Careers and Employability
The Careers and Employability Service is dedicated to developing a high quality and innovative Careers Education, Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) provision to all Bedians, whether they plan for university, a gap year, an apprenticeship or entering employment, when moving on from our school.
We believe that good quality careers advice is fundamental in helping Bedians become well-rounded individuals, who are prepared and ready for their future challenges in world of work.
Furthermore, we see how good careers advice helps raise pupils’ aspirations and improve their academic outcomes.
Our robust Employer Engagement Strategy allows pupils to keep ahead of changes in the labour market, and to support pupils in understanding the needs of employers and society more generally.
“Pupils are more likely to be successful if they carry out careers research early. Early experiences in the world of work can really help pupils develop a view on what kind of career they want to pursue and this can really motivate them to focus on the academic goals which will get them there.”
Deborah Franks, Head of Careers and Employability
Junior Years
Careers guidance begins as early as the First Year when pupils will receive Careers Profiling, which will support them in making their GCSE choices and First Year tutors will begin discussing pupils’ career aspirations. This process is complemented by sessions on the “World of Work” and “Employability Skills” which form part of the 21st Century Studies Carousel.
Fifth Form
During these years, pupils will be encouraged to identify and develop personal attributes and the kinds of skills which are likely to be valued by future employers. Tutors will discuss how pupils can best evidence their experience in areas such as teamwork, leadership, communication, motivation and adaptability.
Through seminars and assemblies pupils will begin to consider the challenges presented by the world of work, including the competitive nature of certain careers and how they can best market themselves in the future as well as consider why employers value certain skills above others.
During the Lower Fifth pupils will also be introduced to the Unifrog system which provides a one-stop-shop for students wishing to research a wide variety of careers and professions.
As pupils move into the Upper Fifth, they will receive support in making their Sixth Form choices, considering options in the light of potential university or career paths and students who wish to do so can undertake careers profiling at this stage in order to support decision-making.
Advice is also available for those students considering taking summer employment or volunteering or seeking internships or work experience after their GCSE exams. Indeed this is a key period in which pupils are encouraged to develop some workplace experiences which could help them to demonstrate employability skills further down the line.
Sixth Form
Through the Bede’s Diploma, pupils can gain experience in a number of areas which future employers are likely to value; whether that be through the Sports Leadership Programme or through volunteering work, the Diploma will provide a framework by which pupils can evidence the all-important “soft skills”.
Towards the end of their Lower Sixth, pupils will participate in Futures Week. This is a week of practical workshops, talks and seminars aimed at preparing pupils for the challenges ahead, both in their academic studies and life beyond Bede’s. For example, pupils can participate in a half day interactive workshop featuring a mock assessment centre and gain interview experience.
In the Upper Sixth, many pupils will be focussed on university applications (supported by our Director of Higher Education). There will also be a number of pupils who are considering other options, including apprenticeships or gap years, and advice will be available to ensure that gap year experiences are as meaningful as possible and that the broadest possible guidance on apprenticeship opportunities is also available.