Stockton Riverside College careers adviser retires after 44 years

Carol Race has spent the past 22 years supporting students at Stockton Riverside College, with a further 22 years spent guiding pupils in schools before that.

Now, after a career spent helping thousands achieve their ambitions, she is stepping into retirement with a sense of pride and nostalgia.

Ms Race said: “It all feels very surreal at the moment.

Carol Race is retiring after a 44-year career in careers guidance (Image: Supplied)

“To leave is a wrench because, like everyone who works in a college, this is a role where you make a real difference to students.

“You always want to do your best for the students and help them find the opportunities they are looking for.”

Known for her practical advice, interview coaching, and assistance with university applications, she has left a lasting impression on countless students over the years.

The careers advisor said: “You get to meet so many different people and hear about their lives.”

She also supported adult learners, often guiding those returning to education through the application process and helping them regain confidence.

Her journey into careers guidance began unexpectedly after the company where she worked in a secretarial role went into liquidation.

Applying for a position as an employment assistant, she was later seconded for training at Edinburgh Napier University and qualified as a careers advisor in 1985.

She spent the next 20 years working in schools as part of the Cleveland County Careers Service before joining Stockton Riverside College in January 2004.

Over the past 22 years, she has worked with hundreds of students every year and is now senior careers co-ordinator.

Ms Race said: “I don’t think I had any particular expectations when I joined the college, I just got my head down and cracked on.”

Her commitment to students never wavered.

She continued to take appointments even on her final day, ensuring every person received her full support.

She said the most rewarding part of her job was seeing people achieve their goals, whether that meant starting a career, securing university offers, or simply finding meaningful employment.

For adult learners, especially, the transformation could be remarkable.

Ms Race said: “When access to higher education students arrive in September, I say to them that this will be the fastest year of their lives.

“I see them again at the end of the course, with their university offers and they can’t believe how fast it has gone.”

Her genuine care extended beyond career advice.

She remembered the ambitions and journeys of her students, even if names sometimes escaped her.

A mother and grandmother, Ms Race now looks forward to spending more time with family and enjoying time in the garden, though she admits retirement will be bittersweet.

She said: “It’s a cycle in education but I like helping people with their university applications, getting to know the students and just being able to help them gives you a lot of satisfaction.

” It’s the people I work with that I’ll miss most, you spend a lot of time at work and they support you.”