STRATEGY SPOTLIGHT
“We would encourage careers leaders to
use this research when delivering career
professional development to subject staff,”
she advises.
Creating sustainable systems
Armstrong’s multitude of ‘hats’ is typical of
many careers leaders, juggling their careers
role with other responsibilities. Of those
surveyed, 84% report ‘lack of time’ as a barrier
to making progress around careers. On
average, careers leaders spend two days a
week on their careers leadership role. Around
a third are subject teachers, while other roles
cited include special educational needs
coordinators (SENCOs), librarians and
business managers.
Armstrong is only able to spend between
half a day and a full day each week on his
careers leader work but has put in place
measures to ensure he can make the most of
this limited time, taking care to make elements
sustainable. For example, with every careers
initiative he designs, he considers whether this
could be replicated annually and also how it
could be used for different year groups.
“For me, the careers part of the job has
always been about systems and sustainability;
can we run it again year after year? And making
sure that whatever we do, the kids enjoy it,”
he says.
He also ensures that the Gatsby Benchmarks
are linked in with the school’s central IT system,
explaining, “I can then plan around, say,
His mix of roles keeps him close
to teachers, pupils, senior managers
and partners in supporting careers
initiatives, while he admits that the
school’s focus on the creative sector
simplifies his careers role.
“If I’m organising a ‘drop-down
day’ I’m not having to get the police,
the RAF and the NHS in. I’m just
focusing on one sector,” he says.
Meanwhile, his media background
helps him to connect students
to employers:
“For example, one of our students
created his own social media brand
and has 200,000 followers on
Twitter,” he explains.
“One of my clients used to be
a social media agency. I could
connect the two, creating a
nice relationship.”
PARKSTONE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, DORSET
Investing in careers leaders’ training
The Gatsby Benchmarks have helped provide schools with a
structure for careers guidance, according to Julia Wilkinson, head
of careers and employability at 11-18 academy Parkstone Grammar
School in Poole, Dorset.
“A lot of what is covered in the benchmarks was already
happening, but it has enabled me to fully focus our careers
programme and add the benchmarks to the school delivery plan,”
she explains.
In 2018, Wilkinson received the Careers Leader of the Year award
at the Career Development Institute’s UK ceremony. However, she
began as a careers coordinator five years ago, having retired from
the police force due to ill health.
“While in the police, I was keen to help young people and, in
my spare time, ran a Brownie unit and was the local commissioner
in charge of a number of other units. When I left, I naturally gravitated
to a job working with young people,” she explains.
To enable her to gain the knowledge, understanding and skills
to fulfil her new role, the school immediately invested in her training,
beginning with an NVQ level 3 in advice and guidance. She
progressed to the full Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and
Development, selecting the three optional units that make up the
Certificate in Careers Leadership.
By the time the Careers Strategy was launched, in December
2017, Wilkinson was working in the dual roles of careers coordinator
and careers adviser, becoming the named careers leader after
presenting a report to the headteacher, reviewing the school’s
careers provision against the Gatsby Benchmarks and other
elements of the strategy.
She reports that she has found Gatsby Benchmarks particularly
useful in building support among teachers. “It’s much easier to
get buy-in from colleagues when there is a set format of what is
expected and is seen as good practice,” she concludes.
Careers leader model adopted by schools and colleges
Single careers leader, at senior leader level
20%
Single careers leader, at middle leadership level
30%
Distributed leadership
13%
Multi-school
3%
Single careers leader, at coordinator level
22%
Single careers leader, at administrator level
6%
Other
6%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Source: Careers Leaders in Secondary Schools: The first year, The Careers & Enterprise Company, July 2019
FUTURE TALENTED // 15