Careers

At Erasmus Darwin Academy, we believe that giving students the best careers education and guidance is vital to improving their motivation to learn and help them to achieve.

As part of their education at EDA, we encourage students to reflect upon who they are, and who they would like to become. In order to complete this journey, we provide a broad range of aspirational activities, which support this exploration and the development of skills.

Our academy is committed to ensuring that students have high quality impartial advice on career opportunities, and that they progress onto appropriate courses or employment on leaving the academy. It is very important to us to know that all leavers have a plan for their next step.

Although we provide many different bespoke opportunities for our young people, we hope that our students will:

• Develop their understanding of their skills, interests and personality from Year 7 -13, and make links between these and future pathways
• Be provided with information about the range of opportunities open to them
• Have the opportunity to meet with external employers at least once per academic year
• Take part in work related activities in and out of the academy
• Understand expectations of employers and learn how to apply for jobs
• Learn how to make informed decisions about their future
• Be fully supported and guided through key transition periods
• Learn how to improve their own employability skills

We are also very proud of our Business Partnership links with employers. These employers are invited to support students in their learning through work placements, talks, interview preparation, careers fairs and work related learning events.

Contact Details

Mr A Hall (Careers Leader)
a.hall@eda.staffs.sch.uk

Mr B Maddox (Director of Sixth Form)
b.maddox@eda.staffs.sch.uk

Mr Mike Gilbert (School Careers Adviser from Staffordshire County Council)
mike.gilbert1@staffordshire.gov.uk

Mr Gilbert is in the academy on Thursdays and Fridays during the school term and is available in his office at the entrance to the Art department. He also attends various careers events during the school year along with both A-Level and GCSE results days. He is also in attendance at the Year 11 and Year 13 parent’s consultation evenings.

Click here to see Erasmus Darwin Academy’s Provider Access Policy Statement

Exam Results and Careers Support

As usual, we will have impartial and professional careers advice available in school on the day’s exam results are collected. Mike Gilbert, our independent advisor from Staffordshire County Council will be on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have. There is also further support provided locally and nationally for students and parents with next steps.

The countrywide Exam Results Helpline, provided by the National Careers Service, which uses the same phone number on which you can always access careers advice right the way through the year.

New Careers Statutory Guidance

The updated statutory guidance for careers was introduced in January 2018. The eight Gatsby benchmarks that underpin the statutory guidance are shown below and more detail can be found in the following link;

Schools Statutory Guidance Final

1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance

In line with guidance and using the eight Gatsby Benchmarks shown below, we aim to help students:

• understand their options and different paths to work, to plan the steps they need to take, and to get from where they are to where they want to go;
• be inspired about new opportunities they might not have known about (or that might not exist yet), or thought they could not achieve;
• understand their knowledge and skills and how they can be used in the workplace;
• get, hold and progress in a job, whatever their age, ability or background;
• increase the amount they earn across their working lives;
• improve their well-being through doing a job they are good at and enjoy.

The school employs an external independent careers adviser, to complement other careers education provided through PD lessons, Careers days, assemblies and tutor times.  Mike Gilbert from Staffordshire County Council is available in school every Thursday and Friday and is based in his office next to the entrance to the Art department. As well as one to one interviews, Mike delivers group works to qualification and advanced stage students across a range of topics. Mike attends Year 11 and Year 13 parent’s consultation evenings, along with GCSE and A-Level results day each year. Pastoral teams also offer support for students in terms of future progression routes.

Priority one to one interviews are arranged for students in key Year Groups, but students can also request an interview through Mr Hall, the Careers Leader. Each September, Year 11 and Year 13 students are prioritised for one to one interviews. Students are targeted based on clear identification of need and support requirements, progress is monitored and further interviews are arranged as required. Every student in Year 11 will receive at least one interview with Mike Gilbert however.

As a student it is important to have opportunities to access impartial on-line resources to help you develop your aspirations, reflect and evaluate your own goals and use information obtained to help make decisions about possible options and career paths. Please see below information that will direct you to these online resources.

The National Career Service provide information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work.

The ICould Website gives you free access to more than a thousand videos related to different curriculum subjects of people telling their personal careers stories in their own words including information on Labour Market Information (LMI) e.g. average salary, skills & qualification.

  Success At School is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice. Lots of helpful advice in the advice section on employability skills, work experience, apprenticeships, university and different career paths.

University/Higher Education

Ucas is an Organisation responsible for managing applications to higher education courses in the UK. They also provide innovative online tools which make it easier for students, and higher education institutions (HEIs) to manage applications and offers. There is also a parents section where parents can find all the information needed to support you with your choices and application.

Informed Choices

The Russell Group of Universities has produced a guide to help young people to have clear information about how the subjects that they choose to study in the Sixth Form can affect their options of university – that way, they can make well informed choices.

Informed Choices brings together guidance from admissions teams at Russell Group universities to give pupils clear information about the subjects they should consider if they are hoping to progress to a competitive university.

Find out more at Informed Choices

bC4me is independent, free and shows the link between what you study, what you earn and the jobs you can get.

Graduate Prospects is the UK’s leading provider of information, advice and opportunities to students and graduates and provides an extensive graduate careers website.

What is Labour Market Information? (LMI)

Want to know which career areas are growing and which are declining?  LMI websites can help you to compare different career areas by looking at their predicted growth/decline rates, average salaries, working hours etc – all to help you make an informed decision.  Click on the links below for more helpful websites including websites for different career sectors! – Labour Market Information – useful LMI resources.

The National Career Service have produce newsletters throughout the year that provide LMI information.  LMI provides you with knowledge and understanding of how the labour market functions and is essential for understanding the changing economic circumstances and allows you to reflect upon what the future holds.

Government Careers Of The Future – A helpful publication to help you with researching your future careers

LMI for All is an online data portal, developed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, which brings together existing national sources of high quality labour market information (LMI) that can inform people’s choices about their careers

Apprenticeships

The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) supports, funds and co-ordinates the delivery of Apprenticeships throughout England. For more information on Apprenticeships visit Government Further Education Skills

The March edition of the Amazing Apprenticeships Parents’ Pack covers a huge amount of useful information, including preparing for the first day in a new job, helping your child find the right employer, financial support for apprentices, exciting new apprenticeship standards, calendar of events and updated information on helping your child find higher and degree apprenticeships.

Employment

If you are thinking of not going to University – then the Not Going to Uni team are here to help you find the options that work for you and they can give advice, inspiration and tools to make an informed decision about your future.

www.jobseekers.direct.gov.uk
www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

Get advice on the different stages of a job hunt, including how to improve your interview technique and write an effective CV.  You can get help to search for your first job, get back into work or change career direction.