Skip to main content
Apply now

Not looking for a course?

Search entire site
Search all courses for “{{ searchQuery }}”

Not sure what you're looking for?

View all subjects and courses

Looking for the perfect course?

Use our course finder to search over 650 courses

Apply now

We have a range of careers and personal development support options for students studying at Blackburn College and University Centre.

Careers Team

Careers & Personal Development Centre

Our team of qualified careers advisers can support you with

  1. Exploring future career and learning pathways
  2. Developing employability skills and experience
  3. Applying for opportunities (university, apprenticeships, jobs)

Come and see us in our brand new centre located in The Curve, University Centre.

Three sixth form students sitting together in the Sixth form building

Careers Support

We want to help you make positive decisions about your future and make progress towards your career goals. Our industry-experienced staff, professional careers advisors and employer links, mean that you can be sure you will gain the skills, experience and support you need to succeed.

students sat in the Exchange learning zone reading a book. A bookshelf is behind her

The Blackburn College Careers Programme

We offer a range of activities and support during your studies to help you on your way to job success in the future. As part of lessons and tutorials, and with support from industry-experienced staff, you will understand and develop the skills that employers want and will have opportunities to engage with employers both in college and in the workplace. You will also have access to high quality, impartial careers education, information, advice & guidance (CEIAG) in The Exchange where we can help you with your progression and career planning.

Our Careers & Employability Offer

5E3A0318

Quality assurance of our Careers Programme

We formally review our careers programme every two years, in conjunction with updates to our careers strategy. We also conduct termly Compass (careers benchmark tool) assessments of our progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks with Inspira and undertake annual continuous improvement checks for the Matrix Standard, with 3 year assessments which scrutinise our information, advice and guidance.

Two students studying in a communal space.

Gatsby Benchmarks

We are committed to offering a fun and inspirational Careers Programme which motivates students and aligns with the eight Gatsby Benchmarks:

  1. A stable careers programme
  2. Learning from career and labour market information
  3. Addressing the needs of each student
  4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
  5. Encounters with employers and employees
  6. Experiences of workplaces
  7. Encounters with further and higher education
  8. Personal guidance
tutor shows student electrical components

Matrix Standard

Blackburn College has been awarded The matrix Standard which is the Department for Education’s (DfE) standard for ensuring the delivery of high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG).

Students and Staff gathered together in the Exchange area conversing and smiling.

Lancashire Careers Hub

We are a member of the Lancashire Careers Hub, collaborating with a range of partners to help improve careers outcomes for the young people of Lancashire.

two students underneath a car doing mechanics in the HEAT Building.

Labour Market Information

In addition to working directly with local employers, we also work closely with the following partners, to access high-quality information and opportunities linked to the local labour market -

  1. Lancashire Skills & Employment Hub
  2. Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

This helps to shape our curriculum and ensure students develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours to help them successfully enter the workplace after their studies.

All students can also access up-to-date Labour Market Information, through The Exchange Online, our 24:7 information portal. Click here to access.

Targeted Careers Support for SEND

For anyone with special needs or disabilities, accessing high-quality advice at the earliest possible stage, is really important to making the most of your options. Knowing what those options are and understanding what support can be put in place, is crucial in helping you to make decisions about the future. Our specialist SEND Careers Adviser will support you through this process and will get in touch, early in your studies, to help you make a start with your progression and career planning.

We also recognise that transition into College for young people with SEND can be a particularly worrying time, so we can help facilitate a smooth process by working with young people, their families, schools and other agencies. Our SEND Transitions and IAG co-ordinators, offer expert professional help and advice and are able to attend school reviews from Year 9 onwards to ensure that the transition into college runs smoothly.

Working with Parents & Employers

We have dedicated information pages on our website which detail how we work with parents and employers to ensure our students receive the best possible careers support whilst on their study programmes.

Please click on the links below to be redirected to the appropriate page –

Information for Employers

Information for Parents and Carers

Get advice before coming to College

If you are interested in coming to college and are unsure about what you want to do or would like more information about your options, come along to an Open Event and speak to a range of experts by following the link below.

Contact our Careers Lead

The Careers Lead for college is Victoria Wilding, Head of Student Services. She can be contacted at victoria.wilding@blackburn.ac.uk or by calling 01254 292346.

Our College Events