CAREERS LEADER PROFILE
MEET YOUR PEERS
SALLY EMLER
Sally Emler , raising aspirations co-ordinator at The Priory School , Hertfordshire
Tell us a little bit about your careers role at your school have been a careers leader for nearly four years , showing
I students all the amazing jobs that are out there by organising form-time activities , all-day workshops , careers weeks , and trips and visits . I do this alongside my role as a PE teacher , which I ’ ve had for nearly 20 years .
I took the careers role because I believe students can ’ t decide whether or not they want to do something if they haven ’ t heard of it . Also , I want students to leave our school having become the best version of themselves so that when they go for a job interview or apply for an apprenticeship they have all the skills , qualifications and confidence that the employer is looking for .
How have you been managing to provide careers guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic ?
am no longer able to see students face to face , bring
I employers into school or take students out on trips and visits . We have to rely on students accessing the large amount of virtual activities that are on offer . We distribute careers guidance material via Google Classroom , which means every student has access to it .
We deliver a lot of our careers guidance through form-time activities . I ’ ve produced a scheme of learning for each year group and provide form tutors with the resources they need . As students have been working at home , I ’ ve been able to create digital resources which has made the guidance easier . Each student gets a digital workbook that they can work through with their tutor or independently .
Our year 11s have all had post-16 interviews via Google Meet with either the head of sixth form , the key stage 5 ( KS5 ) co-ordinator or our independent careers advisor . Our year 9s have had a virtual post-14 pathways evening , where they were able to watch videos of the subjects they can take in year 10 and then apply for their subjects online . Finally , our year 13 students have completed their UCAS placements by having Google meets with the KS5 pastoral team .
“ To try to reduce the number of emails sent to students , I developed a new student and parent portal where I can upload all the online opportunities ”
What have you been doing to maintain morale and momentum around careers ?
ll our year 11 students have had a one-to-one meeting
A regarding their post-16 choices and those students that remain unsure are given additional meetings . As we provide careers education from year 7 , a lot of our students have an idea about where they want to go after leaving year 11 before they have to make the decision .
Year 11 students have also had designated time in RHSE lessons and form time to research their chosen pathways . The local college also did a virtual assembly and students are told about online opportunities that would suit them . Students know where they can go for help and know there is a lot of support in place if they are still unsure .
To what extent have you been able to arrange employer encounters and work experience ?
t present , we are unable to deliver work experience .
A
However , we are ensuring that students have access to all the opportunities that are out there via remote interactions . We ’ ve been lucky to have weekly webinars supplied by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership ; they ask schools who are part of their hub to suggest careers in which their students are interested and try to find suitable speakers . We have had students attend webinars about law , journalism and policing provided by the partnership . Other students have signed up for longer experiences , such as NHS work experience , plus some of our year 11s attend monthly meetings with Cambridge University .
We ’ ve had to cancel a number of events such as our annual Apprenticeship Fair , year 10 World of Work , and Take Your Child to Work Day , which means students have been unable to meet employers face to face , which I think usually has the most impact on them .
Do you have any insights or advice for your peers based on your own experiences ?
o try to reduce the number of emails sent to students I
T developed a new student and parent portal where I can upload all the online opportunities . We can signpost students to the portal rather than the students having to search for themselves .
Are there any ‘ silver linings ’ to be found in the current situation ?
oogle Classroom has been amazing . It means we can still
G communicate with students either individually or as a group and this means that students aren ’ t missing out on any opportunities .
I think virtual talks are going to remain , as these enable students to engage with an employer without having to travel to a venue . This means that students can have access to employers all around the globe !
What would you say to students who feel their career prospects have been irrevocably damaged ?
ry to stand out from everyone else by doing something
T extra ; for example , attend an online course , volunteer or do some virtual work experience . This will show commitment and will also give you something to talk about during an interview .
A career isn ’ t just one job — it is the path that you take . Careers and jobs are always evolving , so constantly working on your skills and competencies will make you employable in any field that you decide to go into .
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