GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

STARTER TASK – List 5 jobs that you associate with each picture. Compare

your list with your partner. If you have a job that they don’t you get a point,

if you both have the same job neither of you get a point!

Joint Dialogue: How are Schools

Developing Real Employability Skills

By Dr Elnaz Kashefpakdel (Education and Employers), Olly

Newton (Edge Foundation), Janet Clark (National

Education Union)

Core contributors: Jordan Rehill, Max Haskins (Education

and Employers), Dr Andrea Laczik, Katherine Emms (Edge

Foundation) and Jon Taylor (National Education Union).

The report was launched in Central London on the 22nd

November 2018. The event was chaired by Caroline

Roberts (City and Guilds), with the lead researchers joined

by Dr Mary Bousted (NEU) and John Cope (CBI) to discuss

the key findings.

You can download the slides here.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Figures from the Careers and Enterprise Company’s

recent 2018 State of the Nation report

(https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/stateofthenation) show that

GB4 is proving the fourth-hardest benchmark for schools

to hit (with 25.9% of schools currently reporting they are

meeting the required standard).

However, feedback on the ground from careers

practitioners can often paint a different picture,

particularly in regard to getting the necessary buy-in

from teaching and support staff in regard to effectively

embedding careers in the curriculum.

Careers in the Curriculum can often feel like a tough

sell in schools or colleges on top of the numerous

existing commitments for staff

Careers in the Curriculum Embedding employability across

the curriculum

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

GBM4

Planning Matrix: Create a matrix that identifies where employer

engagements take place across the curriculum areas and year

groups, in order to ensure that all students are afforded

multiple employer engagements during their time at the school

(see benchmark 5).

A careers leaders for each curriculum area: Each

curriculum area appoint a team member to take

responsibility for careers and employability

within that curriculum area.

• record any visits,

• employer engagements,

• experience of the world of work

• contact for the careers team to forward any

relevant careers or employability

opportunities within the subject area

• attend any meetings with the careers team

Career Displays: All subject

areas to dedicate one display

board to promoting careers

and employability skills

relating to that subject area.

Careers Content Across the Curriculum: Introduce careers content

across the curriculum either be explicitly identifying the skills they are

learning that are transferable to the work place (communication,

problem solving etc…) or linking to the world of work through visits,

talks and engaging with employers.

Careers Week: Develop careers week as

a recognised event within the school

calendar and publish a programme of

activities in advance and evaluate.

All subject areas to find ways of engaging

their students with the world of work.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

There is a growing need for young people to hold a broader set of characteristics

when entering the labour market. Rather than the qualities of diligence and

submissiveness employers are increasingly looking for people who can engage and

respond to less predictable work situations (Mann and Huddleston, 2016).

Recent work by the Sutton Trust and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have also

argued that technological trends in the UK labour market mean that the value of

interpersonal skills are likely to grow exponentially as automation further takes

hold (Sutton Trust, 2017; WEF, 2018).

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

‘Considered collectively, no prior generation has ever entered

the world of work with more years of schooling, higher levels

of qualification or greater human capital to their names, and

yet mounting evidence shows them struggling to compete for

economic opportunities.’ (Education and Employers, 2017: 12)

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Recent figures from both the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and

Department for Education have shown that, in the eyes of employers, the

value of academic qualifications are decreasing, with businesses placing

increased attention on the skills and competencies a young person

possesses when looking to recruit.

Survey by the Department for Education notes that employers felt that a

young person’s ‘attitude to work’ was most important when making the

decision to hire. Attitudes such as resilience, enthusiasm and creativity

were considered as having central importance to employers (DfE, 2018).

32% of teachers said that changes to the Key Stage 3 curriculum have

been detrimental to developing the skills and attitudes needed for

work.

Nearly half (47%) of teachers believe that there are fewer opportunities

to develop employability skills and competencies since the introduction

of the reformed GCSEs and A levels. Of these a third stated that

changes to the syllabus had, for example, necessitated a new focus on

rote learning to the detriment of developing the skills and attitudes

needed for work.

Joint Dialogue: How are Schools Developing Real Employability Skills? - A COLLABORATIVE WORK BY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYERS, THE EDGE FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL EDUCATION UNION

Organising career learning through co-

curriculum activities (e.g. enrichment

activities strongly connected to the formal

curriculum:

In this approach careers content is delivered

through informal and voluntary learning

activities which have a strong connection to

the curriculum e.g. STEM clubs to build on

student’s interest in science, technology,

engineering and maths.

Incorporating career learning within other

subjects:

In this approach careers content is delivered

through subjects, e.g. personal financial

planning skills taught in maths, self-

presentation skills taught in English. Ideally

this approach both provides career learning and

enhances the subject learning e.g. by showing

how a mathematical technique is used in the

real world and bring employers into the

classroom.

