Careers at Painsley

Mrs V Allen – Careers Lead VA@painsley.staffs.sch.uk

 @painsleycareers      INSTAGRAM

External Provider Access Statement 2022

THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREERS EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE (CEIAG)

CEIAG is deemed a priority at Painsley Catholic College. There is a strong belief that the students who attend the college should be equipped with the information, knowledge and understanding of their options that will allow them to make informed decisions at key transition points in their school life and beyond. In addition we place a high priority on students being given the chance to develop their workplace and employability skills which will allow them to become effective employees in the future and have a rewarding career.

STUDENT ENTITLEMENT

All students have an entitlement to access impartial Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) through their time at school. Since 2012 all schools have been required to secure independent and impartial careers guidance for all students in Years 8-11 when they need it. At Painsley, this is currently provided by a careers professional from Entrust who works in school 1-2 days per week. Y11 students are prioritised but the guidance is available to all students as required. There are also opportunities for students in Y12 and 13 to access careers advice when necessary. The Governing body ensures that the school meets it commitment to providing independent careers advice and that a range of post 16 progression opportunities are presented to students.

THE CAREERS PROGRAMME

In addition a clear, planned and progressive programme of activities has been created from Y7-11 with transition activities from Y11 to post 16. The programme has the aim to create high educational and career aspirations for all students, whilst equipping them with the knowledge and skills that they will require to fulfil their potential and achieve their goals. The current programme is outlined below but is constantly reviewed, improved and updated.

The CEIAG programme is varied and encourages students to consider a range of careers through investigation activities and through contact with employers. The Y10 work experience programme and at least one event for every year group facilitates this. This inspires the students to understand the world of work and the range of opportunities that it can present.

CEIAG is delivered through dedicated drop-down days, the pastoral curriculum and the Emmaus programme. The programme is delivered by a

range of staff who are prepared and trained so that they are able to effectively deliver the activities. These events are also supported by employers whenever possible to increase student engagement.

THE CAREERS PROGRAMME

CAREERS LEARNING OUTCOMES CDI AND

PSHE

ENRICHMENT VISITS

In addition to the planned programme above enrichment events and visits are organised where available. Students in Y10 and 11 are invited to the ‘So you want to be a Doctor?’ conference held at Keele Medical School every year. Other NHS careers are showcased at specific healthcare careers events which the school participates in whenever possible. All Y12 and Y13 complete two hours enrichment per week, during one of the academic years it has to be future work orientated e.g. medical society, law society, journalism, EES and Young Enterprise.

CAREERS IN THE CURRICULUM

All subject areas have developed their own careers programmes and wherever possible subject learning is related to careers skills and opportunities. Dedicated lessons that showcase the possible careers related to specific subjects are planned and delivered both in KS3 and 4. Each department area has careers information related to their subjects displayed within their department. In addition, subject areas arrange for subject specific careers talks from professionals to talk about their work to students whenever possible.

EVALUATION

CEIAG provision is regularly evaluated by students, staff, parents and volunteers and the feedback is used to improve the provision for future year groups. Every activity is evaluated by students and staff. Volunteers and Parents are asked for feedback when this is applicable. In addition the Careers Leader attends the Parent Council meeting bi-annually to gain in depth feedback.

WORK EXPERIENCE

In July of Year 10 every student participates in 5 days of work experience. The placements are found and arranged by the students themselves, which is intended to help them develop their skills in finding work. All placements are thoroughly checked for health and safety. Work experience is an invaluable experience for our students that helps them to grow in confidence and maturity, as well as equipping them with an insight into the skills that they will need when they enter the workplace. Y12 and Y13 are expected to complete a minimum of 3 days work experience with the opportunity to do further work experience on a Wednesday afternoon.

POST 16 OPTIONS

A LEVELS

• A-levels are the main academic route. They are achieved after two years of study and there are lots of different subjects to choose from. You can also take A-levels alongside vocational qualifications.
• They often have quite high entry requirements (usually Grade 6+ at GCSE) but this does vary between providers.
• You will study fewer subjects than you did at GCSE but, as A-levels are advanced qualifications, your will need to develop a much deeper understanding and knowledge of these subjects

At A-level, you have a lot less input from teachers and are expected to do more independent study

• However, you will have more lessons for each subject, so you can have more time with your teachers to ask questions.
• While A-levels are a great entry ticket to university, there are some subjects that certain universities won’t accept, and some they will prefer

– so do your research!

APPRENTICESHIPS

• When you do an apprenticeship you’re out in the workplace four or five days a week and earn a wage, but some of your time is also spent working towards professional qualifications.
• Certain types of apprenticeships can also lead to university qualifications.
• An apprenticeship is a type of job you can get from the age of 16 where you work full-time for a company but are also trained at the same time. You earn a salary and are treated like an employee, giving you all the independence and responsibility that you’d get if you went straight into a job, but at least 20% of your time will be spent in training, learning the hands-on skills you’ll need to progress in your chosen career.
• You can choose to do an apprenticeship anytime from the age of 16– there’s no upper age limit so it doesn’t have to be straight after your GCSEs. They can take anything from one to five years to complete, but at the end you’ll be fully trained and qualified in your chosen role.
• Apprenticeships are organised into different levels which are equivalent to traditional educational levels, like this:
• Intermediate (Level 2) = GCSE level
• Advanced (Level 3) = A-level
• Higher (Levels 4 – 7) = Foundation degree and above
• Degree (Levels 6 and 7) = Bachelors or masters degree

Entry requirements will differ depending on the industry, job role and level you’re interested in. If you’ve just finished your GCSEs you’ll probably want to look at Intermediate or Advanced apprenticeships.

VOCATIONAL COURSES

• You can also opt to take vocational qualifications offered by a sixth form or local college
• Vocational qualifications are qualifications related to a specific area of employment, e.g. if you want to do care work, you can take Health and Social Care
• They’re much more hands-on: you could be in a studio, workshop or on a farm.

APPLIED GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Applied General Qualifications are on a par with A levels. They are for students 16 – 19 who want to continue their education through learning applied to a general job area e.g. Law, Creative and Media, and Business.
• Applied General Qualifications allow entry to a range of higher education courses, either by meeting the entry requirements in their own right or being accepted alongside other qualifications at Level 3 such as A levels.
• Often Applied General Qualifications are endorsed by employers and professional or trade bodies.
• Many of these qualifications are BTECs.

T LEVELS

• T Levels are a brand-new, 2-year qualification that will give you a head start towards the career you want.

T Levels have been designed in partnership with businesses and employers to give you the skills and knowledge to succeed in the workplace.

• Your course includes a 45-day industry placement with a local employer to help get you ready for work.
• They are still very new! Painsley is one of only a few schools and colleges who are already offering T Levels.

LINKS

CAREEROMETER

Careerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations, help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers.

It 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.

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

www.fasttomato.com– a careers programme that uses personal preferences to suggest possible career areas

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/–the government website for careers information and advice

https://careerboss.co.uk/ – a website providing career guides to different career areas http://www.ucas.com – for university information and applications

https://www.unifrog.org/- for post 16 and 18 planning

https://www.careersbox.co.uk/- videos to showcase many different career areas https://icould.com/- videos and information on different career areas

http://www.lmiforall.org.uk/explore_lmi/ – a website which allows you to find out how many jobs in the UK are likely to be available in the future