Careers

Careers

Career aspirations through careers advice and guidance

Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) at Newbridge House starts in Year 7 and continues through until Year 11. It is our vision that all students on leaving the PRS at the end of Year 11 will have developed the skills, attitudes, qualities, behaviours and self-confidence to plan their future careers. Students will follow the career pathway that best suits their individual needs and aspirations and allows them to fulfil their true potential. All students are provided with independent and impartial guidance from a variety of sources. Students work with Teachers, Mentors, Behaviour Support Workers and Engagement Officers on enhancing their personal development and setting individual targets.

The CEIAG programme is aspirational and personalised for every student and delivered through individual provision maps. Careers in the curriculum is a thread through all subjects where learning is progressive and linked to a variety of careers. All Key Stage 4 students have a designated Careers lesson each week and Key Stage 3 have their specific Careers curriculum embedded in their PSHCE lessons. 

We feel that to really support students to be interested in making plans for their future it is important to inspire and create opportunities to meet employers and so we strive to ensure that, from the age of 11, students participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year. We are continuously developing bespoke interactions based on students’ needs and interests recognising skills needed to apply to that job sector ranging from visiting a small business to meet employees and business owners or large corporations to discuss opportunities. We offer multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace through a range of enrichment activities and many other individually led engagements including:

• Guest speakers from industries that come into the centre
• Attending Open Days at the SASK in BAE
• Hosting the team from Siemans who conduct workshops with students
• Q & A sessions with visiting employers of micro and macro businesses
• Visitors from marketing companies, Public Services, the care sector, Cumbria County Council and construction companies
• World of Work Day
• Visits to our local hotels, restaurants and cafes
• Visits to EDF in Heysham Nuclear Power Station
• Attending a variety of Career and Jobs fairs including the BAE Careers Fair

We encourage face to face work experience however, this is planned very thoroughly on an individual basis rather than a whole year group and we look for placements when we feel students are ready from Year 10 onwards. This may be for a short period where students engage once a week over a few weeks or for an extended placement where students have been offered a role within a company. We rigorously adhere to Government guidelines within Keeping Children Safe In Education, all employers have a DBS check funded by us and we liaise regularly whilst students are on placement to ensure we maintain a supported link between school, students and employers.

A range of visits to further education establishments take place throughout the year including Furness College, Kendal College, Barrow, Ulverston and Kendal 6th Form, Lancaster & Morecambe College and the University of Cumbria. Students are encouraged to participate in as many visits that suit their individual needs and in the Summer term, will have professionals conducting one-to-one interviews via a virtual platform and also face to face to support them in their Post 16 applications.

We hold parent/carer open evenings throughout the year where multiple agencies including Inspira and our CEIAG Working Group are on hand with information to support any queries for Post 16 options.

Our Enterprise Advisor is Brett Dayton who works for Westmorland and Furness Council as a Case Management Officer for Economic Development.

The Careers Leader is Michaela Kemp and can be contacted by telephone on 01229 407470, or email at: Michaela.Kemp@cumbria.gov.uk

Our students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support are tailored to the needs of each pupil. Our careers programme embeds equality and diversity considerations throughout. Our careers programme actively seeks to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.

We keep records of the individual advice given to each student, and subsequent agreed decisions.  All students have access to these records to support their career development through their Unifrog log on.

The records of advice given is integrated with those given at the previous stage of the student’s education. Records begin from the first point of contact or from the point of transition. We collect and maintain data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least three years after they leave school. This data is used to review our school careers provision and inform development and continuous improvement.

Careers in the Curriculum Poster