Educating young people for employability: developing a school strategy for career development
Gary Forrest
2
Career path
Teacher CRAC SCIP/CEI
QCASSATSelf employed
What is meant by employability?
“Employability skills are the skills that almost everyone needs to do almost any job”
Self-management
Thinking and solving
problems
Working together and
communicating
Understanding the business
Using numbers effectively
Using language effectively
Using IT effectively
Positive approach
UK CES The Employability Challenge
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E = (Q + WE + S) x F
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Developing a strategy for employability
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What drives schools/colleges?
F is for fundingI is for inspectionS is for statutoryH is for hearts and minds of teachers
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What
How
WhoWhere
When Educatingfor
employability
Intended outcomes
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Creating a curriculum for employability
What do we want to achieve?• Understanding
– themselves; career opportunities; work and working practices; employers’ needs
• Skills– enterprising; basic/functional; customer service
• Qualities– have a go attitude; respect for others; respect for the
environment
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What
How
WhoWhere
When Educatingfor
employability
Intended outcomes
Learning experiences
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Creating a curriculum for employability
How will we organise learning? • experience work – placement; visit• make choices and take responsibility – plan events• follow and create instructions• speak out and express views• engage in simulation and with visitors• reflect on and apply learning
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Learning for employabilityWatching Practising
ImitatingFeedback Chatting
Teaching and Helping
Real-world problem solvingListening,
transcribing & remembering
Writing and sketching
Learning on the fly
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What
How
WhoWhere
When Educatingfor
employability
Intended outcomes
Learning experiences
PeopleSchoolCollege Workplace
5-19Needs of
individuals
Leadership and management
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The leadership challenge – how are we doing?• Do we have a vision and planned outcomes for
employability?• Do we have effective management and co-
ordination in place?• Do we have policies in place or in development?• What resources do we use to support employability?• Are we compliant with legal requirements?• Do we recognise achievements?
Curriculum and assessment
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Curriculum opportunities for career and work-related education
• Explicit, planned content in all curriculum subjects
• Specific lessons as part of a tutorial programme
• Whole school/college activities• Specific projects and experiences
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A curriculum for employability
• Learning in a work context• Business involvement• Synthesis of theory and practice
• experiential learning• Experiences of work
• high fidelity or high validity• Aiming for progression to work, HE/FE
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Purpose of study – English and mathematics• “All the skills of language are essential to
participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised. “
• “It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.”– National Curriculum
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Purposes of National Curriculum subjects • Science - vital to the world’s future prosperity• Art & Design – contributes to the wealth of
our nation• Citizenship - knowledge, skills and
understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society
• Computing – digitally literate at a level suitable for the future workplace
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Purposes of National Curriculum subjects (2)
• Design & technology - essential contribution to the wealth and well-being of the nation
• History - equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
• Geography - inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people
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Purposes of National Curriculum subjects (3)• Languages - a liberation from insularity and
provides an opening to other cultures; equipping pupils to study and work in other countries
• Music - increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement
• PE - build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect
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Assessment and accreditation
Partnerships and employer engagement
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Developing students’ employability:working with partners
• What is the rationale for partnership?• Who are our partners?• What can our partners provide?
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Employer involvement – benefits to education• revenue and resources• governance • improved community profile • improved skills • professional development opportunities for
teachers • higher staff morale • innovative options for curriculum delivery
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Developing students’ employability:working with partners
• What is the rationale for partnership?• Who are our partners?• What can our partners provide?• How can we engage new partners?
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Benefits to employers
• better prepared workforce
• recruitment• staff development• business
development• public relations• employee relations
• force for change• interdependent
community partnership
• working with young people
• individual creativity• parental aspect
Monitoring, evaluation and review
How do you know if your employability strategy is working?
Inspection & accountability measures
Attainment in qualifications
Skills / competencies / qualities
Personal development / attitudes / motivation
Parental / community / staff impact
Unintended outcomes
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A strategy for employability• What understanding, skills and qualities do we
want our students to have?• What experiences should they have? Where and
when will they have them?• Who will be involved in planning, delivery and
evaluation? Who are our partners and what can they offer?
• How will we assess students’ employability learning? How will we evaluate our strategy?
EnterprisingPositive and enthusiastic
Independent
Sociable
Problem solver
Teamworker
Individual learning plan
Rights and responsibilities
IdentitiesEnterprise project
Work experienceSelf-employmentMoney
Employment
Types of business
Career options
Work roles
KnowledgeSkills
Attributes and qualities
Principled