Employment

Subcontracting consultation: ESFA proposal to limit long-distance subcontractors

Feb 6, 2020 | Employment, News | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has launched a subcontracting consultation, with plans to cap business spending and ensure only local or digital consultants are used by contractors.

The ESFA has issued ten recommendations on changes to subcontracting rules – with the aims of reducing costs and eliminating poor arrangements. If you are a provider or subcontractor, please read the information below.

5 potential career paths for…music students

Apr 26, 2019 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Although music lessons are under pressure because of budget restrictions in schools, there is a wide range of career opportunities for musically gifted students who choose this career path.

A knowledge of music – both theoretical and practical – can open doors into teaching, music production, broadcasting, sound engineering, songwriting and even therapy.

V Certs – will they bridge the skills gap for employers?

Nov 15, 2018 | Alternative Curriculum, Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

V Certs are the most recent vocational qualification open to students who are 14 – 16 years old but could they really provide a solution for the skills gap in the UK?

5 potential career paths for…design and technology students

Nov 9, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

Design and technology skills are applicable to a wide range of careers, from carpenter to aerospace engineer.

For students with creative energy, then, the various areas of design and technology offer an exciting path beyond school.

What can teachers do to increase the number of school leavers taking up apprenticeships?

Nov 2, 2018 | Employment, Pupils | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

Despite the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017, there have been four successive quarters of decline in the number of reported apprenticeship starts.

If all parties have a role to play in increasing the uptake of apprenticeships, what can teachers do to help facilitate this?

5 potential career paths for…classics students

Oct 5, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 4 minutes

Latin, Classical Greek, ancient history, philosophy – these are a few of the subjects that fall under the category of ‘classics’.

Some wrongfully believe classics subjects to be so firmly rooted in the past, that they equip students with few skills for the modern world.

5 potential career paths for…computer science students

Aug 24, 2018 | Employment, ICT | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Your computer science student sits in front of you and asks that ominous question – “where next?”.

While some subjects are an unnatural fit for many careers, you’re going to have good news for this particular student.

How to encourage apprenticeships in your school

Jul 19, 2018 | Employment, BTEC | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Apprentices earn, on average, £100,000 more than other employees over the course of their life, and today can take their pick from over 200 differing professions – from plumbing and music, to social media and marketing. And, as it turns out, apprentices are good for business, too…

5 potential career paths for…biology students

Jul 5, 2018 | Employment, Science, STEM | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

With a skills gap currently existing in STEM subjects, it has become more important than ever to encourage young people to pursue careers in the fields of science, especially girls, who have been shown to still lack confidence in the subject.

Offering relevant career guidance in schools

Jun 6, 2018 | Employment, Teaching | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

The requirement of schools to offer career guidance has become more important since the Education Act 2011 enshrined this in law. As a consequence, many schools have increased the impact of their in-house career guidance tools.

5 potential career paths for…geography students

May 23, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Geography is far from just studying countries and maps. Indeed, careers utilising geography skills involve research, data analysis, and exceptional communication. As you can imagine, these translate to a wider range of careers for geography students.

5 potential career paths for…modern foreign languages students

May 2, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

A few years ago, a report was released stating that British children were considered to be the worst in Europe when it came to learning foreign languages. However since then, more effort has been devoted to rectifying the problem, and with primary school pupils now having compulsory foreign language lessons, it is hoped that the interest in the field will increase.

5 potential career paths for…art and design students

Mar 21, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

The art and design industry is incredibly diverse, yet no matter the specific niche one thing is universal – entrants to this industry must work their way up.

Even where further education has been followed, junior posts are the generic starting point to prove your mettle and demonstrate creative flair and imagination.

5 potential career paths for…history students

Feb 13, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Students with a interest in history can occasionally feel discouraged by the emphasis on STEM subjects. The perception that only studying those subjects will lead to a successful career can dissuade students from choosing a non-STEM career path.

As teachers, you know the most important thing is to encourage pupils to discover which path they want to take, and offer them as much support and encouragement as possible.

5 simple strategies…to help prepare students for job interviews

Jan 29, 2018 | Employment, Life Skills | 0 |

Reading time: 4 minutes

Your students are ready to seek employment. After more than a decade of learning, their entire career could be influenced by the first job position they hold. There’s a lot riding on that interview – for which your pupils must be informed, calm and confident.

So how can you help them prepare for job interviews? Here are a few suggestions.

5 potential career paths for…economics students

Jan 15, 2018 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Economics influences every aspect of the modern world. As such, students who have an interest in, and choose to study, economics have a variety of career paths to choose from.

The skills learned through economics are also highly transferable, allowing students to move into fields they wouldn’t initially have contemplated.

5 potential career paths for…physics students

Dec 8, 2017 | Employment, STEM | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

Physics is not only an exciting and engaging course of study, it is also the gateway to a number of satisfying and rewarding careers.

From traditional scientific industries to more unusual pathways, there are a great many opportunities open to physics specialists which are sure to appeal to students with an interest in the field.

5 potential career paths for…maths students

Nov 17, 2017 | Employment, Maths | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

Numbers, equations, facts and figures. For many of us a maths-focused career where every day is filled with number-crunching would be far from a welcome prospect.

