We review this policy annually so that we can use the feedback gathered over the previous academic year to help inform us of changes that need to be made to ensure the provision is fit for purpose. In year changes will be made if new guidance is issued and all amendments will be shared with the governing body and other stakeholders who are involved
Career Education, Information, Advice & Guidance (CEIAG)
Mr D Haworth
Vice Principal – Personal Development
E: d.haworth@bradfordacademy.co.uk
Samantha Taylor
Careers Leader & Progressions Manager
E: s.taylor@bradfordacademy.co.uk
Ms Annie Gibson
Independent Careers Advisor
E: a.gibson@bradfordacademy.co.uk
The careers programme and educational opportunities learners receive at Bradford Academy help them to go on to some amazing destinations.
The Gatsby Foundation state that
‘Good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them. In 2013 we commissioned Sir John Holman to research what pragmatic actions could improve career guidance in England and subsequently he developed the Good Career Guidance Benchmarks.’
The benchmarks that have been set up as a result of this work act as our guidance to ensure GEIAG is both informative and bespoke to learners needs and interests.
There are 8 Benchmarks set out by the Gatsby Foundation, they are listed in the pictures above. If you want to read more about what each benchmark entails take a look at the booklet below.
You will notice these pictures throughout the web site where the different sections meet parts of the criteria listed for the specific benchmark pictured.
Here at Bradford Academy we are regularly assessing our careers provision through Compass and against the benchmarks to guide development of the programme to ensure we deliver a well rounded offer.
MOOCS are Mass Open Online Courses. They are useful when applying for university or employment and many are free or have a very small cost to receive certification in an online course. You can access a range of MOOCs through the UNIFROG platform that you can access through the school dashboard.
Check out this short video to find out more and for links to many great MOOCs
If you are aged 14 or above and are interested in work experience make sure you are regularly checking your school emails for information on the various virtual work experiences you can get involved in. Whilst there may be small number of face to face work experience placements, there are many more virtual work experience opportunities, and these are the next best thing and offer you the chance to get involved with organisations that you otherwise would not have been able to. There are many different opportunities available in sectors such as banking, retail, cyber crime prevention, engineering, fashion, NHS, telecoms and many more. Some are workshops on skills building or how to perfect your CV to make sure you stand out form the crowd so make sure you check them out! Learners who successfully complete a virtual work experience will be awarded positive points and a queue jump for themselves and a friend.
If you are interested in undertaking some work experience related to healthcare then check out the link below. The NHS Allied Healthcare Virtual Work Experience invites learners to participate in its programme if they are considering the following careers:
Nursing
Midwifery
Paramedicine
Physiotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Dietetics
Radiography
Prosthetics and Orthotics
Speech and Language Therapy
Pharmacy
Alongside all the targeted opportunities Bradford Academy offers the learners, the teachers promote careers links and discussion through the subjects learners study. Through subject teachers promoting the careers links within their lessons we can help learners see how and where the skills and knowledge they are learning are applied in the world outside education.
The information in these documents are only the formulated links that teachers will make in their lessons, it is not the limit of subject related conversations on careers merely the starting point, teacher will continually look for opportunities to promote career information through their lessons. Please click on the links below for more information
CEIAG In The Curriculum Science
CEIAG In The Curriculum English
Above show the core subjects and how they link with careers, however, all subjects have cross curricular links with careers education woven into their planning.
Overview
Bradford Academy uses the Gatsby Benchmarks as a guide to planning our CIEAG programme. We are committed to informing our learners of the full range of employment, learning and training pathways available to them. Alongside employers, we organise for HE establishments, training, apprenticeship and vocational education providers to engage with our learners throughout the year. By proactively seeking to build relationships with these stakeholders as we plan our activity we ensure that they have multiple opportunities to speak to learners and their parents to offer information on HE, employment, vocational, technical and apprenticeship qualifications and pathways at crucial point in the learners educational journey. (Baker Clause Jan 2018)
Opportunities for stakeholders to interact with learners includes workplace visits, work experience, assemblies, engagement events, workshops and the opportunity to speak with learners and parents on a one-to-one basis supporting KS4, Post 16 or Post 18 option choices. All Academy staff involved in guidance and pastoral support are kept up to date with the these Post 16 and Post 18 pathways, through a programme of Continuing Professional Development.
Learners have access to wide range of resources to help inform any decisions they need to make. Appointments to discuss career and FE/HE options can be made with the Academy’s Progressions Manager – Mrs Taylor, and our independent careers advisor – Annie Gibson is on hand to offer advice. All learners in Year 11 will get at least two interviews with Annie to ensure they are fully informed in their choices moving forward. Our website contains plenty of information and links to other helpful websites related to careers and education, and the careers noticeboard in the forum displays information on any work experience opportunities, upcoming visits to workplaces, colleges and universities and workshops relating to specific employment sectors. The careers section in the LRC contains labour market information, University and college prospectuses and booklets from training and apprenticeship providers.
This is our programme for 2024/2025 – this will be reviewed in July 2025 in readiness for the new academic year
The Academy’s CEIAG programme is monitored for quality and impact by the Academy’s Senior Leadership and Governance Teams and monitoring of access to and opportunities to engage with employers, and education and training providers forms part of this process.
Together this ensures our learners can make successful transitions within the Academy and beyond and go on to have productive and fulfilling lives.
