Educating young people for employability: developing a school strategy for career development

Gary Forrest

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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

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Gary Forrestgarydforrest@yahoo.co.uk

www.educationforemployability.co.uk