POST-16
BELS offer a variety of Post-16 services to support young people between the ages of 13 and 24 with the information, advice and guidance they need to succeed both in the classroom and in their careers. We also offer a wide range of programmes to support young people in education, employment and training.
View the Post-16 Strategy, the current Post-16 Options Prospectus, the Post-16 Vocational Prospectus, the Post-16 SEN Options Prospectus, and editions of our termly Post-16 Newsletter.
​
Learn more about Work Experience & T Level Industry Placements, Careers, Work-related learning opportunities, Future Pathways, Supported Internships, the Risk of NEET Project, Vocational and Technical Pathways, the Care Leavers Programme, and Routes into Construction.
BELS-Inspire
BELS Post – 16 team’s service, entitled BELS-Inspire, incorporates work experience placements, T Level industry placements, careers and all work- related learning opportunities to relate their learning to the workplace and contribute to their career readiness.
​
Work Experience & T Level Industry Placements
BELS-Inspire will help Barnet schools and colleges to provide safe, well-structured, relevant and meaningful work experience placements for Key Stage 4 and 5 students as well as meeting any industry placement requirements for T Level students.
We will provide high quality, perfect placements to meet the needs of Barnet students. This will facilitate schools in delivering Gatsby Benchmark 6, Experiences of Workplaces, as well as fulfilling all Ofsted recommendations to support students’ skills development.
You will be introducing your students to the world of work through our high-quality work placements, and there are numerous benefits for students who engage in work placements.
Work placements provide students with an opportunity:
• to gain an insight into the work environment
• to learn new skills
• to gain confidence in their abilities
• relate their learning to the workplace and contribute to their career readiness
Our pricing structure is based upon two models Full Service (£95) and Self-Sourced Placements (£50), with an additional bespoke option which costs £150. The costs are per student.
In order to prepare students for the world of work we also run work experience preparation days.
Please contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss your work experience needs:
To learn more about our T Level Industry Placement provision please contact: Tracy.Parrott@barnet.gov.uk, Senior Curriculum Adviser.
​
If you are an employer interested in supporting BELS-Inspire to deliver any work related learning activities please complete this form.
​
Careers
Our Careers Service works with over 3,500 students every year equipping them with the skills, knowledge and support they need to achieve the career they want. Working with school leaders we can help identify gaps in provision, develop your careers curriculum and ensure support enables the school to meet statutory duties and the Gatsby benchmarks.
Why our service?
-
Our service is Matrix accredited and our experienced careers advisors are trained to Level 6 or above in careers guidance
-
We are Quality in Careers Standard licensed, authorised to assess and accredit learning providers
-
We have well-established links with businesses, organisations colleges and training providers across the borough that enrich our service provision
-
We have a unique overview of the borough and deep local knowledge. It means we can offer services that are joined-up with local provision and offer the best opportunities to young people in the borough
Our CEIAG service will work with you to develop your careers curriculum, creating a tailored programme of support designed to meet the needs of your students. We will work with your career leaders to help identify areas for development and create a bespoke plan that ensures you are fulfilling statutory requirements and achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks.
​
Please click here to find our updated Careers Catalogue.
​
Work-related learning opportunities
BELS-Inspire can also facilitate other work-related learning opportunities to support schools in meeting Gatsby Benchmark 5, Encounters with Employers and Employees.
“Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.”
To learn more out about our full range of careers services and work-related learning opportunities, and costs please contact us to arrange a meeting to discuss your needs.
Contact BELS-Inspire@barnet.gov.uk
We hope the service will serve to improve achievement, aspiration, progression and guide decision making in Barnet’s young people. We look forward to supporting schools and colleges in inspiring young people.
​
Supported Internships
Supported Internships provide on-site practical work training, for young adults with special educational needs to gain work skills, leading to competitive paid employment.
​
A package of support, which comprises:
-
A one-year (on average 10-months) study programme of:
-
accredited work Skill qualifications
-
accredited qualifications or embedded Core Skills English, Maths and ICT
-
-
A work-based learning opportunity with a host employer – at their offices
-
An in-work support Job Coach (to help learners to understand and eventually master and complete their work tasks independently
-
A degree of post-programme support, until they secure paid and sustainable employment (because this additional support may make all the difference).
