King’s Careers & Employability are fully committed to supporting, empowering and levelling the playing field for our students, research staff and graduates from all backgrounds and communities.
We work specifically to address both sector-wide and institutional factors and barriers that contribute to differences in progression amongst students from disadvantaged and/or underrepresented backgrounds.
Careers+ provides bespoke support to students and graduates that fall into the groups below.
Who can engage with Careers+?
- Black or ethnic minority heritage learners: if you are from an ethnic or racial minority heritage background, including Gypsy or Roma heritage.
- Learners from low socio-economic contexts: if you receive the King's Living Bursary or means-tested NHS bursary.
- Disabled learners: if you have a visible or invisible disability, including neurodiverse and mental health conditions.
- Learners with experience of care, caring, estrangement, or forced migration: if you have experience of the care system, have been a young carer, are estranged from your family or are a refugee or asylum seeker.
- First generation learners: if you are the first in your family to go to university.
- Mature learners: if you were older than 21 when starting your first degree.
- Learners who have taken part in widening participation (WP) programmes: if you have taken part in Realising Opportunities, K+, IntoUniversity, a Sutton Trust Summer School or are on the Extended Medical Degree Programme or the Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme.
How to access Careers+
To access Careers+, you will need to complete a short registration form on King's CareerConnect. Once you've logged in, you will find this registration form in the 'Forms' section of your King's CareerConnect homepage.
What additional support is included in Careers+?
Extended careers guidance appointments
Careers+ appointments are longer, 30-minute appointments with our widening participation careers consultants. They can help you discover what you want to do, focus your current ideas or put your plans into action.
These appointments are bookable two weeks in advance and delivered either remotely via Microsoft (MS) Teams or in-person.
Student Opportunity Fund (SOF)
The Student Opportunity Fund (SOF) grants students funding to undertake educational projects or initiatives and help transform their future career and study aspirations.
The Student Opportunity Fund has ringfenced 20% of the funding specifically for Black students (including from Black African, Black Caribbean, Black Other and Black Mixed backgrounds).
This positive action has been employed to address the specific disadvantages Black graduates face, including the awarding gap and in graduate outcomes. In doing so, we are striving towards levelling the playing field across the different demographics, as students move from university into their careers.
Online resources
Our KEATS course contains resources dedicated to learners from underrepresented groups in higher education and groups who may benefit from additional support on their career journey.
Inclusive Futures events
Our Inclusive Futures events provide students with the opportunity to hear about the lived experiences of industry leaders from diverse backgrounds.
These virtual panel events will enable you to learn first-hand about the diverse pathways to success and gain valuable insights, advice and support from professionals as they share their expertise on navigating careers in particular industries.
“As a minority, I felt intimidated and directionless even thinking about careers considering the fierce competition and systemic biases that are unfortunately still pervasive. Careers+ was a transformative tool in reshaping my perception of my careers journey by equipping me with the skills, support and confidence to even get started. The programme really puts the individual needs and welfare of each student at the centre of everything they do.”
Get in touch
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any matters relating to diversity and inclusion or how we can improve our engagement. Email us at: careers@kcl.ac.uk.