Twas the last year of college and Nick was stuck, he admitted,

What would he do next when all coursework was submitted?

To the trusty careers team, he turned without fear,

In hopes that his next steps would soon become clear.

A meeting was called with his campus adviser

They discussed all his options. And soon, he felt wiser.

Job profiles, life skills and make no mistake,

All options were open, but which route would he take?

But there was more to consider, that Nick did not know,

For he was a WIN student as his postcode would show.

Now you may be thinking, just what is the WIN?

Well, let me explain, sit tight and I’ll begin.

The WIN supports students, who live in certain locations

But often choose not to go to higher education.

They support with decisions, plan events and pay for trips!

“What would I have done without this help?”, thought Nick.

Next it was time to think of interests and key skills

But Nick could not think of any. Not one! Until,

He found CareerPilot, skills quizzes and buzz tests

He looked through the results and found what suited him best.

He was organised, hard-working and would make a fine caretaker,

He loved working with animals, building things, and was a great list maker.

His current college course focused on tourism and travel,

And slowly but surely, Nick’s future began to unravel.

Things were becoming clearer, but what route to take next?

Maybe university was the right choice? But Nick was still perplexed.

He did want to study further and move to a new city

But how would he get there? Now this could be tricky.

To his adviser he returned with a UCAS application.

He could study abroad, take a placement, or even a foundation.

His statement was ready, with help from the careers team,

Offers soon rolled in, but there was more to think of, it would seem.

Nick still had some doubts, what if Uni didn’t fit?

So, to keep options open he looked for an apprenticeship.

He could learn while he works, his adviser explained,

And companies would pay him – he would earn as he trained!

More applications to complete, but Nick was well prepared

Careers even planned Mock Interviews, when the time came, he wasn’t scared.

He felt professional, confident and ready to impress,

And he continued through each stage, without worry or stress.

So, what happened next? Nick’s tale is almost done.

On to a course in International Business, and sleigh building – just for fun!

With great plans for his future, Nick had truly found his way,

When asked how he felt, here’s what he had to say…

 “The Wiltshire College Careers Team and WIN Advisors too,

Always ready when needed and here to help you.”

Thank you to Wiltshire College for allowing us to reproduce this fabulous poem. If you need help to plan your next steps speak to your school or college careers team, if you are no longer in education drop the Work Wiltshire team an email and we’ll help you.