New free app to guide young people through UCB courses and careers

Teenagers can get a taste of further education at UCB without leaving home, thanks to an exciting new app.

BeMe@UCB provides a fun, interactive look at the varied career paths open to students, whether it is working in tourism, childcare, hospitality or one of the many vocational training options available.

The free app provides a one-stop shop for young people seeking information about FE studies, including course content, entry requirements and future career paths.

BeMe@UCB allows users to create their own avatar, selecting their eye colour, hairstyle and facial expression, before picking the uniform that reflects their dream job.

Once the avatar is ready, students navigate their way around the course of their choice and take a look at a typical student profile, based on real-life examples of UCB alumni.

The student profiles feature a brief personal description, a summary of the “best bits” of the course and an outline of the individuals’ “dream job.” To add to the authenticity, the student avatars have been created to look like the students.

Some of the courses feature games the students can play on the app and new games are planned in subsequent upgrades of BeMe@UCB.

At the moment, if users click on the Hospitality section they learn how to lay a table for restaurant service. Would-be make-up artists can upload pictures from their own phone or tablet and manipulate the image with some outlandish designs including zombies, werewolves and butterflies.

The app reflects the cultural diversity of UCB’s student population, so users can dress their avatars in hijabs and turbans.

The app was the brainchild of UCB further education school liaison officer Lisa Collins, who came up with the idea after thinking about new ways to engage teenagers.