Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
At Brannel school our aim is for all subject areas to:
- Have a prominent display that links subject learning and skill development to different careers.
- Develop links with businesses and organisations.
- Invite alumni and other external speakers to come into school (virtually where an actual visit is not feasible).
- Organise external visits by students to local businesses / organisations.
- Record careers learning opportunities for students in schemes of learning.
- Take part in whole school ‘Careers Days’ where all teachers start their lesson with a careers focus, such as talking about their career pathway or showing a short film where people in a range of job roles explain the relevance of skills developed in a particular subject area to their role.
- Explore the possibility of developing real projects/challenges for students with a local business or organisation e.g. a local company setting IT students the task of designing/updating their website.
- Consider the needs and interests of all students and ensure that information challenges stereotyping including gender and disability.
Embedding meaningful encounters with employers within curriculum learning – combining Gatsby benchmarks 4 and 5 – is one of a number of ways in which schools can give young people a taste of life beyond school. Embedding meaningful encounters with employers in the curriculum both contributes to careers guidance AND motivates students about subject learning.
>>Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers
>>Gatsby Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees
What works?
The Careers and Enterprise Company’s Careers in the Curriculum: What Works? report describes a range of interventions which allow students to encounter career learning as part of their everyday school curriculum. The Gatsby report identified eight benchmarks of good career guidance one of which, linking curriculum learning to careers, is directly addressed in this report.
>>Careers in the Curriculum: What Works?
Online Resources
Forum Talent Potential (FTP) provides a step-by-step process for classroom teachers and careers leaders that helps to bring classroom learning to life in partnership with employers. FTP has published more case studies about employer-linked curriculum projects than any other programme in the UK.
Access sample schemes of work and lesson plans here: good practice case studies
REAL Projects is inspired by approaches pioneered in the USA and has been developed through a partnership between Innovation Unit and High Tech High in California. The REAL Projects approach is now being used by schools all over England. REAL Projects are designed by teachers, and rigorously tested to ensure that they will include deep subject knowledge as well as enable students to develop skills they need to succeed in life. Every project requires students to produce high quality outputs that are publicly exhibited to an authentic, real-world audience.
Careers and Enterprise Company links schools to employers to help deliver careers support.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is leading the way in a number of exciting developments with a range of sectors including space, geothermal engineering, mining and IT. For more information about the business landscape within the county, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership has created this ‘10 Opportunities’ booklet. They have also created a booklet highlighting key labour market information statistics around the county.
Working with Business Volunteers
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Careers Hub provides useful templates for working with employers and business volunteers:
Brannel is part of the Careers Hub’s Enterprise Adviser network. See examples of employer engagement activities you could get involved with and good practice case studies developed by Enterprise Advisers here: Enterprise Adviser Case Studies.