Embedding Careers learning in to the Curriculum

The Gatsby Benchmarks are the best practice framework that guides our careers programme within school. For more information about the Gatsby Benchmarks go to: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/careers-leaders/gatsby-benchmarks/

Gatsby 4 Embedding Careers in the Curriculum is particularly relevant to teaching departments. All subject staff should link their curriculum with careers.   Linking your subject to potential careers can help to show students the purpose of what they are learning which can improve engagement and motivation. As you will see from the Gatsby Benchmarks focus, we have a duty to ensure our young people are well informed and prepared for life after school.  You can help by displaying information about careers linked to your subject in your teaching areas. Use every opportunity to talk about how your subject/topic links to future pathways, for example show the Job of the Week from the student bulletin and discuss with your class what skills your subject provides that would relate to that role.

Apprenticeship Informaiton for Teaching and Support Staff

Please see below a short presentation provided by UCAS with up to date information about apprenticeship routes. 

Cheshire and Warrington Jobs Portal

 https://www.candwopportunities.co.uk/

The Local Enterprise Partnership provides this portal which has job adverts, funded training courses, traineeships and apprenticeships and information about sectors etc Parents and students can use the portal to find out more about LMI, apprenticeship availability etc and it will help students to make an informed decision about the next step on their career path. There is also information on job searching techniques and interview skills, along with which sectors are experiencing growth and actively recruiting. There is a section focussing on ‘Spotlighted Vacancies’ which are promoted jobs that employers are keen to fill quickly, and advice on what to do if you have been made redundant or looking to start your own business.

Labour Market Information for Students, Parents and PHS Teaching Staff

LMI is an important tool to help students, parents and teachers research the demand for future jobs in their area, salary levels and skills needed. Teachers can watch the short You Tube Video below from the National Careers Service to find out more about LMI and why it is important to discuss with our students:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZthWNpiH4A

Please use the link below to visit the Labour Market Profile of Cheshire East.

https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157071/report.aspx  

Job of the Week - this video resource provides more than 100 short videos featuring everything students need to know about roles, qualifications, salary and career entry routes. https://youtube.com/@mypathcareersuk

Useful Websites:

Linking careers to your curriculum: Careerpilot : Jobs by subject

Sport: Careers in Sport | News, jobs and career advice for Sport (careers-in-sport.co.uk)

Creative Media: Getting into film, TV, games, animation and VFX - ScreenSkills

Law: www.lawcareers.net

The 2022 Cheshire and Warrington Labour Market Assessment contains an analysis of the Cheshire and Warrington Labour Market. It brigades key intelligence on labour market demand and supply issues and draws on a body of evidence about the Cheshire and Warrington labour market which has been developed over the last two years. Also, at this link can be found further detailed reports on employer demand; digital skills; the training infrastructure; young people; low carbon jobs; and the impact of Covid-19 on the Labour Market. See below for this document.

A great place to explore Labour Market Information is the LMIForALL website at:

https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/explore_lmi/

Students can use data from LMIForALL above and combine it with research on Indigo Careers or  https://icould.com/  to discover different roles, workplaces and how the subjects they are studying, or hoping to study, can get them there. There is also a useful skills and interests quiz, the 'Skillsometer' which can be a great starting point for a student's research combined with the  'Careerometer' widget which provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as description of the occupation.

Students simply type in the title of the job they are interested in and the widget provides a series of options from which they can select the most relevant to them. They can then look up another two occupations and compare. They can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation they have selected.

The Information below from the National Careers Service shows the current (2020) growth areas in Cheshire and Warrington are Decarbonisation and Nuclear, Life Sciences, Digital Information and Communications, Manufacturing Transport and Storage.

CAREERS LEARNING JOURNEY:

Please see an illustration of our Careers Programme on the careers homepage.

At Key Stage 3 careers learning is provided through form time activities using the STEPs series of workbooks. STEP Up (Year 7) STEP On (Year 8) and STEP Ahead (Year 9) provide progressive and relevant careers education for each age group. They have been created in conjunction with the Gatsby Benchmarks and the CDI Skills Framework. We also devote time on the student development days to develop knowledge of work, careers and the next steps options for students. We are available for advice during the Year 9 Options process.

At Key Stage 4 careers learning is provided through form time activities using the STEPs series of workbooks. STEP Forward (Year 10) and STEP Future (Year 11) provide progressive and relevant careers education for each age group. Additionally, during the Spring Term, additional time is devoted to completion of the workbook tasks to ensure students have fully considered their post 16 options.
Through activities on student development days, students will develop their knowledge and understanding of future options, and what it is like in the work place.
Our Careers Adviser is available on and after GCSE results day to assist our students with their progression and will have met 1:2:1 with all students by the end of Year 11.

At Key Stage 5 careers education runs in conjunction with the Sixth Form team. Students are given guidance on UCAS applications, choosing appropriate Universities, Colleges of FE, and places of work. Students have access to specialist external advisors, form tutors, the Sixth Form team and the Careers team to receive advice on their future after Poynton High School. There are Careers fairs, Industry Insight Events, Further Education fairs, and a ‘Life Beyond Poynton Day’. All students will also be able to receive careers advice after A level results. Students looking for employment after Sixth Form will also be able to join the Employment Readiness Programme for further support in applications.