However, for maths students and for those who are naturally skilled with numbers, the following five career paths can offer rewarding opportunities with excellent career prospects.

5 potential career paths for…chemistry students

Nov 3, 2017 | STEM, Employment, Science | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

While many students have an image in their minds of chemists as men in white coats, the reality is very different.

For a start, organisations such as WISE are encouraging more women into science-based careers, and more opportunities exist for women than ever before in fields relating to chemistry.

Also, although many chemistry-related career paths are based in laboratories, studying chemistry opens up a world of other opportunities too.

5 potential career paths…for English students

Oct 20, 2017 | Employment, English | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

“Are you going to be a teacher when you get older?” is a question that many English students will hear during their time at university.

Whilst it is true that a significant number of English students love the idea of teaching after completing their degree (and there is nothing wrong with that – this is an education blog after all!), there is a variety of potential career paths for English students.

Universities vs. Apprenticeships

Feb 6, 2017 | Employment | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

After finishing college, it is time to think about your future career all the more seriously.

The two main considerations to make are whether you want to continue your education in a formal setting, or whether you want to start some work based learning?

Raising Aspiration in Younger Students

May 1, 2015 | Achievement, Employment, Life Skills | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

It has been suggested that a person’s aspirations are shaped by the likelihood of them being achieved. When linked with the concept that a child’s belief in their ability to achieve something is in part based on whether they see those they consider to be peers achieving in a similar way, then it is no wonder that the biggest challenge to raising aspiration in schools is socio-economic status.

The longer the negative messages received by a child go unchallenged the harder they are to overcome, which is why raising aspiration in younger children is increasingly an issue being raised by school leaders.

Highlighting the Importance of English and Maths to Teenagers in Careers Advice

Feb 20, 2015 | Employment, Literacy and Numeracy | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

Engaging teenagers in Maths and English can often feel like an uphill struggle – particularly if their levels of numeracy and literacy are low. It’s even more of a challenge to emphasise and convince them then that these are probably the two most important subjects to focus on when planning their career path.

Where being a celebrity is now a very popular answer to ‘what career do you think you want’ and then specific replies being that being either a footballer, model or reality TV star is at the top of the list, there’s a falling perception in some teenagers that Maths and English are of any value.

Teaching financial literacy

Jan 6, 2015 | Life Skills, Employment, Teaching | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

With financial literacy now firmly part of the newly introduced curriculum for maths and citizenship, schools have to be focused on looking at the opportunity to equip their pupils with the skills they will need to manage money throughout life.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Students

Oct 23, 2014 | Life Skills, Curriculum, Employment, Teaching | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

Students have great capacity to develop and to better every aspect of their lives whilst at school and in preparation for further education or work.

Most capacity though lays dormant unless challenged – similar to a ballerina at the barre each day or a violinist practising and learning new scales every day. If pupils take their thinking methods for granted and they aren’t given the opportunity to have knowledge of and embrace the skill of critical thinking they won’t improve.

Careers in the gaming industry

Jun 30, 2014 | Employment, GCSE, ICT, Life Skills | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

Sheffield had an exciting event over the weekend to celebrate Britain’s gaming heritage and to inspire a new generation of gamers with Games Britannia Live! The event took place at various venues around the city with plenty to get involved with.

Arcade games lined the Millennium Gallery and gamers young and old gathered round the stalls to partake in workshops and test their design skills.

Careers guidance in schools

Apr 10, 2014 | Employment, Life Skills, News | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

The Department for Education has today published the revised ‘Careers guidance and inspiration in schools’ statutory and non-statutory guidelines. The documents are for governing bodies, school leaders, school staff in maintained schools, local authorities that maintain PRUs, academies and free schools.

The problem with maths

Mar 14, 2014 | Maths, Curriculum, Employment, Life Skills, Literacy and Numeracy | 1 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

I don’t think anybody would be surprised by the notion that maths is often considered unpopular. Indeed one of the biggest barriers to engagement with maths seems to be the reputation it has in society.

In his book, Rethinking School Mathematics, Andrew Noyes identifies the social barriers pupils experience in regards to maths, and the fact that textbooks’ attempts to connect maths problems to real life situations often fail as “there is a real difference between what many teachers and textbooks perceive to be real-life mathematics and what people experience in their lives”.

National Apprenticeship Week

Mar 3, 2014 | Employment, Life Skills, News | 0 |

Reading time: 2 minutes

National Apprenticeship Week (3-7 March) “is the time when all eyes are on Apprenticeships and it’s all about raising the profile amongst employers, individuals, teachers, parents and the media.” We therefore thought we would take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of apprenticeships, so that we can give the best advice to our pupils when they are considering their options once they have left school.

5 Strategies to Develop Your Students’ Life & Employment Skills

Jan 21, 2014 | Employment, Life Skills, Literacy and Numeracy | 0 |

Reading time: 3 minutes

An article in The Telegraph at the beginning of January identified that 120,888 children are currently at risk of becoming NEETs because they “perform below national averages in the three-Rs” (The Telegraph, Jan 2014).

Statistics from June 2013 show that 15.5% of 16-24 year olds in England were NEETs (DFE, June 2013). With pupils now having to stay in education or training until the age of 17, moving to 18 in 2015, will this prove to be the magical solution for reducing unemployment for young people?

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