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On Track Programme

https://youtu.be/sXye-OjTvPo

About the programme

On Track is an employability programme designed specifically for 1st and 2nd Year home students who are in receipt of a York Bursary.

It runs for the whole academic year and will begin with an introductory briefing session in Week 5 of Semester 1. Eligible students will receive an invitation to this briefing via email in Week 4.

The programme was piloted last year with a small cohort of students and has expanded and improved to offer a revised set of activities for students in 23/24.

The content varies for 1st and 2nd Years but you will be able to participate in professional development workshops, delivered by professionals from diverse backgrounds, as well as city and workplace visits. In addition, 2nd Years will be able to apply for 1-2-1 coaching and 1st Years will have access to a strengths-based tool designed by sports psychologists, used in elite sport and also in the business world, giving you insights into your mindset preferences and behavioural styles.

Why do it?

  • Begin to understand and build professional networks
  • Understand your mindset and behavioural styles and learn how to use these in new and different situations to become more confident and adaptable
  • Develop and increase your career confidence to help you to progress into a placement, internship and graduate level professional roles
  • Help you to navigate opportunities at university to get involved 
  • Access other opportunities and gain an insight into professional workplaces

Students who completed this programme last year said…

  • “Makes me realise how much you can get out of uni, I just thought I was here for my degree”
  • “It has allowed us an insight in things that may be second nature to those brought up in different environments, giving us an idea of what networking is and how to do this professionally”
  • “I didn’t have opportunities growing up because of my family circumstances. We didn’t have any money so I feel I’m getting up to speed with where others are”

Information for 1st Years

Programme content

There are three core elements to the 1st Year programme:

  • Access to the strengths based tool Spotlight, used in and by elite sport and the corporate world. This will provide students with a personalised profile to help with self awareness, building relationships, making and nurturing connections, using mindset and behavioural style concepts. Spotlight will also be integrated into each professional development workshop. The element of the programme is mandatory and will enable you to attend and participate in the workshops.
  • Students who register on Spotlight will be able to attend professional development workshops. Beginning with a Spotlight workshop in week 7 there will be nine workshops across the year addressing themes which include navigating university life, exploring professional work and career options, self awareness and owning your story, understanding professional networks and how to take steps to begin your career journey. These workshops will be delivered in person, starting at 6pm, by a variety of external coaches as well as careers staff
  • City and workplace visits - we aim to offer two workplace visits during the year, one at the beginning of the Easter vacation and the other at the end of the second semester. These visits will also be open to students participating in the 2nd Year On Track programme.

Time commitment

The programme equates to approximately 5 days over the year. Each workshop will be two hours in length and the city and workplace visits will take a day each and will be either in London or another city closer to York.

How to sign up

Eligible students will be emailed in Week 4 and invited to a briefing session in Week 5.

Those who attend the briefing session will be able to sign up to the Programme through Handshake. The form will open at 6pm on 24th October and close 9am on 31st October.

All students who have been allocated a place will be informed via email after the closing date. There are 90 spots available.

Information for 2nd Years

Programme content

There are three core elements to the 2nd Year programme.

  • Professional development workshops - beginning in Week 8 there will be seven workshops across the year addressing themes including goal setting and planning for the year ahead, building professional networks, resilience and responding to rejection, understanding workplace culture and presenting yourself authentically. These workshops will be delivered in person, starting at 6pm, by a variety of external coaches as well as careers staff
  • City and workplace visits - we aim to offer two workplace visits during the year, one at the beginning of the Easter vacation and the other at the end of the second semester. These visits will also be open to students participating on the 1st Year Programme.
  • 1-2-1 Coaching - there are 50 places for this part of the programme and students will be able to undertake five sessions over the course of the year. Coaches will work with you on an individual, confidential basis allowing you space and time to explore your situation, your future self and your employability journey at university. Each session will be personalised to each student and can be scheduled at a time to suit you. Priority for coaching will be given to students who undertook the programme in 1st Year, but there will be some places for those who did not take up coaching last year. All sessions will take place online on a secure platform.

Time commitment

The programme equates to approximately two and a half days over the year for workshops. Each workshop will be two hours in length. The city and workplace visits will take a day each and will be either in London or another city closer to York. Coaching sessions are one hour each and five hours in total for each student.

How to sign up 

Eligible students will be emailed in Week 4 and invited to a briefing session in Week 5.

Those who attend the briefing session will be able to sign up to the Programme through Handshake. The form will open at 6pm on 26th October and close 9am on 31st October.

All students who have been allocated a place will be informed via email after the closing date.