Support & advice for school leavers
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Financial support
If you’re worried about the costs associated with attending college, don’t worry, you may be eligible for financial support.
Support available for full time students
As part of our full-time study bursary offering, you may be eligible for some or all of the below:
- Free bus pass during term time
- Regular cash payments into your bank account (vulnerable bursary applicants only)
- Free breakfasts whilst in college
- Free lunch whilst in college
- Winter clothing vouchers to wear in the workshops in the colder weather
Support available for apprentices
Our financial support offering for apprentices is bespoke to that individual. If you want more information on support available or if you’re eligible, please contact us on compliance@lcb.ac.uk
Eligibility
For the academic year 2025/26, if you’re in full time study, have a household income under £38,000 per year and achieve good attendance you may be eligible for financial support.
Students must also be under 19 on the last day of the academic year.
The type of support available is awarded on a discretionary basis based on the distance from college, the number of days timetabled to attend, and other personal circumstances.
For more information, read our Student Financial Support Policy 2025-26
Over 19s
There is also a Learner Support Fund available for over 19s. This support is means tested and can be support towards travel, equipment, childcare, exams and other related charges. In order for applicants to be eligible for this fund, their household income needs to be under £38,000 a year.
How to apply
Applying for the Support Fund is simple. You need to complete our online application form and submit your evidence for your household income. Once we have received both of these you’ll be contacted within 4 weeks to advise you if your application was successful.
If you have any questions, contact our bursary team on 0113 2226002 or bursary@lcb.ac.uk
Financial support
If you’re worried about the costs associated with attending college, don’t worry, you may be eligible for financial support.
Support available for full time students
As part of our full-time study bursary offering, you may be eligible for some or all of the below:
- Free bus pass during term time
- Regular cash payments into your bank account (vulnerable bursary applicants only)
- Free breakfasts whilst in college
- Free lunch whilst in college
- Winter clothing vouchers to wear in the workshops in the colder weather
Support available for apprentices
Our financial support offering for apprentices is bespoke to that individual. If you want more information on support available or if you’re eligible, please contact us on compliance@lcb.ac.uk
Eligibility
For the academic year 2025/26, if you’re in full time study, have a household income under £38,000 per year and achieve good attendance you may be eligible for financial support.
Students must also be under 19 on the last day of the academic year.
The type of support available is awarded on a discretionary basis based on the distance from college, the number of days timetabled to attend, and other personal circumstances.
For more information, read our Student Financial Support Policy 2025-26
Over 19s
There is also a Learner Support Fund available for over 19s. This support is means tested and can be support towards travel, equipment, childcare, exams and other related charges. In order for applicants to be eligible for this fund, their household income needs to be under £38,000 a year.
How to apply
Applying for the Support Fund is simple. You need to complete our online application form and submit your evidence for your household income. Once we have received both of these you’ll be contacted within 4 weeks to advise you if your application was successful.
If you have any questions, contact our bursary team on 0113 2226002 or bursary@lcb.ac.uk
Additional Support
The College works hard to ensure everyone has the support they need to learn, achieve and enjoy college life. Whatever your specific needs or circumstances, LCB is here to support you in your study and make things as easy as possible.
In this tab, you can find information about our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities support, and Support for Care Experienced Students.
SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
I have a disability, what support can I get at the College?
If you feel you will need additional support whilst at Leeds College of Building please let us know as soon as you apply so that the College can make the reasonable adjustments required to help you.
We offer the following disability access at both our North Street and South Bank campuses for visitors, staff and students:
- Disabled parking for blue badge holders
- Lifts to access all floors
- Disabled toilets
- Full wheelchair access
- Hearing loops available in communal areas
All students who apply to study at Leeds College of Building and declare a SEND need will have a conversation with a member of college staff. Support will be allocated on an individual basis and will vary depending on your assessed needs and any previous support you may have had. During this conversation, if required, the staff member will work with you to develop a personalised support plan that will be shared with others on a need to know basis.
Most of our students with SEND are able to access our mainstream courses, and have needs that can be met through the college’s universal support. A small number of students will benefit from additional targeted support.
Below is an idea of the types of provision we are able to provide at each level:
Universal – ‘Quality First’ Teaching
This is the level of support we offer to all students at the college, and will meet the majority of students’ needs. It comes in many forms, and can be adapted as necessary to meet a specific need.
