Studying with Career Connect is helping Gary Byrne and his team make careers guidance accessible to learners of all ages.
Gary is Careers Team Leader at East Lancashire Learning Group, which includes Accrington and Rossendale College, Nelson and Colne College, and Lancashire Adult Learning.
Set over two campuses, it welcomes a wide range of learners – from 16-18-yearolds studying A Levels, BTECs, T-Levels and Apprenticeships, to high needs students. It also offers degree-level study, apprenticeship training and has a wide adult learner base.
Gary has studied with Career Connect since his first Information Adviser role fifteen years ago. He completed his OCR Level 4 Diploma in Career Information and Advice and OCR Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development.
“I’ve had a long relationship with Career Connect, and it’s always been a great one. My assessor Andrea has been amazing! The way Career Connect works is professional but also personal. Everybody gets to know you, how you work, and the setting you work in. Delivery is tailored to you.
“It taught me new concepts, theories, ways of working – but sometimes it’s knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing and understanding it better. You can apply that… and not be afraid to go that bit further with your knowledge, with the wide breadth of learners that we have.”
Gary,
Careers Team Leader, East Lancashire Learning Group
Gary also plays a key role in educating colleagues and embedding careers – a priority for the college group.
“Whether it’s my own team, mentoring and training them, or equally, delivering workshops and tutorials to staff about careers legislation changes and updates.”
Gary,
Careers Team Leader, East Lancashire Learning Group
When Gary wanted to upskill his team, he says:
“Career Connect was the first place I turned to.”
Gary,
Careers Team Leader, East Lancashire Learning Group
Two colleagues have recently completed the OCR Level 4 Diploma in Career Information and Advice and are now looking at Level 6. One of those is Careers Adviser Shannon, who says:
“I enjoyed everything about the course – it was so varied. I liked that it was small learning groups for the online webinar sessions – the trainers really spent time clarifying terminology.
“I chose optional modules I felt would best support the students I work with, and that would allow me to develop in my role. One of these was ‘using digital technology in careers education’.
“I had been tasked by Gary to help develop our careers pages on Moodle (our virtual learning development site).
“Because of the knowledge I gained – thinking about barriers, limitations, accessibility across different technologies, and how students use them – and how learning can be integrated to promote careers education – I was able to apply that and get a really good result.
“Technology changes all the time, but I’ll definitely be using those principles and knowledge as we further develop our digital systems and new intranet system.”
Shannon,
Careers Adviser
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