you can compare what they offer and ask them questions face to face.

At our higher education fairs, you can meet people from universities. You can find out about their courses, student life and how to apply in the UK and abroad.

We run fairs at our campuses every year. Ask your tutor or a careers adviser when the next one is at your campus.

Parents and carers have the biggest influence on the choices young people make about their future. The options open to young people today may be very different from when you were their age, so it's normal to feel unsure about what advice to give.

The best thing you can do is talk to your child regularly about what they enjoy and what they want to do. These websites can help:

• Talking Futures has tips and activities to help you talk to your child about their future
• Parental Guidance explains which jobs are growing and what they pay
• GOV.UK's find an apprenticeship service lists apprenticeships across England
• UCAS's guide for parents explains Clearing and results day

You're also welcome to contact our careers team with any questions.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are the national standards for good careers guidance in England. The Gatsby Charitable Foundation created them in 2014 and updated them in 2024. The government expects all schools and colleges to use them.

We use the benchmarks to plan our careers programme. They mean you can expect the following from us.

1. A stable careers programmeWe plan careers education for every student and review it using feedback from students, parents and employers.
2. Learning from career and labour market informationYou learn about different jobs, what they pay and which industries are growing, so you can make informed choices.
3. Addressing the needs of each studentYour careers support is tailored to you, and we keep a record of the advice you get.
4. Linking curriculum learning to careersYour teachers show you how what you learn in class links to real jobs.
5. Encounters with employers and employeesYou meet employers and people who work in the industries you're interested in.
6. Experiences of workplacesYou get first-hand experience of work, such as work placements or industry visits.
7. Encounters with further and higher educationYou find out about all your options after college, including university, apprenticeships and other training.
8. Personal guidanceYou can talk one to one with a qualified careers adviser about your plans.

Find out more on the Gatsby Benchmarks website

The matrix Standard is the Department for Education's quality standard for information, advice and guidance. Our careers service holds the matrix Standard.

To get it, independent assessors check that the advice we give is accurate, up to date and impartial. They also check that we keep improving our service. Organisations are reassessed every 3 years to keep the standard.

Email careers@ncclondon.ac.uk.

You can also contact our Careers Lead, Imran Ahmed, at imran.ahmed@ncclondon.ac.uk.

For general enquiries, telephone 0330 135 9000.

We'd also like to hear what you think of our careers service and this page. Send your feedback and ideas to careers@ncclondon.ac.uk.