Careers Department
Co-ordinator:
Mrs R Cooper BSc (Hons) MSc PGCE
Assistant Co-ordinator:
Miss P Weir BSc (Hons) PGCE
Description of Department:
Careers and Employability are taught in a timetabled programme from Years 8 to 12.
(All classes are taught by trained Careers/Employability teachers.)
Key Stage 3 : Education for Employability
Years 8 – 10 currently have 32.5 minutes per week, one period, during which they follow the CCEA programme of study for Employability. This is divided into three sub-sections, namely ‘Work in the Local and Global Economy’, ‘Personal Career Planning’ and ‘Enterprise and Entrepreneurship’. Employability aims to inform young people about the skills and qualities sought by employers in addition to qualifications; about career opportunities in Northern Ireland and abroad and about the opportunities and challenges derived from becoming an entrepreneur. In Year 10, the programme also includes guidance on choosing subjects for GCSE.
Key Stage 4 : Careers Education and Guidance
Currently, all pupils in Year 12 have a timetabled Careers class for 32.5 minutes per week. All classes are timetabled in a computer network room to enable access to software packages, such as Odyssey and Pathfinder and relevant websites to be used.
Topics covered include: personal career plans, CVs, job applications forms, interview techniques, labour market information and options after GCSE.
Year 12 pupils intending to leave after GCSE are afforded the opportunity of attending Careers Conventions locally and in Belfast as well as presentations on Modern Apprenticeships, e.g. by FG Wilson.
Sixth Form Careers and Higher Education Guidance
Delivered through the class tutorial programme.
Year 13 pupils have a tutorial lasting two periods per week during which speakers from a range of UK and Irish universities visit the school to give presentations on the courses they offer, as well as employers such as the armed forces. Interested Year 13 students also are able to participate in Oxbridge guidance sessions.
Year 14 pupils have a weekly tutorial lasting 32.5 minutes during which workshop sessions are organised with UCAS referees on the completion of the UCAS application form, in particular the personal statement. In addition, visiting speakers give presentations on topics such as student finance and budgeting.
Year 13 pupils attend the annual UCAS Higher Education Convention at the King’s Hall in Belfast, while Year 14 pupils are taken to the Open Days at the two local universities and the Higher Education Convention at Methodist College, Belfast.
To cater for particular interest groups in Sixth Form, opportunities are provided to participate in the Engineering, Medical and Law Conferences for sixth formers at Methodist College as well as a range of Open Days for professions allied to Medicine, such as Speech and Language Therapy, Dietetics, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Radiography and Physiotherapy.
Below are some viewable presentations on popular topics:
Liaison with Outside Agencies
A wide variety of outside agencies is employed to assist with the effective delivery of Employability and Careers and Higher Education information and guidance.
These include
local employers, the Careers Service of Northern Ireland, Charter Work
Experience Organisation, Sentinus and Further and Higher Education
Institutions from throughout the UK and Ireland.
Guidance Interview
All pupils in Year 12 are offered the opportunity to have a guidance interview with one of the local Careers Officers.
All Year 13 pupils have an individual interview with either the Head of Careers or the Assistant Head of Careers regarding their post-A-level options.
All Year 14 pupils have an individual interview with their UCAS referee if they are applying for Higher Education or with the Head of Careers if they wish to proceed to Further Education, a Modern Apprenticeship or Employment.
Every pupil in
Year 14 is offered a ‘mock interview’ with representatives from business
and the professions as preparation for Higher Education or job
interviews.
Work Experience
All pupils have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in Year 13, usually in terms 2 or 3.
Pupils intending to leave school after GCSE may undertake work experience in Year 12.
Work experience is highly recommended by the Careers Department as it informs young people about their intended career and enhances their chances of gaining a place on some high demand tertiary level courses.
