CAREERS POLICY

Section 42A of the Education Act 1997 requires governing bodies to ensure that all registered pupils at the college are provided with independent careers guidance from year 8 (12–13-year-olds) to year 13 (17–18-year-olds).

The governing body must ensure that the independent careers guidance provided:

• Is presented in an impartial manner, showing no bias or favouritism towards a particular institution, education or work option; includes information on the range of education or training options, including apprenticeships and technical education routes:
• Is guidance that the person giving it considers will promote the best interests of the pupils to whom it is given. The Technical and Further Education Act 2017 inserts section 42B into the Education Act 1997 and came into force on 2 January 2018. This new law requires the proprietor of all schools and academies to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access all pupils in year 8 to year 13 for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

This policy statement sets out the college’s arrangements for managing the access of providers (Baker Clause).

This college is committed to ensuring that all students are given impartial access to a wide range of education and training providers. This policy statement sets out the college’s arrangements for managing the access of providers to students for the purpose of giving them information about the provider’s education or training offer.

This policy has been developed in line with the college’s legal obligations under Section 42B of the Education Act 1997 (the “Baker Clause”), which requires colleges to ensure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access pupils in Years 8 to 13 for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.
Access is given to providers of technical education, further education colleges, universities, apprenticeship providers, and employers to speak to students, parents, and carers. This may include assemblies, career fairs, workshops, classroom activities, and one-to-one guidance sessions.
All requests for access should be directed to the college’s Careers Leader, who will coordinate arrangements and ensure that opportunities are provided in a fair and structured manner. The college will not discriminate against any provider and will ensure that students receive unbiased information to help them make informed decisions about their future pathways.

The college’s Careers Programme supports this policy and ensures that all students are informed about academic, vocational, and technical pathways, including apprenticeships and T Levels.

We actively seek to build partnerships with outside agencies, to broaden our students’ horizons and to provide them with exposure to a range of education and career pathways. Events, integrated into the college careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into the college to speak to students and/or their parents/carers in line with the curriculum plan for careers provision.

A number of events, integrated into the school careers programme, will offer providers an opportunity to come into school to speak to pupils and/or their parents/carers. For more information please contact:

• Planned careers provision which provides information about the full range of education and training options, including technical and apprenticeship routes, at each transition point
• Information from a wide range of education and training providers about the opportunities they offer– through options events, assemblies and curriculum events
• Understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

• Leading the team of teachers, administrators, external partners and others who deliver career guidance.
• Advising the senior leadership team on policy, strategy and resources for CEIAG and showing how they meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.
• Reporting to senior leaders and governors.
• Reviewing and evaluating career guidance and providing information for college development planning, Ofsted and other purposes.
• Preparing and implementing a career guidance development plan and ensuring that details of the careers programme are published on the college’s website.
• Understanding the implications of a changing education landscape for career guidance, e.g. technical education reform.
• Ensuring compliance with the legal requirements to provide independent career guidance and give access to providers of technical education or apprenticeships, to students in college, including the publication of the policy statement of provider access on their website.

• Planning the programme of activity in CEIAG.
• Briefing and supporting teachers involved in CEIAG.
• Monitoring delivery of Careers across the eight Gatsby Benchmarks, using the Compass evaluation tool.
• Supporting form tutors, providing initial information and advice.
• Managing the work of others e.g. Careers Advisers and administrative and other staff involved in the delivery of career guidance.
• Ensuring colleges and apprenticeship providers have access to the college to share opportunities Managing the careers budget as appropriate.
• Managing their own CPD and supporting the ongoing CPD of colleagues in the careers team.

• Managing the provision of career and labour market information.
• Managing the careers section of the college’s website, ensuring information is accurate and up to date.
• Liaising with the Learning for Life (PSHE) leader and other subject leaders to plan their contribution to career guidance.
• Liaising with form tutors, progress leaders, SENCO, designated LAC to identify pupils needing guidance and tailoring in according to learner need.
• Referring students to Careers Advisers.
• Coordinating encounters with employers and work experience.
• Communicating with students and their parents.

• Establishing and developing links with employers.
• Commissioning career guidance services where appropriate.
• Managing links with the LEP and other external organisations.
• Securing funding for careers related projects if available.
• Building a network of alumni who can help with the career guidance programme.

Careers guidance for students with SEND should take account of the full range of relevant education, training and employment opportunities, such as traineeships and apprenticeships, supported internships (for young people with Education, Health and Care plans) or routes into higher education. It should be well informed about ways in which adults with SEN or disabilities can be supported in the workplace (e.g. disability rights, supported employment, ways in which jobs can be “carved” to fit a person’s abilities.)

• Antony Stagg is our independent careers advisor and creates bespoke employability programmes supported by employers, preparing young people for the world of work and provide impartial and up-to-date careers advice for all students.
• We have strong relationship with all local FE college and training providers.
• We have developed partnerships through the Liverpool Scholars Programmes and we have developed links with Russell Group Universities including Durham and University of Leeds.
• Our employer data base is extensive and in includes hospitals, STEM organisations, business, legal and local government.
• We use the National Careers Service – government website that provides information, advice and guidance to help students make decisions on learning, training and work.

Students are supported after they have left, and we continue to track data of destination for 1 full academic year after students have left.

• Annual review of partnership activities are conducted each year in July 9th/10th – After our annual careers fair.
• Quality Assurance observations within Form Time and Learning for Life (PSHE) lessons as part of college’s Self Evaluation.
• Developmental activity is identified annually in the College Development Plan. Feedback on the effectiveness of the Careers programme is sought through student voice activity.
• Review of the college’s adherence to the Gatsby Benchmarks through Compass, an online self-evaluation tool for schools and colleges.
• We actively seek feedback from employers, by asking them for feedback during our events. We meet personally we each employer for work experience.

Careers/Work Experience Update (Key Changes)

Parents and carers are one of the biggest influences on young people’s career decision-making. Updates embed parent and carer engagement into planning and specify the need to share information with parents and carers and support them to use it with their children.

• 50 hours – multiple, progressive, high quality careers provision across years 7-11.
• Introduce and Inspire – year 7 & 8 – introduction
• Investigate and Explore – Year 9 – spring pod
• Apply and Demonstrate – Year 10 & 11- trips/experience of the workplace

• Week 1 – 23rd to 27th June – approx. 25 students
• Week 2 – 30th – 4th July– approx. 30 students
• Week 3 – 7th – 11th July– approx. 40 students
• Mando’s – Thursday 10th July
• Hill Dickinson – Tuesday 15th July