Careers and employability

Guest lecture from ex-student Millie Sutton

Careers advice and guidance is embedded in all out Post-16 courses. At HCA you will get first-hand insight and experience of the creative industries - and guidance from our accredited Information, Advice and Guidance Service to help you find a career you will love.

Our dedicated careers team can help you make the right decisions on your future career path before you come to college, whilst you are on your programme and when you are ready to leave us. 

Whether you dream of progressing into work or higher education, Hereford College of Arts is fully qualified to provide support for individuals from a range of backgrounds into successful future opportunities.

We are committed to supporting the progression of our students into a wide range of successful destinations after they complete their programme of study; this includes employment, further or higher education, or training.

We are dedicated to achieving the eight Gatsby Benchmarks as outlined by the Department for Education and we are working in collaboration with the Careers Enterprise Company to ensure a high quality careers education programme for our students.

The careers programme below shows what careers related education a student at Hereford College of Arts can expect to access as part of their programme. Study Programmes also include maths and English if the student has not yet achieved a Grade 4/C at GCSE level, and this is an essential element of the programme – employers continue to report that young employees are lacking skills in these key areas and adults who do not hold these qualifications find seeking work more difficult.

How we focus on your future career at HCA

Internal live briefs

Work on real-life projects designed replicate briefs you would work on as a professional. Develop ideas, collaborate with other students and deliver a final product to a real deadline. 

Talks from industry and employers

Tap in to HCA's extensive professional network and get first-hand insight on where your industry is now - and where it's headed. Ask the questions that matter to you, and start to work out what sector you might like to specialise in. 

Off-site projects

Work for a real 'client' on a project. Build your own professional portfolio and confidence - with the full support of your teaching team. 

Specialist workshops

As an HCA student you can advantage of masterclasses from high-level creative professionals. Visiting professionals often share specific, specialist skills or techniques that you can use in your own work.

Industry-standard resources

Every day at HCA you will be able to take advantage of studios and workshops that have been designed to mirror the kit and facilities you will work with ass a professional. Build your confidence and your skills, and master up-to-the-minute software and kit with the support of technical specialists.

I understand the bigger picture now. Before coming here I didn't understand how the industry worked - but since coming here I've got an understanding that I need to do this, to get this job. Or apply for this to get in there. Now I know what I'm doing and I know the teachers here are going to help me. I've got enough information - and I'll learn more.

Alexandra Birring - Performing & Production Arts

I think it's good to have experience in what you want to do in the future. Being in a creative industry, you're going to want to market your own things and your own identity so it's good to learn all the basics. Coming here has set me up with building a good portfolio.

Matilda Weyman-Hall - Art, Design and Communication

I did a project in partnership with the Alzheimer's Society where we learned about drama therapy and performed to people in care homes. It was really interesting to see how theatre can help people with disabilities or illnesses

Evie Slater-Jones - Performing and Production Arts

The Pop-Up Shop project is all about throwing yourself at it and producing, making what you're enthusiastic about. You are learning about how to sell your work - and that's really important for when you go into the big, wide world as an artist.

Molly Cheshire - Art, Design & Communication

There are so many different ways you can go about 'art. There are so many different avenues and it's been nice to see those avenues available to me at the college.

Melissa Sanders - Art, Design & Communication

Our team

Careers services at HCA

Your careers advisor

HCA employs a professionally-qualified Careers Adviser, who offers careers dducation, information, advice and guidance to any student who requests it throughout their course of study with us. The CEIAG Policy and Careers programme is designed to meet the needs of students and to propel the College to achieving all of the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Contact our Careers Adviser, Gail Kilminster

matrix certified

Our Careers programme and Information, Advice and Guidance services are accredited by the matrix Standard and our team is always on hand to provide information, advice and guidance to students. matrix is the Department for Education's standard for ensuring the highest-quality delivery of advice for students.

More about the Matrix Standard

A frequently asked questions style resource for apprenticeships has been launched, full of answers to the most commonly asked questions by teachers, students and parents. 

More online resources

Creative Lives in Progress

A hub of advice and opportunities curated by creative professionals in the UK. CLICK HERE and check it out.

Discover Creative Careers

Discover Creative Careers is an industry-led programme that is working to ensure there is a larger and more diverse intake of talent via a broader range of routes into the creative industries. It is funded by DCMS, with additional support from Arts Council England. CLICK HERE to check out their vast Career Finder tool.

Amazing apprenticeships

CLICK HERE for a a diverse video series featuring apprentices talking about their experiences working for the likes of BBC and Coca-Cola. 

Career mag (Parent/Guardian resource)

A magazine that guides parents and guardians through the maze of post-16 and post-18 options, so they can strike up the best career conversations with your children using our expert advice and resources. CLICK HERE to check it out.

Wonder What - Common Misconceptions

This accessible five-video series interviews current creative professionals about common misconceptions around working in the sector. CLICK HERE to watch them now.

Arts Jobs

An extensive job listing and events site ran by Arts Council England. CLICK HERE to check it out.

Creative Access

Creative Access is the UK’s leading inclusivity organisation in the creative industries. They are impact-driven and have a mission to build a creative economy which reflects the society it serves.  Check out some of their Career Support packages HERE

The Apprenticeship Guide

Search by subject, interest or sector to find an apprenticeship that is right for you. CLICK HERE to use their apprenticeship finder.

Businesses are clear that first and foremost they want to recruit young people with attitudes and attributes such as resilience, enthusiasm and creativity.

CBI + Pearson, 'Educating for the Modern World'

Impact


The Careers programme at HCA is assessed for its quality and positive impact on students through a number of methods:

1. The destinations of students after leaving their courses. The College tracks the destinations of students and reports this to Ofsted via the college’s yearly Self-Assessment Report.

2. The numbers of students accessing the services on offer

3. Student feedback after 1:1 and tutorial sessions

4. Curriculum planning and self-evaluation reports monitored by the Teaching, Learning and Quality Improvement Lead.

4. Matrix Quality Standard re-evaluation and accreditation.

The careers information on this page has been written using this guidance:

Careers Guidance for Further Education & Sixth Form Colleges February 2018 – DfE

Provider Access 

Try WonderWhat and find out where a creative career could take you

Pick five images you like and Wonder What will suggest some careers for you - or talk to a AI Chat Assistant and let it help you out. This amazing careers tool was developed in 2023 by one of HCA's creative partners, Bond and Coyne.

Try Wonder What