Eligibility
-
Moderate learning disabilities (MLD) who are aged between 18 and 24 (some take applicants at 16)
-
Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan
-
Commit to 5 day a week
-
Independent traveller or ability to travel independently by the end of the programme
-
Would like to find a job
-
Will be ready for work after completing the programme
Learn more about the impact of the Supported Internships programme by reading about Yasin’s experience.
​
Read more about the PROJECT CHOICE Supported Internships programme at Royal Free Hospital here and the case study here..
​
Read April's Mencap Monthly and the Mencap Supported Internship Case Study.
​
View the 2024-25 Guide to West London Supported Internships here.
​
For further information about Barnet Supported Internships, please contact:
supported-internships@barnet.gov.uk or call: 020 8359 2011
Risk of NEET Project
Below is an overview of what we are hoping to capture on the RON mentoring programme. This is a hybrid of mentoring and coaching. It is dynamic, personalised, asset driven and strengths-based. It is simple to follow and covers five strategic steps which look at:
-
Self-esteem, self-worth, etc.
-
Vision, purpose in life, identify barriers to growth, etc
-
Unleashing the power of a growth mindset, belief system, etc
-
Discovering what the young people are good at, developing emotional intelligence (EQ), etc
-
Clarity about vision, action plan, goal setting etc. Help each young person to create an ACTION PLAN for their next step.
We aim to help each student/young person to:
-
Focus on their potential and not their past performances.
-
Develop the courage to step outside of their comfort zone.
-
Identify that transformation begins with a changed mindset – a changed mindset will help them to gain new insight about where they are now and where they want to be.
-
Identify the barriers to transformation.
-
Adapt in a changing fast-changing world.
-
Develop resilience
Learn more about the difference the RON programme has made in the lives of young people in Barnet by reading one of our case studies: AM Case Study, PPM Case Study
Discover how your secondary school pupils can benefit from the RON programme by contacting Anne-Marie Francis at anne-marie.francis@barnet.gov.uk or by phone at 07707276851
Vocational and Technical Pathways
We wish to extend the range of vocational and technical qualifications on offer for young people in Barnet. We are seeking to do this by developing the vocational curriculum within our post-16 providers. An exciting and innovative qualification, T Levels, will allow us to achieve this. We are excited to announce T Levels will be offered within the borough of Barnet September 2023 onwards.
​
Click here to read our T Level Careers Week article which provides a brief introduction to the qualification.
​
Interested to know more about T Levels? Please click https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
​
We will continue to update this page with our interesting new T Level developments.
​
Schools or colleges within Barnet who would like the opportunity to discuss and develop their post-16 vocational curriculum offer can contact tracy.parrott@barnet.gov.uk (Senior Curriculum Adviser)
​
Care Leavers Programme
The Care Leavers Participation Project, provided by Barnet Education and Learning Service, was commissioned to increase Education, Employment and Training (EET) levels amongst care leavers aged 18-25 in line with Barnet’s Corporate Parenting and Ofsted Improvement Plan priorities.
The workplan will include:
Our team of professionals understand the complexities and difficulties that care leavers may face when trying to get into education or employment. This is why we believe that all care leavers should have access to high quality information, advice and guidance.
Our project aims to:
-
Provide careers counselling, cv writing sessions and interview preparation sessions
-
Connect young people to suitable jobs or education opportunities and ‘work ready’ programmes that enable them to develop the necessary skills, experience and attributes that employers are seeking
-
Support and develop pathways at post 16 including re-engagement, traineeships and apprenticeships
-
To build meaningful and trusting relationships with care leavers to give them a ‘safe place’ to share any concerns or hardships in their work and/or education journey
-
Consistent pathway planning and reviewing tailored to each individual’s needs and ambitions
-
Access to a one-to-one mentor for weekly mentoring sessions
Eligibility Criteria
-
Young people in care and care leavers 18-25
-
Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
-
Must have been in care for a period of at least 13 weeks (or periods amounting to 13 weeks) which began after you were 14 years old and includes some time on and after your 16th birthday
-
Barnet Council Corporate Parent whether living in Barnet or another local authority area
To learn more, contact Anne-Marie Francis, Programme Manager, via email at anne-marie.francis@barnet.gov.uk.
​
​