Providing career learning as a subject in its own

right: in this approach careers content is

delivered as a discrete curriculum, e.g. careers

education or as part of PSHE.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers Meeting GBM4

Gradually embedding careers-related content across the whole school or college can be a far

more effective tactic than simply putting the onus on staff to make sweeping changes straight

away, as the latter approach can lead to resentment and a lack of understanding from staff

about why they are being asked to do this.

Getting staff buy-in

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Attaching the careers progression framework (planned

careers activities for each year group) to students’ school

reports and planner pages each year – this will also pique

the interest of parents and carers!

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

http://www.herschel.slough.sch.uk/For-Students/Careers

Providing a crib sheet to each

department with a list of useful careers

information for teaching staff related

to their subject area (particularly valued

by teachers in advance of GCSE Options

Evening!)

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Asking staff to complete a careers door sign, with

information about their previous job roles and skills

that they gained from this experience – a great

talking point for students!

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Providing careers posters for each department

and asking teachers to create a careers display

with students for their subject area – this is a

great lesson for the start of a new academic year

and very low maintenance for staff to facilitate!(PDF attached to emails)

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Deliver a briefing on your role

as a careers practitioner and

the support that you can offer

to students and staff, so that

everyone has a better idea of

your position within the

school or college.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Don’t forget to also take

advantage of whole-school

opportunities to promote careers :

• National Careers Week

• National Apprenticeship Week

• British Science Week

• Earth Day

• International Women’s Day

• Tomorrow’s Engineers Week

• National Volunteering Week

https://interactive.barclayslifeskills.com/module/play-the-boss-student

https://www.inspiringthefuture.org/schools-and-colleges/

• STEM currently being a key focus area for the government, there is a huge degree of support available through organisations such as WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) and the STEM Ambassadors programme, which has over 37,000 volunteers from industry nationwide who can help to support with careers-related lessons, extra-curricular clubs, drop-down days and assemblies.

• Even in subjects such as History and Geography, which students traditionally struggle to link to the world of work, there is help at hand, as programmes like the University of Leeds’ ‘Students into Schools’ initiative connects academics and student volunteers with subject teachers to help deliver parts of the curriculum in that subject and show students that an interest in this area doesn’t have to end at school.

Getting help….You are not alone!

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Next Steps…So, as a careers practitioner you are starting to see staff take more of an interest in careers and want to

build on this great work to ensure that it doesn’t just disappear – what’s the next step? Now is the time to

put more onus on staff!

• This could be by asking for one member of staff from each

department (possibly a trainee teacher or staff member looking

for additional responsibility) to act as a Careers Champion,

providing a regular link between yourself and the relevant

department and taking on the responsibility of maintaining

employer/provider contacts and organising careers-related

activities and events

• Arranging CPD sessions for department heads with local employers

and providers, so that opportunities for partnership work can be

found within curriculum maps for each academic year.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Ideally, you will still not be asking for a huge commitment from staff but rather will be gradually delegating

responsibility for careers throughout the school year on year, so that in time the culture of the school or

college is one where CEIAG is the new normal and a vital part of everything that they do!

Marie Jobson, Career Leader, Churchill Community College

"Ensure all staff are aware and agree on the time needed to design and

deliver a careers programme before it starts. Encourage training and

professional development so that staff feel invested in and supported.

We have seen teachers confidence in incorporating careers information

into the curriculum increase notably. This confidence was also seen in

the way teachers built new relationships with local employers."

Sarah Flanagan, Berwick Academy

"Encourage curriculum areas to map their overview schemes of work to

specific careers – at Berwick Academy, we invested in CEIAG boards for

each faculty to showcase curriculum learning with a link to specific

sectors."

Ryan Gibson, National Facilitator for the

Career Benchmarks Pilot at North East

LEP

"There are lots of services you can buy in

to support a career education programme,

and it is worth talking to colleagues in

other schools for recommendations but

also carrying out your own research. There

may be discounts or free services in your

area. You can also minimise cost by sharing

resources with other schools, working with

employers and applying for bursaries

(see: potential support). Some of the most

creative ideas cost very little, for example

ensuring you have employer representation

on the governing body, directing young

people to the National Careers Service or

by making use of the labour market plugin

available on the LMI for All website. The

key is understanding what support you

need, based on an audit of practice "

Emma McDermott, Careers Leader at Castle View Enterprise Academy

“Try to collect departmental schemes of work and have a discussion with

curriculum staff to share with employers. It will give accurate

information to give employers about how they can support your

curriculum and ensure limited time is maximised.”

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers Learn from others

Careers in the Curriculum Embedding employability across the curriculum

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

To optimise their ability to gain entry to the labour market and respond flexibly to its changing demands,

the literature and case study examples suggest that, in addition to basic skills (literacy, numeracy and ICT –

the foundation for learning and functioning in society), young adults increasingly need personal, people,

creative and problem-solving skills.

