Get careers advice

Careers advice in Hackney

Hackney has lots of places to get advice on careers, education and training. All the services below can offer advice on improving your CV and interview techniques. Schools, and Hackney Careers Service, offer services for under 19s (up to 25 for those with additional needs). Job Centre Plus and Hackney Works mainly support those aged 18+ but have a limited service for those aged 16-18. Hackney Education’s Adult Learning Service offers a range of advice to those over 19. The National Careers Service offers online, phone and webchat support to those over 12.

Careers advice in schools

All secondary schools provide their pupils with careers advice. Many employ careers advisers who can offer advice about course options, careers and employment, some will have an adviser who visits the school to provide advice. 

School careers programmes will include events and activities to help pupils find out more about the world of work and provide their pupils with information about out of school resources and events. Your Head of Year will be able to introduce you to the careers staff in your school.

Quality in Careers Standard

The Department for Education oversees the Quality in Careers Standard for schools offering a high quality holistic careers programme for their pupils. Cardinal Pole Catholic School and The Petchey Academy achieved the standard recently and the majority of Hackney secondary schools are in the process of working towards it.

Hackney Careers Service (delivered by Prospects)

The Hackney Careers Service offers an out of school drop-in service for young people aged between 13 and 19 (up to 25 years old if with special educational needs). Careers Advisers can provide advice on what to study and careers or training opportunities.

Change to services

As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, the Prospect office at Hackney Education is temporarily closed. All staff are working remotely and will continue to deliver careers information, advice and guidance virtually.

• Virtual drop-in sessions will take place every weekday (Monday to Friday) from 1pm to 5pm via telephone, email or video conference call. Contact Thelma Brown-Mighty on 07826 943222 or Thelma.Brown-Mighty@prospects.co.uk for further information
• Monthly Youth Hub drop-in sessions will take place every last Tuesday and Wednesday of the month via virtual delivery. Contact Lorretta Fontaine on 07584 613946 or Lorretta.Fontaine@prospects.co.uk for further information
• Enquiries relating to students with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) please contact Bryan Taylor on 07769 648664 or Bryan.Taylor@prospects.co.uk
• View a directory of virtual and online learning opportunities available for Hackney young people

Adult Learning Services

This matrix accredited service offers free confidential careers counselling for adults in Hackney over the age of 19 years.

This is a service with appointments currently offered via phone, Zoom or Google Meet in the following areas:

• Adult and Family Learning in Hackney and London wide
• Accessing College and University Higher education, including advice on student funding
• Careers advice for all professions including teaching and social work
• Other education and training opportunities
• Signposting to volunteering opportunities

For more information please contact Naina Kent Careers Advice and on 020 8820 7172 or naina.kent@hackney.gov.uk

To apply to start a Adult Learning Class visit Hackney Opportunities.

Useful contacts

For further support, please contact our community partners:

Hackney Works: 020 8356 5700 for employment advice and job search skills
Volunteer Centre Hackney: 020 7241 4443
Hackney CVS: 020 7923 1962

National Careers Service

The National Careers Service offers online careers information and advice to people over the age of 12. The website contains lots of useful careers related information.

It also offers online real time webchat between 8am and 10pm seven days a week, or free telephone advice on 0800 100 900. Please note that mobile calls may not be free of charge. If you call from your mobile, tell the adviser your number and they will call you back. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech difficulties you can also call the textphone number 08000 968 336.

The focus of this service is careers and learning, although advisers can suggest suitable alternative sources of information for non-careers issues. All advisers are trained to offer impartial and confidential careers advice and practical help.

Job Centre Plus

There are three job centres in Hackney. Most of the careers advice they offer is aimed at those over 18 but they can also arrange a careers interview with Prospects staff for those aged 13-19 or provide information about local employment opportunities.

• Hackney Job Centre Plus
  271 Mare Street, E8 1EE
• Hoxton Job Centre Plus
  30 Drysdale Street, N1 6LT 
• Dalston Job Centre Plus
  Playle House, Tottenham Rd, N1 4BY

Find your nearest Job Centre Plus

Hackney Opportunities

Hackney Opportunities is the London Borough of Hackney’s employment service. They have information on current and future local vacancies and can also provide advice on how to improve your CV or increase your chances of getting a job at the interview stage.

• Find out more about Hackney Opportunities and register for the service

Hackney Council’s Supported Employment Service 

This service can help people with disabilities who live in Hackney find work matched to their individual needs and interests.

Supported employment is an evidence-based and personalised approach to working with people who have significant disabilities including:

• learning disabilities
• autism and/or
• mental health difficulties

Although largely work focused they can help young people find training programmes such as Supported Internships. The majority of their clients are over 18.

Find out more about Supported Employment Service