St Joseph’s Careers Education Program  

Overall Aims and Objectives 

Careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) at St Joseph’s RC High School aims to encourage students to consider a wide range of options and opportunities and ultimately to go into courses and jobs which suit their needs, talents, skills and qualities. 
  
Within this careers program, they will: 

• Develop a broad understanding of the world of work and an ability to respond to changing opportunities. 
• Make the best use of information, advice and guidance (IAG) and their networks of support, both independently and with guidance. 
• Develop essential career skills including resilience, adaptability, enterprise, employability and self-presentation. 
• Manage transitions in their lives such as the change from school to university or work. 
• Raise their aspirations, broaden their horizons and counter stereotyped thinking about what they and others can do in our society.

Commitment 

The governing body, head teacher, senior leadership team and staff are committed to: 

• Meeting our statutory careers-related responsibilities and the Gatsby Benchmarks. 
• Providing resources and advice to enable students to understand and develop career choices, including securing independent and impartial careers guidance for Years 7- 13. 
• Ensuring that careers education is seen as a key part of the overall curriculum and learning framework for all years, with a planned programme of CEIAG activities that meet students’ needs. 
• Ensuring that careers advice provided is both independent and impartial, and is offered equally to all students regardless of gender, ethnicity or disability. 
• Involving students, staff, parents and carers in the further development of careers work. 
• Working with a range of external partners and organisations, including providers of careers advice and guidance and local education-business partnerships. 

Delivery 

Careers guidance is provided in partnership with an accredited careers guidance provider and includes individual and group activities. The school encourages the development of employability skills in various aspects of school life – in other curriculum lessons, for instance, or in specific activities such as CV preparation. These skills include meeting deadlines, meeting high expectations of attendance and punctuality, adhering to a dress code, a typical working day, flexibility, thinking skills, the ability to work independently and as a team and using a wide range of different communication skills. Students are provided with opportunities to reflect on how these skills would be relevant to the world of work. 
  
Students’ opinions are sought after a series of careers lessons or activities – responses are collated and fed back to teachers concerned. Student evaluations are also carried out after individual and group careers guidance sessions in addition to careers activities undertaken. Destination measures are analysed and used to ensure that the school is providing the right advice and guidance to head students in the right directions so that they are successful. 

Contact Details 

Careers Leader – Mr R Dann 
r.dann@st-josephs.slough.sch.uk 
  
Head of VI Form – Mr R Dann 
r.dann@st-josephs.slough.sch.uk 
  
Adviza – Independent and impartial Careers advice 
www.adviza.org.uk 
  
We have a dedicated careers adviser who is available to students throughout the year through our links with Adviza. 
  
A provider of careers information wishing to request access to speak to students should contact Mr R Dann. 

Premises and Facilities 

St. Joseph’s will make the school hall, classrooms or private meeting rooms available for discussions or presentations between provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. This will be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the careers’ leader. 

Useful Attachments & Websites 

https://www.unifrog.org/ St Joseph’s has recently signed up to UniFrog. This platform provides a plethora of career resources. We can track their engagement and progress in their search for career aspirations. 

https://www.springpod.com/ SpringPod enables every young person to experience a university course of career before they apply. 

www.eclips-online.co.uk – Adviza product aimed at students, parent and teachers to understand careers pathways. 
  
www.apprenticeships.org.uk – Government website aimed at students, parent and teachers to understand and find apprenticeships.  

https://amazingapprenticeships.com/about-ask/ - ASK resources can be used by students, parent/carer and teachers to understand apprenticeships and embed that knowledge within their careers plans and learning curriculum. 
  
https://www.speakersforschools.org/young-persons/ Expands career knowledge and builds confidence via exclusive work experience opportunities with world class employers and talks from inspirational people. 

https://www.theforage.com/ Explores careers and prepares for jobs with hundreds of free job simulations designed by the world’s top employers. 

www.notgoingtouni.co.uk – Careers information for students and parents allowing exploration of non-university pathways.  
 
https://www.startprofile.com - Provides information for students, parents and teachers to encourage young people to explore various option.  
  
www.icould.com – Information for students, parents and teachers made up of testimony from various careers professionals talking about their pathways and experiences of careers.  

https://berkshireopportunities.co.uk/ – Provide information aimed at students and parents on the labour market in Berkshire and allows search for local and more widespread opportunities.  

Gatsby Benchmarks 

• A stable careers programme 
• Learning from careers and Labour Market Information 
• Addressing the needs of each student 
• Linking curriculum learning to careers 
• Encounters with employers and employees 
• Experience of workplaces 
• Encounters with further and higher education 
• Personal Guidance 

Labour Market Information 

(LMI) provides you with an overview of what’s happening in the world of work. 
https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/ 

National Information 

You can log onto eClips (see posters in school for the log on information) to check out any career area and find out what’s happening. 
  
You can also type a job title into ‘LMI For All’ to display quick info about what is happening in that career area. 
  
Careermap is an online career resource that provides live post-16 opportunities, such as apprenticeship vacancies, college courses, university and graduate options. We also offer career advice and guidance so young people can make well-informed decisions to enhance their futures! Check out 1000’s of live opportunities here.