Key – Gatsby Benchmarks:
| 1.A stable careers programme | 2 – Learning from career and labour market information | 3 – Addressing the needs of each pupil | 4 – Linking curriculum learning to careers |
| 5 – Encounters with employers and employees | 6 – Experiences of workplaces | 7 – Encounters with further and higher education | 8 – Personal Guidance |
Clicking here will take you to the Amazing Apprenticeships website where you will be able to see all of these games and more information about apprenticeships.
Click on the pictures below to download a full activity pack with articles, quizzes and information.
Current Apprenticeship Vacancies
For those of you considering an apprenticeship check out the link below for the current vacancies. As apprenticeships are jobs with training, this is updated regularly so make sure you register for updates and notifications
Degree Level Apprenticeships
Degree Level Apprenticeships are a great alternative to university and provide you with the opportunity to earn money, learn on the job and gain a degree without any fees.
The Sutton Trust run a degree apprenticeship summer school which you can apply for by clicking here.
As part of the summer school you will gain an in depth understanding of degree apprenticeships, what they involve and whether a degree apprenticeship is the right choice for you. You will hear from current apprentices, experience networking opportunities, attend sessions hosted by employers and learn the different application processes employers use.
General Apprenticeship Information
An apprenticeship lets you learn and earn money at the same time. You work for an employer and pick up professional skills on the job in anything from accountancy to zoology, alongside going to college. You can gain nationally recognised qualifications from Level 2 right up to degree level. I have attached some documents you may find useful, one of which details A-Z all of the areas in which apprenticeships are available
Applying for an apprenticeship is the same as applying for a job. You will need to complete an application form and attend an interview. Competition for some roles is tough, so the sooner you start looking and applying the more chance you have of securing your dream job.
Most apprenticeships are advertised on the government website: https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch You will need to register on here so you can apply for any roles you are interested in
TOP TIP: Do not put any keywords in search box, as this may mean you miss out on a vacancy you could have been interested in. For example, a car mechanic may be advertised as Car Mechanic, Vehicle Maintenance , Mechanical Engineer etc… and if your keyword doesn’t show in the title it will not show up the vacancies.
Appris, a large local training provider for all areas of engineering apprenticeships start advertising vacancies around January time and look for young people to work with companies such as Siemens, Christeyns, BASF, AGFA and many more. To view their vacancies go to www.appris.co.uk and click on become an apprentice.
If you need any help in searching, applying or with interview preparation please either email me on the contact details below and I will be happy to help.
Mrs Taylor – s.taylor@bradfordacademy.co.uk
Parents’ Guide
Young people have more and more options available as they progress through their education and into the world of work. We know that parents / carers want to be able to understand this changing world so they can help and support young people to make the best choice for them. The following links will provide additional information on the different pathways young people can take.
Below is a really useful guide from Bradford Council for parents and carers of learners with EHCPs. It provides some really detailed information on the options available for these learners from Year 9 onwards.
University Applications
For Post 16 learners thinking about applying to university this year, they are now starting to look at their personal statements. The Parents Guide to Personal Statements is a great resource for parents and carers to look at to help them out with this. Choosing the right university and the right course is also tricky to navigate. The articles – Choose the right university and Choose the right university course are well worth a read.
Virtual Work Experience
We’ve updated our list of organisations offering virtual work experience placements and opportunities, so do check it out here and share with anyone you think will find it useful.
Articles for parents
We’ve got a number of blogs parents might find useful .
- Get competitive – competitions to help your teen stand out
- How stress affects teens and what you can do to help
- Engaging the senses to get more out of life for you and your teen
- Virtual work experience – why your child should take part
- EPQs – For Year 11s going on to sixth form, now is a good time for them to consider whether they’d like to take an EPQ and, if so, what they’d like to focus on. We’ve written this blog so parents know why and how an EPQ can be valuable.
- Awarding academic grades in 2022 (theparentsguideto.co.uk)
- Awarding vocational and technical qualifications in 2022 (theparentsguideto.co.uk)
- The Parents’ Guide to meeting university costs: student finance explained and how to apply (theparentsguideto.co.uk)
Amazing Apprenticeships
Careers Advice For Parents
A good place to start is Careers advice for parents. This site offers advice and guidance for parents who want to explore all the different options available to young people. It also gives some advice on how to support young people through making these tough decisions.
Parent Adviser
Parent Advisor provides information about all of the options post 18, including apprenticeships and gap years, as well as Higher Education.
Career Development Institute
For more information on career development you can also access the UK Career Development Institute. ‘Careers Advice for Parents aims to give you an easy-to-read overview of all the essential facts on finding jobs and apprenticeships or choosing further and higher education courses which could make a real difference to your child’s future career prospects.
National Careers Service
The National Careers Service is also a good, reliable source of impartial advice and guidance.
iCould
Or you could explore the iCould website. This provides a range of articles and information that examines the range of options available to young people at 14, 16 and 18. It is specially aimed at parents and carers.
This section will provide you with links that can take you to the most recent information about the kinds of jobs and opportunities that are most prevalent in our local area. Click here to access more information about the employment sectors in our area such as expected number of jobs and salary etc.
Knowing about the labour market in the area you live will give you an insight to what kinds of jobs and opportunities will be available to you and the kind of careers you can explore if you want to stay in this area of the country.