However, to be able to apply these skills in ways to suit a particular situation, task or problem, to

contextualise and re-contextualise skills for themselves in moving between different contexts, they also

need:

• meta-cognitive strategies which relate to higher-order thinking - thinking about thought processes - and

self-knowledge. Such strategies include, for example: goal-setting, selecting, planning, self-assessment,

monitoring and reflection on own learning and performance. They enable individuals to develop as self-

regulating learners, knowing when and why to use particular approaches

• personal qualities and attitudes, such as confidence, resilience, initiative, self-motivation, ambition.

(Fettes et al. 2018: 21)

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

“We have a lot of careers activities such as talks from

business people, scientists etc. to encourage students to

raise their ambitions and there are programmes to

encourage students whose parents did not attend

university to think about attending. On a personal level,

I tell my students to ignore their computer-generated

target and aim higher.” (Maths).

“Pupils are encouraged to engage positively with their peers and to

support each other to come up with solutions to problems. They

learn how to lead or participate in a team and they learn that

working with others is important. This is good preparation for the

world of work.” (Computer science).

“Following assessments, I give them

feedback and show them how to

communicate their answer in a

better way to achieve full marks in

a question, as specified by the

mark scheme from the exam board.

This is particularly true in angle

problems where the omission of

one word in giving reasons for their

calculation can adversely impact

their mark.” (Maths).

What can teachers do to link

their subject to careers and

employability skills?

“Linked to developing resilience -

with progress, no matter how

small, comes confidence. Feedback

and interaction both written and

spoken helps to develop this.”

(Geography).

“Meeting deadlines, sticking at things to completion, working through to fatigue &

performance breakdown, recovering and going again after defeat, perseverance when

learning & results aren’t happening as quickly as hoped for.” (PE).

“Pupils are encouraged to articulate the progress

they are making. They can understand marking

criteria and apply it to their own progress. They

can reflect on what has gone well and how they

can improve further.” (MFL)

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

“We actively involve students and challenge

them to develop their skills in oral and

written communication throughout the

curriculum. In my subject particularly, we

emphasis presenting and debating skills,

constructing clear, written arguments and

writing detailed explanations. Our A-level in

particular requires a high level of written

communication.” (Religious studies)

• External people in to support lessons or our subject enhancement days

• Using a video or film set in real-life working situation

• Using a newspaper or magazine article to spark discussion

• Had an expert in to speak about something or support subject enhancement days

• Promoting team working or communication skills or any other transferable skill

• Speaking to students about what they want to do when they leave school

• Asking students to think about what future careers in your subject area might look like

• Taken a trip out somewhere ' encouraging students to 'job spot' when out

• Having a ‘jobs using this subject’ display.

• Setting work in real life scenarios which expand students’ familiarity with different jobs

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Bringing Careers into the classroom

Success is linked to the following factors;

a school vision for careers in the curriculum backed up by

committed leadership

a well-designed curriculum

a strong focus on the learning process

trained staff capable of delivering careers in the curriculum;

engagement of school partners

ensuring consistency and volume.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

https://www.careers.govt.nz/plan-your-career/not-sure-what-to-do/skills-employers-are-looking-for/

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/employability-skills.html

https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-and-careers/plan-your-career/8-job-skills-you-should-have

https://www.exeter.ac.uk/ambassadors/HESTEM/resources/General/STEMNET%20Employability%20skills%20guide.pdf

https://www.kent.ac.uk/ces/student/skills.html

https://www.aeseducation.com/career-readiness/employability-skills-lesson-plans/

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/discover-your-employability-skills-6279075

https://www.weareteachers.com/9-awesome-classroom-activities-that-teach-job-readiness-skills/

http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/teaching-employability-skills/

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/114771490481991824/

http://ccea.org.uk/sites/default/files/docs/curriculum/area_of_learning/learning_life_work/thematic_unit-

education_for_employability/Employ_ks3_1.pdf

https://www.tideway.london/tunnelworks/documents/skills-teachersnotes.pdf

https://ccrscenter.org/sites/default/files/SelfAssessment_Tool.pdf

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Useful Websites

These are the resources I have used

since starting to focus on this GBM.

There are lesson plans, ideas and simple

things you can provide subject staff to

get them on-board. If you find

anymore as you begin to develop your

provision, please send them my way!

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

A copy can be found here.

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Great for a

cover lesson!

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Design skills are not confined just to

design sectors. At least 2.5m people

use design skills in their day-to-day

work. This is equivalent to one in 12

workers (8%)… demand for workers

with these skills has grown at twice

the rate of UK employment over the

same period (14% vs 7% since 2012).

(Design Council, 2017, quoted in

Fettes et al. 2018)

But I don’t need art!

On average, by 2020, more than

a third of the desired core skill

sets of most occupations will be

comprised of skills that are not

yet considered crucial to the job

today, according to our

respondents. (World Economic

Forum, 2018: 6)

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers When will I need maths!?

Gatsby Benchmark 4 can often seem like a

mountain to climb but by generating a buzz

amongst staff with engaging careers-related

activities and focusing on the long game over

instant gratification, it is far from

insurmountable!

GBM 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers