How good advice on exams will result in a successful career

MORE than 144,000 pupils in Scotland will receive their Higher, National and Advanced results on August 8, and support will be available for everyone as they decide on their next steps.

Every single pupil – along with their parents and carers – will be able to get support with their results through a dedicated helpline offering free and impartial career advice provided by Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

Anyone needing help or reassurance about their options can call the Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000 from 8am on Tuesday, August 8, and they will be put through to one of more than 30 fully trained and qualified experts who have volunteered to answer the phones for the entire week.

Sharon McIntyre, Head of Career Information, Advice and Guidance Operations at the national skills agency, said: “Results day can be a very emotional one for pupils, parents and carers, so the opportunity to have a calm conversation with someone who is impartial and knowledgeable is so valuable.

“It’s important to reassure people that no matter what their results are, our advisers are there to provide expert advice on the breadth of options open to them, and there will be options out there for you.

“I would encourage anyone with any concerns, no matter how small, to phone our careers experts if they need any advice, help or reassurance.”

SDS’s careers advisers will be on hand to offer advice about all post-school options including UK colleges and universities, Confirmation and Clearing, apprenticeships, jobs and volunteering.

The helpline will be open from 8am to 8pm on August 8 and 9, and then 9am to 5pm on August 10 and 11, giving everyone the opportunity to make use of the expert advice on offer at a time that suits them.

Sharon explained: “Approximately 80 per cent of all calls come in on the first two days of the helpline, hence the reason we have expanded hours for those first couple of days.”

The Results Helpline is now in its 31st year, and receives hundreds of calls every year from worried pupils, parents and carers. 

“Many of those calling are concerned about what the future holds, but the team of volunteers always manage to help ease that anxiety, and it’s a service very much welcomed by the users.

One pupil said: “This was just incredible. I went from worrying and panicking about what my next steps would be to having all my doubts cleared, plus more.” 

Another caller fed back: “The adviser was very kind and friendly to me, and completely soothed all my nerves. I wasn’t confident phoning the helpline, but she made me feel very comfortable and welcome.” 

Sharon added: “These comments, and many others like them, are a real testament to the fantastic efforts of all our expert advisers.

“They proactively volunteer to answer the phones because they genuinely care about the outcomes for pupils. They love being able to support them, and they love the fact that their support so obviously helps people during arguably one of the most important days of their young adult lives.”

But Sharon is also keen to point out that as important as the Results Helpline is, Scotland’s career service provides support for people of all ages throughout the year, not just at results time and not just for school pupils.

She said: “Even after the Results Helpline closes, people of all ages can still get great advice anytime from our careers advisers across the country, in school or through our local centres and community venues, as well as online at My World of Work. 

“The number to call after the helpline closes is 0800 917 8000.”

• SDS works in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Qualifications Authority, UCAS and Developing the Young Workforce to support pupils, and their parents and carers, during results time. Anyone can visit myworldofwork.co.uk at any time online career advice all year round 

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‘Advisers ensure people understand all their options’

By Frank Mitchell

AS results day gets closer, the importance of strong, national careers advice comes into sharp focus.  

For young people who don’t get the results they’d hoped for, it can feel like the end of the world.  

Every year our highly trained careers advisers provide calm reassurance to thousands of young people, along with a great many concerned parents, grandparents and others who care.

This dedicated, impartial support really matters.  

Getting the right guidance at the right time ensures people understand their full range of options, whether it’s university, college, an apprenticeship, work or volunteering.  

This message of hope and practical advice helps young people at a time when they need it most.

Apprentice of the Year Julie-Ann Murray is one person to benefit from Scotland’s strong system of work-based learning

As many young people prepare for life after school, there has been much discussion in the media around the relative merits of different post-school pathways. 

Last week the UK Government announced a ‘crackdown on rip-off university degrees’ that don’t deliver strong employment prospects. 

Much of the resulting debate focused on the relative benefits of apprenticeships and the need for higher levels of learning in the workplace.

Often this discourse can be polarising, with analysts and commentators promoting false choices between ‘academic’ versus ‘workplace’ pathways. 

As the national skills agency, SDS has long advocated for a demand-led skills system where the needs of our learners, our employers and Scotland’s economy are supported by a balanced and responsive portfolio of pathways.  

For those who choose a workplace pathway, they can be reassured that Scottish Apprenticeships are going from strength to strength. 

With near record numbers of apprentices in training, there is significant demand from Scotland’s employers for more, as every sector in our economy grapples with skills shortages.

At a time when public finances are incredibly stretched, we estimate that every pound spent on a Scottish Apprenticeship leverages ten pounds of employer co-investment.

And when it comes to employment prospects, 91 per cent of Modern Apprentice completers in Scotland sustain their employment.

Our national career services, including the results helpline, are fundamentally focused on empowering young people to make the choices that are right for them, whether that’s university, college, an apprenticeship, work or volunteering.

There really is no wrong path – it’s what’s right for the young person and their ambitions for their future that’s important.

Uniquely among the home nations, Scotland has prioritised support for a national all-age career service which ensures that everyone has access to free, impartial career support from highly qualified practitioners.

Whether that’s in schools, in communities, online or at the end of a telephone line, people from Gretna Green to Lerwick can access dedicated, localised career support.

It means that anyone who calls our results helpline, speaks to their school’s careers adviser or gets help face-to-face at one of our Scotland-wide locations, can be assured they’re receiving the best advice that will empower them to make the right decisions for their future.