learning

The National Careers Service

The National Careers Service (NCS) provides confidential advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities. This is supported by qualified careers advisers.

The NCS website aims to:

  • Help you with careers decisions and planning
  • Support you in reviewing your skills and abilities and develop new goals
  • Motivate you to implement your plan of action
  • Enable you to make the best use of high quality career related tools

The NCS can help if you:

  • Are returning to work from time out
  • Have just finished college or university and are considering your next move
  • Are unhappy in your current job and ready for a change, but not sure what
  • Have been made redundant and are unsure of your next move
  • Have been out of work for a while and looking for job hunting tips

The website has all the career tools you need to make the right choices about your future. You can permanently store your results and records from all of these tools in a Lifelong Learning Account. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes.

“Whatever your situation, whatever your barriers, we’re here to help you overcome them and reach your potential.” National Careers Service

Gov.uk – has a list of websites that can help you find volunteering opportunities: Volunteering placements

The Disability Employment Adviser
A Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) can help you in your search for a job, or to gain new skills. They can also tell you about disability friendly employers in your area.

To have an appointment with a DEA, you need to be already receiving certain benefits. Find out more from your local Jobcentre Plus. You can find the phone number in the Phone Book, or search for ‘Jobcentre Plus’ online.

The Disability Employment Adviser can tell you about programmes and grants to help you back into work.

Two ticks adverts


When you are looking for work, look for the ‘positive about disabled people’ symbol (with two ticks) on adverts and application forms.

The symbol shows that the employer is committed to employing disabled people. If a job advert displays the symbol, you will be guaranteed an interview, as long as you meet the essential conditions for the job.

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If you are looking for work, where could you get help with this?