‘Quietest’ building in the world opens today

The new centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information opened today at the University of Bristol. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2009/6531.html This is a fascinating area and I thought I'd share some Nano resources for careers work with you. http://www.nano.org.uk/index.htm is a useful site, with info on this area from a UK perspective, http://www.icpc-nanonet.org combines info for EU, China, India and Russia in one area, but the most interesting is a Free Nanotechnology Course from http://www.glennfishbine.com/course.htm. This has powerpoints, pdfs and all sorts of interesting stuff you could use to raise awareness.
In addition if you are interested in visiting the quietest building in the world you are in luck. At the weekend it is the Bristol Open Doors event http://www.bristoldoorsopenday.org/ when you could take a look for yourself. Why not take a trip !

Still looking for a place, consider a BSc in Rehabilitation Engineering with no Fees !

For anyone still looking for an interesting degree combining engineering and healthcare you might want to consider this course. Coventry University has recently won the national commission from the NHS to provide a BSc in Rehabilitation Engineering. They have places available on this course to commence in October and there are no tuition fees to pay as these are covered by the NHS. This is the only course of its kind in the UK so any graduates will be part of a very select grouping.
Rehabilitation Engineering is rewarding and interesting career in which technologists have the opportunity to apply their skills in an area of real social value. The subject will appeal to students who have a broad interest in engineering subjects combined with an interest in healthcare science. It may also be of interest to students who have been unsuccessful in obtaining a place in other health disciplines such as physiotherapy. The course combines practical and theoretical experience, including workplace training placements. Successful graduates will have completed all the necessary education and training to work directly at registered practitioner level in the NHS and related organisations. Employment prospects are good as place numbers are limited and are based on workforce planning requirements. More info available at this website http://www.hdti.org.uk/content.php?pgid=33. An interesting summary of this work is available at this American site http://www.rehabengineer.com/

Interesting in working in the NHS, but want to do a non medical degree ?

It is a cliché that the NHS only employs Nurses and Doctors, but even so other options are not always known to everyone. If you are planning to study a degree, whether it is Media Studies or Zoology and have ever thought what you can do with it, why not take a look at this site: http://www.whatcanidowithmydegree.nhs.uk. Great fun to see what you can do with a range of subjects...and you also learn more about Britains largest employer at the same time. approaximately 1.3 million people work in the NHS, could you be one of them ?

Nursing to be all Graduate entry profession from September 2011 (at the earliest !)

If you are looking at entering Nursing as a careers it might be worth knowing that one year ago (3rd Sept 2008), the Nursing and Midwifery Council confirmed in principle that the minimum academic award for pre-registration nursing programmes will be a degree. Degree-only programmes are due to be in place by September 2011 (at the earliest), and anybody entering nurse training after this date will probably have to undertake a degree. However, student nurses already on a diploma course do not have to convert to a degree course, and registered nurses only have to ‘top-up’ from diploma to degree if they want to do so. http://www.nursingtimes.net/forums-blogs-ideas-debate/your-career/how-to-improve-your-career/how-to-go-from-diploma-to-degree/5002141.article.

If you are worried about the cost of this study, it is worth remembering that in terms of additional lifetime earnings, healthcare graduates enjoy a 21-44% premium if they are women and a 15-27% premium if they are men. A full report investigating evidence of the impact of healthcare and similar student financial support systems on a range of impact factors including value for money and equality can be found here http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_101615.pdf This report also contains a descriptive summary of the funding systems for healthcare students in Germany, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

A website to help research your study subject

You might just have got your GCSE results and are now looking to go onto 6th form study, possibly considering which subjects you might finally take. Or you may be looking at a Diploma or another vocational or occupational course that would still allow you to go onto a degree should you choose. You might be halfway through your studies and now face completing the UCAS form to apply to University. What help is available for you ?
If you have every wanted to find out about a subject in more depth you probably use the internet, but it can be difficult to find useful, reliable info about your chosen area even if you use Google. Well now there is a website which has gathered the best of the web for you, arranged over the main subject fields covering degree areas from Aeronautical Engineering to Womens Studies. Have a look at this and see if it helps you with your career choices http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/
There is even an Internet Detective course you can take to help you sort out the gold from the dross http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/ Everything is free and quality controlled by a national team of lecturers and librarians from UK universities. An excellent resource I think

Adventures in Media land - Clearing has begun

It's that time so beloved by the press, politicians and general experts of all hues, the annual exam results period. I've been interviewed on various local radio stations for this event, and dealt with the challenge of speaking in sound bites rather than give a full, but probably too long for the radio, answer to questions. I've also recording a Podcast on our website about this getting your exams, opening the envelope and answering some of the more common questions people have about clearing and what to do next. There is lots to say and do right now, and although we stayed open late on this and next Thursday, (and we are open late every Tuesday anyway), clearing does continue for several weeks and in fact the rush to "sort something out" quickly can be a difficult choice. As always the advice must be to talk to someone either where you studied or here at Connexions, where all options can be considered and plans can be reviewed. Good luck to everyone who has their results at this time. We will be working with you until you are settled in your next position whatever that may be.