Beyond 18 Programme – St Thomas the Apostle College
December 16, 2025
At St Thomas the Apostle College, we believe that every student has the potential to shape their own future, and the right guidance can turn aspirations into reality. That’s why we have designed a dynamic and empowering careers programme that puts students at the centre.
Our programme equips students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed decisions, plan strategically, and take meaningful steps toward their goals. Armed with this knowledge, we encourage every student to explore their ‘possible selves’ – because no career, ambition, or pathway is out of reach.
With expert advice, real-world insights, and tailored support, we ensure that when our students leave us, they do so ready to thrive – not just in education and work, but in life.
Our philosophy
We understand that students are individuals who need to be supported to choose a route that’s right for them and so we would fully expect and encourage students to be part of more than one programme.
We see our role in a student’s journey as going beyond 18 when they leave us and our programme is bespoke and responsive to the needs of our students and changes in the post-18 landscape.
Our partnerships
We work in partnership with numerous universities, apprenticeship providers, employers and external providers to make sure that all students receive expert and up-to-date guidance.
We are proactive in our approach to partnership work and enjoy working collaboratively to give the best possible experience for our students.
Beyond 18: Future Professionals
The Beyond 18: Future Professionals programme specifically serves our students who wish to embark on an apprenticeship. We know how competitive the apprenticeship landscape is and so we ensure that students are supported every step of the way.
The Beyond 18: Future Professionals support includes, but is not limited to:
- Specialised support
We have a dedicated Futures team and a member of staff who has ultimate responsibility for apprenticeships which means students and parents have a point of contact. We also run workshops for parents explaining the apprenticeship landscape and also how to support their child making the transitions to an apprenticeship.
In addition, we have carved out time in the curriculum for a student-led apprenticeship society where students meet, share best practice and invite alumni speakers. Recently, we had 150 alumni take part in speed networking with our Year 12s and 13s to give them first-hand insights into their experiences.
- Informed students
Our extensive calendar of guest speakers and industry panels mean students hear directly from employers before they apply. This has led to students being invited to insight days to further enhance their employability. For example, our partnership with Lockton and Accenture has meant students have developed relationships with employers and been invited to insight days where they have been given application support and subsequently received interviews.
Every single student in Year 12 attends a workshop about apprenticeships as well as a workshop about university, before applying to the Future Professionals scheme. This ensures that we know their decisions are informed ones.
- Preparation and monitoring
As part of the Future Professionals programme, we provide application mentoring where students are given workshops on assessment centres, psychometric testing, CV writing, cover letters and mock interviews. We work in partnership with Causeway Education and Construction Youth Trust to ensure our students are receiving high quality support.
We also use Trackcel, a software programme, that allows us to track students’ applications in the same way that we track UCAS applications. It means we can see which students are getting interviews and being invited to assessment centres. It has been incredibly helpful to see where our students are applying and for them to create a community with one another.
View our Beyond 18 Digital Prospectus here.