- In-class differentiation and reasonable adjustments, such as smaller tasks, additional time to complete work
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)
- Risk assessments
- Hearing loops
- Exam Access Arrangements
- Adapted resources
- Overlays/coloured paper, roaming profiles
- Enrichment programme to support unstructured time
- Supported self-referrals to external support providers, such as MindMate
- Referrals to and co-working with the college’s Safeguarding and Child Protection team, and Student Services
Targeted Support
Students may be allocated targeted support in addition to that listed above – this can be throughout your course, or as a short-term intervention to deal with a specific concern or issue.
- Learning Mentor pastoral contact, and structured interventions for specific concerns or SEND need, weekly, or as required, 1:1 ratio
- Personal support 1-1 with tutor
- Assistive technology
- Exam access arrangements
- Personalised in-class support up to 1:1 ratio
- Overlays/ coloured paper, roaming profiles
- Pre and post teaching
- Behaviour action plans with key named contacts
Get in touch
For further details or to speak to a member of the team, please contact Sinitta Craze, Senior ILS Administrator:
Email: Scraze@lcb.ac.uk
Telephone: 0113 222 6048
Support for Care Experienced Students
Starting a new journey at College is an exciting time for most young people but you may experience lots of worries and anxieties around coming to a new place, meeting new people and making new friends. Being care experienced could mean you may need additional support and guidance to help make your College experience a positive one.
Being care experienced means you will have spent time living with foster carers under local authority care, in residential care (e.g. a children’s home), looked after at home under a supervision order, or in kinship care with relatives or friends, either officially (e.g. a special guardianship order) or informally without local authority support.
At Leeds College of Building we offer:
- Dedicated safeguarding officers who are responsible for and have an understanding of the needs of a care experienced student
- Eligible students will receive a bursary to support with costs associated with College. The bursary is up to £1200 per year and will cover the cost of breakfast, lunch and travel. This can also be used towards the cost of equipment
- Arranged visits to your chosen campus, which includes a tour of the faculty area and the opportunity to meet key staff members
- Tailored support, as required. We work closely with the Inclusive learning support team to ensure any support needs are met
- Accessing college services including welfare and financial support, mental health and wellbeing, student enrichment, careers guidance and advice
If you are a care experienced person, a social worker, virtual school or a parent/carer and would like more information around the support we can offer, please contact us at safeguarding@lcb.ac.uk
For information on our Bursary Fund and how to apply for this, please click here.
Careers Advice
Construction is one of the largest industries in the UK. There are hundreds of job roles, from office based to site work.
You can use our recommended Careers A-Z to find out more about specific roles and the courses you can study.
The College Careers Team also offer career information and guidance.
Lisa Pannell
Careers Lead & Level 6 Qualified
Careers Advisor
0113 2226000
L.Pannell@lcb.ac.uk
Careers Leadership and Contact Details
Careers & Employability at Leeds College of Building is led by Lisa Pannell, Careers Leader and Level 6 qualified Careers Adviser. Lisa is supported by a Careers Adviser currently in training and undertaking their Level 6 qualification.
The Careers Team:
Our careers team provide independent and impartial advice and guidance regarding career and further and higher education decisions. They can support you with CV writing, interview practice, UCAS application forms, apprenticeships and employment.
Our careers team are available weekdays between 9am – 3pm at both campuses.
Contact Details:
- Email: careers@lcb.ac.uk
- Telephone: 0113 222 6045
- In person: C21 (North Street) or Student Services (South Bank 1)
Careers Guidance At A Glance
At LCB, we’re committed to offering you professional support in preparation for your successful career. All students and apprentices are entitled to our impartial careers advice.
The types of support we offer includes:
- Personal guidance so you can understand your skills and interests which can help you identify your careers goals
- Support with enhancing your employability skills to accelerate your career
- Advice on writing a CV and cover letter
- Help preparing for interviews
- Advice on further qualifications and progression routes
Read our welcome from the Careers Team to see more of what our careers guidance can do for you. For more information on how the college handles careers check out our Careers Policy.
Our LCB Careers Programme
Leeds College of Building provides a structured Careers & Employability Programme for all learners, aligned with:
- Department for Education statutory guidance
- The Gatsby Benchmarks
- Careers & Enterprise Company framework
- Ofsted expectations for high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG)
The programme supports learners to explore options, develop employability skills and make informed decisions about education, training and employment.
