Postgraduate Diploma in Guidance

School
School of Education and Professional Development

Course Length
1 year full-time

Number of Places
20

Contact
Telephone: 01484 478249
E-mail: sepd@hud.ac.uk

Entry Requirements

You should normally hold a degree or equivalent. However applicants with other qualifications or with other relevant experience are encouraged to apply and if selected you will be required to provide some written evidence which is used to assess whether you will cope with the academic demands of the course.

You are required to have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance. This is administered and paid for by the School of Education and Professional Development. We will arrange for clearance if you are asked to interview and will provide full details at that stage. A health check will also be carried out (by the University) during the admission process.

Introduction

Guidance is recognised as playing a key role in helping people plan their career and in making informed decisions about their training, education and employment needs.

The Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG) provides initial training for all aspects of guidance work and prepares you to work in a variety of guidance environments. However its particular focus is on career guidance training.

Course aims

• To acquire the necessary and appropriate knowledge, understanding, skills, competencies, attributes and values to become an effective, professional guidance practitioner.
• To explore both the theoretical and practical basis of the work of guidance deliverers in an objective, critical and analytical way, considering the needs of both clients and customers.
• To enable participation in a wide variety of guidance activities and functions by direct work-based learning with guidance deliverers and educational establishments and by experimental role play activities and the use of closed circuit TV for assessed work.
• To simulate the pressures, demands and standards of the guidance worker’s environment – including organisational, administrative and time management elements as well as broader professional practice.
• To review and reflect upon performance and learning experiences in an ongoing way, via tutorials centred on student portfolios and/or training plans.
• To introduce you to the competencies/standards approach and combine it with the academic rigour of Master's level study ensuring a smooth transition from study to employment.
• To examine new trends and developments in the future role of careers guidance provision.

Course Structure

The course consists of four 30 credit modules:

• The Framework for Professional Practice
• The Theory and Policy of Careers Education and Career Guidance
• Career Guidance Interventions
• Multi Agency and Partnership Working

If you complete the PgDip in Guidance and meet the Institute of Career Guidance regulations you will be awarded the Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG). You must successfully complete a cluster of units from an NVQ level 4 programme in order to deliver the Connexions contract. The NVQ level 4 is usually obtained in the first year of employment.

Teaching and Assessment

The course is modular and combines theoretical, academic and practical approaches to guidance in a range of different contexts, including the Connexions Service and other guidance providers. There is a focus on personal development and teamwork exercises both in the University and on work-based learning with guidance providers. The learning experience is based on participation, critical analysis, self determination, and self reflection and shared responsibility. The PgDip in Guidance is a course within the Postgraduate Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) and offers a programme of 120 Master’s level credits.

Career Opportunities

The course has a good reputation for students gaining employment.
The profile of guidance has been raised considerably over the last five years. Students have a range of employment options to consider other than the Connexions Service, including Further Education/Higher Education and adult guidance work.

Placement

Placements consist of three weeks in term 1, two weeks in term 2 and four weeks in term 3. When allocating Work Based Learning (WBL), account is taken of personal circumstances and any family/personal links that you might have in other areas of the country. We are lucky that our well established links with local and regional links usually mean that we can provide WBL within daily travelling distance. However situations change and whilst every attempt is made to consider individual circumstances, you must be prepared to be mobile and to live away from home if necessary.

Funding

Most students are self funding, usually through a career development loan. For information on Career Development Loans contact 0800 585 505.
Funder Finder, a computer database, is usually available in Connexions Services. This provides help with locating alternative sources of finance.

For the past three years sponsored places have been available through the Department for Children, Schools and Families (formally DfES). Full information on this is given at recruitment and selection days and it is the course centre which administers the funds. Potential applicants cannot access this through individual applications to the DfES.

Further Studies

We also offer a Masters level course, the MA Professional Development to help with your professional development.

Special Features

The course has a good reputation for students gaining employment. The profile of guidance has been raised considerably over the last five years. You will have a range of employment options to consider other than the Connexions Service, including Further and Higher Education and adult guidance work.

Prospectus

You can also request a printed prospectus by filling in our web form, and have it delivered to your address.

24 Hour Prospectus Enquiry Telephone Line:
+44(0)870 901 5555