UPSKILL PROGRAMME
What is the Upskill Programme at John Leggott College?
The Upskill Programme is built into your curriculum at John Leggott College. You'll meet employers, build the skills they value most and take on real projects, so you leave ready for university, an apprenticeship or a job.
It's built into your timetable every Wednesday, 1–2pm, and shaped by local employers and the Local Skills Improvement Plan, so you build the skills most in demand across North Lincolnshire and the wider region.
I want to...
See how Upskill works
The four phases ↓
Take on an employer brief
Real projects, real feedback ↓
Get help with applications
University, jobs and more ↓
Get a quick
answer
Upskill FAQs ↓
Also on this page:
Why does JLC run the Upskill Programme?
We run Upskill to make sure every student leaves John Leggott College work-ready, with the skills, behaviours and industry knowledge that universities, employers and apprenticeship providers value most.
The programme is designed around the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which sets out the skills employers in our region need most, and around direct feedback from employers. Because it responds to real workforce needs, what you learn in Upskill matches what the local labour market is asking for.
What support will I get?
Shaped by the LSIP
Led by employer feedback
Built into your curriculum
YOUR UPSKILL JOURNEY
How does the Upskill Programme work?
Upskill runs in four phases. Each one builds on the last, taking you from your first conversation with an employer to a strong application for your next step.
4
PHASE 4
Prepare applications
3
PHASE 3
Take on a real brief
2
PHASE 2
Build the skills
1
PHASE 1
Meet employers
Meet employers
Phase 1 of 4
PHASE 1 · MEET EMPLOYERS
Meet employers and find out what they look for
You'll meet employers linked to your subjects and hear first-hand what they look for.
Every curriculum area runs at least two employer interactions. Employers share insight into their industry and tell us which skills, qualities and attributes their workplaces need right now, helping you understand local skills gaps and new employment trends.
What it could look like
1
YOUR RECORD OF PROGRESS
What is the Progression Passport?
Your Progression Passport is a personal record of every professional interaction, skill developed and contact made through Upskill.
Your Progress Tutor helps you complete it, and you can use it when writing UCAS personal statements, apprenticeship applications and job applications.
Supported by: Your Progress Tutor
UPSKILL GROUPS
Which Upskill group will I be in?
You'll join the Upskill group that matches your programme of study, so the employers and projects you meet link to your subjects.
Maths and Accounting
Business
Law
Media and IT
Acting and Creative Arts
Conservatoires
Humanities
English and Languages
Social Science
Science and MDV
Sport and Uniformed Public Services
Allied Health
READY FOR YOUR NEXT STEP
What will I get out of Upskill?
Across all four phases, you'll learn what employers and progression providers look for in successful candidates, and build the experience to show you have it.
A professional network
Opportunities to network with professionals from local and regional employers.
Where it helps: Apprenticeships and employment
Employability skills
The essential skills, behaviours and confidence employers look for in new starters.
Where it helps: University, apprenticeships and employment
Meaningful experience
Real work-based projects with feedback from the employers who set them.
Where it helps: Apprenticeship and job applications
Stronger applications
Practical examples for personal statements, CVs and applications.
Where it helps: University, apprenticeships and jobs
FOR EMPLOYERS
How can employers get involved in Upskill?
Help shape the skills of the young people who'll join your workforce. Your feedback directly shapes what students learn.
Deliver an Upskill session
Give a talk or workshop
Set an Employer Brief Project
Host a site visit
QUALITY YOU CAN TRUST
How does Upskill meet the Gatsby Benchmarks?
The Gatsby Benchmarks are the national standard for good careers guidance. Upskill contributes directly to five of them: Benchmarks 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
02
Learning from career and labour market information
You’ll learn which skills local employers need now and in the future, using up-to-date local, regional and national labour market information. This comes from our work with North Lincolnshire Council, the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
04
Linking curriculum learning to careers
Your Upskill workshops are run by your own department, so you can see how your subjects connect to real careers and progression routes.
Phase 2: Build the skills
05
Encounters with employers and employees
You’ll meet employers through talks, workshops and visits, and work directly with them on real projects, with time to prepare beforehand and reflect afterwards.
Phase 1: Meet employers and Phase 3: Take on a real brief
06
Experiences of Workplaces
Through site visits and real employer briefs, you’ll see how workplaces operate and what employers expect from new starters.
Phase 1: Meet employers and Phase 3: Take on a real brief
07
Encounters with further and higher education
If you choose the optional final phase, you’ll explore universities, apprenticeships and other routes, and find out how applications and selection work.
Phase 4: Prepare applications
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Upskill Programme FAQs
Quick answers to the questions students and parents ask most about sixth form, work experience and getting ready for your next step. Still have a question? Get in touch
Both. At John Leggott College, we build our Upskill Programme into every student's timetable. Alongside your A Levels or vocational course, we bring you face to face with employers, help you develop the skills they look for and set you real projects, so you're ready for university, an apprenticeship or work when you leave us.
Yes. Upskill builds real work experience into your week. Every curriculum area at John Leggott College runs at least two employer encounters through Upskill, from guest speakers and workshops to site visits, and every student completes an Employer Brief Project set by a local employer. If you’d also like an external placement, our Work-Based Opportunities Officer will work with you one-to-one to find one. See our Work-Based Opportunities page for how placements work.
We ask them. Through Upskill, employers tell us directly which skills they want, and the answer is usually communication, teamwork, problem-solving, resilience and professionalism. Employers across Greater Lincolnshire have also highlighted timekeeping and workplace communication, so our Upskill workshops focus on closing exactly those gaps.
At John Leggott College, Upskill gives every student real experiences to write about. The UCAS personal statement asks how your studies have prepared you and what else has helped, and our employer talks, workshops and Employer Brief Projects give you strong, specific examples, such as how you tackled a real brief and acted on an employer’s feedback.
Yes, and we’ll help you get there. Lots of our students move on to apprenticeships. Your Employer Brief Project gives you evidence of workplace skills to use in applications, and our optional Phase 4 workshops cover CVs, job searching, interview preparation and competitive applications, with one-to-one support from our Careers Team.
Yes. Many of our students start sixth form without a clear plan, and that’s fine. Through Upskill you’ll meet employers from a range of industries, discover jobs you might not have heard of, and build skills that help you whichever route you choose. Our Careers Team is here to help you work out your next step.
It’s a real-world project designed and set by one of our local employer partners. You work on it in your Upskill sessions with support from your John Leggott College teachers and the employer, who then reviews your work and gives you individual or group feedback.
Yes, every John Leggott College student takes part. We build Upskill into your timetable every Wednesday from 1pm to 2pm. Phase 4, which focuses on university and job applications, is optional, for students who want extra support.
We designed Upskill around the Greater Lincolnshire Local Skills Improvement Plan, which sets out the skills local employers need, and around feedback from the employers we work with. That means our students build the skills most in demand across North Lincolnshire, in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, energy, ports and logistics, and health and care.
Every John Leggott College student takes part in Upskill each week. Your child will meet employers, take part in skills workshops and complete a project set by a real employer. Our Careers Team also offers one-to-one support with applications and next steps, so you can be confident they’ll leave us prepared.
Discover More
Ready to learn more about John Leggott College? Here are some things you might be interested in.