A detailed overview of careers activities across the academic year is available in our LCB Careers Programme 2025–2026 which includes:
- Personal guidance appointments
- Employer encounters and careers events
- Labour Market Information (LMI)
- Employability skills development
- Progression and post-course planning
The programme supports:
- Learners aged 16–19
- Learners up to age 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Adult learners
- Apprentices
How Learners Access Careers Support
All students aged 16–19, and those up to age 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), are entitled to access independent, impartial personal careers guidance with a qualified careers adviser.
Learners can:
- Book appointments via their Progress Coach or tutor
- Contact the Careers Team directly
- Access careers activities and events throughout the academic year
High-priority learners (including SEND, EHCP, those at risk of becoming NEET, and looked-after children) are proactively offered one-to-one guidance appointments.
Parents and carers are welcome to attend appointments for learners under 18, or for EHCP learners up to age 25.
How Parents and Carers Access Information
Parents and carers can:
- Contact the Careers Team directly for information and guidance
- Attend personal guidance appointments where appropriate
- Request a record of all careers and employability activities and events their young person has been invited to, which are recorded on the colleges in-house system Collsys
This supports informed conversations about learners’ progression and next steps.
Support Information for Parents and Carers
Parents and carers play a key role when your young person is making their decision on what their next step will look like.
Luckily, there are several independent websites available to help you, help them.
Remember this can be overwhelming for both you and them. If you need some extra support, contact our careers team on careers@lcb.ac.uk
How Staff Access and Support the Careers Programme
Staff can support the delivery of the careers programme by:
- Referring learners for personal guidance appointments
- Requesting careers and employability sessions for their groups
- Supporting learners to engage with careers activities
A central record of careers activities is available through Collsys, enabling staff to view careers provision and learner engagement.
How Employers Engage with the Careers and Employability Programme
The Careers Team works in collaboration with Employability Officers within the College’s Partnerships and Skills Team. Employability Officers are responsible for organising encounters with employers and employees, and coordinating experiences of the workplace, ensuring learners have access to meaningful employer engagement and real-world experiences.
Employers support learners through a range of activities, including:
- Careers fairs and events
- Industry talks and demonstrations
- Mock interviews and employability sessions
- Employer-led projects
- Experiences of the workplace.
Employers who are interested in supporting the College’s careers and employability offer should contact the Partnerships and Skills Team via the College’s main switchboard on 0113 222 6000.
Measuring and Assessing Impact
The impact of the Careers & Employability Programme is measured and reviewed through:
- Careers & Enterprise Company Compass tool, used to evaluate the College’s careers provision against the Gatsby Benchmarks and track progress over time
- Student feedback collected after careers activities through Collsys, accessible by students, staff and parents
- Ongoing review of participation, engagement and outcomes
Feedback and benchmark assessments are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the careers programme and to support continuous improvement.
Gatsby Benchmarks and Compass Tool
Our programme is evaluated against the Gatsby Benchmarks, a national framework of eight benchmarks that define world-class careers provision and are referenced in Department for Education statutory guidance.
The Compass tool is a free online self-assessment tool that helps colleges evaluate their careers programme against the Gatsby Benchmarks and identify strengths and areas for improvement.
- Learn more about the Gatsby Benchmarks here: Gatsby Benchmarks overview
- Find out how Compass works here: Compass tool information
Review of Information
This careers information is reviewed annually.
Next review date: July 2026
Our commitment to you
We are professional
We follow the Code of Ethics. This means that our careers team are accountable for their career development programme.
We are impartial
We will always put you first. The information and guidance that our careers team offer puts your best interest as our main priority
We are accessible
Our careers team are available at both campuses every weekday. As well as being available via email
Skillsometer
Not sure what you want your future to look like? Take the Skillsometer quiz to find out which jobs match your skills and interests.
Enrichment
How to get involved
It’s easy to sign up to our enrichment activities. You can sign up during enrolment where the whole enrichment team will be on hand to go through all activities available.
Missed them at enrolment? Don’t worry, our friendly enrichment team are available at both campuses throughout the week. You’ll often see them challenging students to a game of table tennis or heading out to a football tournament.
Examples of the activities available
We have a range of activities held throughout the year including volunteering on community projects, residentials and charity work. To get involved, speak to our enrichment team.
Some activities include:
- Football
- Rugby
- Crafts
- Thai Boxing
- JD Gyms
- Yoga
- XBOX tournaments
- Kayaking and raft making
- First aid
- Countryside walks
Get in touch
If you have any questions regarding our enrichment options, contact us on info@lcb.ac.uk