Using Focus Point

As a FOCUS West project, the website is particularly concerned with advising pupils on the higher education options open to them at both college and university, with specific guidance and activities for S4-S6 students related to researching courses and making applications.

However, Focus Point offers information, tools and activities for pupils in every year group, whatever they’re interested in. They’ll be able to:

• research career ideas and assess their own strengths and interests
• access advice and tools to help them with their important subject choices in S2/S3
• read interviews and watch videos with current college and university students and representatives of different job sectors

Pupils at FOCUS West schools will also be able to create their own account, allowing them to:

• Keep a record of their activities, their achievements, and their goals
• Save the results of course and job searches
• Access opportunities and communicate with pupils from other schools by joining ‘social groups’ specific to their interests
• Use a Personal Statement writing tool designed to help with UCAS and college applications

Testimonials

We asked young people what they liked about FOCUS Point, and here is what they said:

“Impression is it’s more useful in the early stages of life. If you didn’t know what you wanted to do. Job matcher was helpful at beginning, I put in my subjects and it showed what jobs I could do. When you put in your favourite subject and it comes up with a list of jobs through favourite subjects.”

“I used FOCUS Point and it was good”

“Good content”

“tells you what career you can do after you put the subjects in, I like that”

“FOCUS Point is colourful and attractive”

“FOCUS point is better for kids”

“It is easier to read.”

“I prefer FOCUS Point, I like the quizzes”

“FOCUS Point is more helpful because it shows what to do”

“presenting jobs”

“FOCUS Point has lots of colour”

“FOCUS Point is good because you have skills on there”

“Really easy to use, easy to login, profile populates, really helpful”

“It shows you a bigger spectrum of jobs”

“FOCUS Point has more things to do and lets you register faster.”

“easy to find what you want”

“I like FOCUS point because of the strengths of the profile.”

“I like the job matcher as well”