Warwickshire & Hinckley College Joins the AGCAS Elite

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A college in Warwickshire has become the first Further Education college to be given membership of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Service (AGCAS).

Warwickshire and Hinckley College’s careers advisors became the first college to join the body, who usually only allow Higher Education institutes as members. The college’s growing HE student population meant that the careers service needed to reach the service levels provided within other HE institutions. Kevin Grindley of the college’s Guidance Team, has been striving to meet the standards that would enable the service to join the AGCAS network.

Supporting Advice

Mr Grindley explained: “The materials and support network offered from AGCAS are second to none based on our measurable record of success as a pro-active guidance service I felt we could match the specialist expertise of our HE counterparts. My team’s ability to join was never in doubt because, as a team, we had already acquired a number of exacting quality kite mark awards and, as such, we are now recognised as a centre of excellence in adult guidance for the Coventry and Warwickshire region”.

Mr Grindley expressed his delight at the outcome of the AGCAS inspection: “I think that the site visit by Steve Thompson, to confirm our ability to contribute to the national AGCAS network also helped introduce and impress Steve to the wider support service that we have in place for all of our students. The role of a careers guidance adviser in FE is, arguably much more diverse than that in a traditional HE institution. We work with a much more diverse client group which requires an extremely flexible approach to the delivery of guidance work in the sector.”

The College’s Guidance team is four strong but has to deal with a tremendous number of students each year. In the busier months, last year, the team has had to support over 1,500 students.

Dan Atkinson

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