FUTURE TALENTED Summer Term 2019 - Issue 3 | Page 9

OPINION CAROL MAYALL HEAD OF CAREERS, AQUINAS COLLEGE, STOCKPORT Toughest benchmark: 6 — Experiences of workplaces Unfortunately we just haven’t got the funds to employ anybody to arrange the visits for meaningful encounters with employers. That takes time and resources in a big school like ours, with busy teachers. We’ve always said to the students that they should arrange their own visits, but some of them understandably don't have contacts in the job areas they are most interested in DANNY GIBSON VICE PRINCIPAL AND CAREERS LEADER, CEDAR MOUNT ACADEMY, MANCHESTER Toughest benchmark: 4 ­— Linking curriculum learning with careers If your only exposure to the world of work is what you see on TV, the staff at your local takeaway or the teachers you come into contact with, there just isn’t a breadth of experience there. Some of our young people just don’t think some jobs are for them JAKE ARMSTRONG VOCATIONAL FACULTY LEADER, ADDEY & STANHOPE SCHOOL, LONDON HAZEL KINDLEY GUIDANCE MANAGER, ASHTON SIXTH FORM COLLEGE, STAFFORDSHIRE Toughest benchmark: 4 — Linking curriculum learning with careers Going from having careers separate from the curriculum to having to integrate it with our regular lessons is quite a big culture change. We’re asking questions about what is involved within teaching and learning. It’s unrealistic to expect that to change overnight Toughest benchmark: 2 — Learning from career and labour market information Careers in the curriculum is a tough one because it involves staff across the school and everyone has so much to do. Labour market information is also tough. The problem is there are so many different providers out there in the market saying 'we’ve got resources, we want to help you, here they are, this is how much it costs' FUTURE TALENTED // 9