Careers Programme
Careers Programme for KS3
As part of the Learning for Life and Work Programme at KS3 (Employability Theme) pupils are encouraged to develop a fuller understanding of their own personal skills and qualities and how these correspond with those required for particular careers.
In Form 3/Year 10 a Personal Career Planning day run by Sentinus forms the beginning of an 8 week careers module. This involves form classes spending time with the School’s Careers Adviser and taking part in a variety of activities such as researching databases on different careers, which eventually help pupils to choose their GCSE subjects and assess their suitability for their chosen careers.
Careers Programme for KS4
Career Planning is taken a step further at KS4. Pupils are introduced in Form 4 to the concept of entrepreneurship, and the skills required, through a Project Business event organised by Young Enterprise.
Pupils regularly review how their personal skills and qualities are changing and use their Progress Files to track their development. In Form 5 a series of careers talks and selective interviews with representatives from Careers Service NI take place to assist pupils with making choices about their futures in the fields of education and employment. For most pupils, this culminates in their choice of subjects for AS/AL in March of Form 5.
All pupils are strongly encouraged to utilize all the resources in the Careers Suite on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth
- One period of taught careers class per week over almost 4 terms focusing on the development of employability skills
- One week of work experience
- Accessing several computer software packages and websites to research higher education and career options
- Talks by former pupils on their courses and careers
- Visiting university presentations (QUB, University of Ulster, Newcastle, Northumbria, St Andrews, Leeds Metropolitan, Scottish University Tour)
- Talks from specific university school admission tutors for high demand courses
- Attendance at local university open days, Higher Education Convention at MCB and UCAS Convention at the King’s Hall
- Mock Interview Evening
- Practice university interviews and guidance interviews with the Careers Adviser as requested
The best careers advice to give to the young is find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it’. Katherine Whitehorn journalist
