Careers Scotland Prepares to Open Exam Results Helpline
The waiting will soon be over for thousands of anxious students as exam results are posted throughout Scotland next month.
Standard and Higher Grade exam results are due to arrive on Tuesday 7 August 2007 and that morning Careers Scotland will open the Exam Results Helpline for students who need expert careers advice before they take their next step after leaving school.
Professional Careers Scotland advisers will be on standby to reassure callers and provide impartial careers advice and support, no matter what their grades are.
Whether exam results are expected or unexpected, the freephone number 0808 100 8000 will put callers in touch with Careers Scotland advisers who have the latest information on UCAS course vacancies at colleges and universities across the UK and information on other opportunities for school leavers.
Careers Scotland has direct access to the UCAS clearing system which helps students to find a place at college or university. The clearing system matches students with available places and the freephone Exam Results Helpline is designed to give students the most up to date information as they make important career decisions.
Lines will be open:
- Tuesday 7 August 2007 and Wednesday 8 August 2007 from 8 am to 8 pm
- Thursday 9 August 2007 to Friday 24 August 2007 from 10 am to 6 pm
The Exam Results Helpline advises thousands of young people about career opportunities every year, with almost 4000 callers seeking careers advice last summer alone. Many parents and carers take advantage of the helpline, which can reassure them at what can be an unsettling time.
Careers Scotland advisers can also connect callers to a range of opportunities in the world of work and training and give advice on exam re-sits, taking a year out and other post-school options.
Danny Logue, Acting Director, Careers Scotland (SE), said:
"This can be an anxious time for students and their friends and family. However, it’s important not to panic when the results arrive. It doesn’t cost a penny to call the Exam Results Helpline and talk to one of our Careers Advisers. There is often a positive outcome even if the results that students receive are very different to what they were expecting.
"It’s vital for students to call the Helpline as soon as they can, as colleges and universities make their final selections once the results are out. We can discuss the options and look at the different learning pathways and routes that are available to help the caller make an informed career choice that is right for them. Students should call 0808 100 8000 as soon as they can after they have received their results."
Recent research undertaken by DTZ Research and Consulting on behalf of Careers Scotland has recognised the importance of career guidance in helping people make the correct career choices. It identified that well informed career decisions improve motivation which in turn means a higher likelihood of sustaining opportunities and gaining a higher level of qualification.
Danny continued, "Evidence shows that confidence levels rise after receiving career guidance. At this stage of their decision making, it is important that young people consider all the opportunities that are available to them and are encouraged to have the confidence to make the choice most suitable for them. The Exam Results Helpline provides vital support to young people as they make some of the most important decisions of their lives."
The Exam Results Helpline is based in Stirling Management Centre and is staffed by Careers Scotland Advisers in both the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise areas.
If you have already left school, Careers Scotland needs to know what you are now doing. Please complete this simple form online and your details will be updated for you
26/07/07
