Careers

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

- Abraham Lincoln

Maidstone and Malling Provision are committed to providing a careers programme which educates, informs, advises and guides all students. Having a stable career’s programme enables students to gain knowledge of the requirements needed for the next step of their educational journey e.g. college, apprenticeship or a traineeship. As well as next steps our programme also informs students about career paths, opportunities and current labour market information.

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programmes make a major contribution to preparing young people for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.  A young person’s career reflects the progress they make in learning and work. MMAP fully believes that all pupils need a programme of activities to help them choose options and career pathways that are right for them through our statutory responsibility of supporting pupils from Key stage 3 through to Year 11. This allows us to support pupils to manage their careers, sustain employability and achieve personal and economic wellbeing throughout their lives. 

Effective CEIAG within MMAP ensures that we the provision:

• Actively encourages and inspires young people to consider all options, so that they are able to select the best way forward for their interests, motivations, learning styles, abilities and aspirations.

• Actively led by the Careers Advisor

• Actively consulting with students, parents and staff on CIAEG provision to inform continuing improvement.

The CEIAG programme includes careers education sessions, career guidance activities (E.g. group work and talks from professionals, careers fairs etc.), work-related learning, as well as individual learning activities. The curriculum is thoroughly supported by the SLT.

In terms of delivery, all staff have a responsibility to provide Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance and whilst delivery will be through a predominantly taught approach within lessons, all staff will be expected to contribute through roles as tutors and curriculum subject teachers in addition to specific staff responsibilities for CEIAG.

Believe, Achieve, Exceed:

In Careers, we contribute to our believe, achieve, exceed school ethos by following the CDI (Career Development Institute) framework and the Gatsby Benchmarks.  https://www.gatsbybenchmarks.org.uk/

These are:

1. A table 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. Experience of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance

Examples of the way we do this are by having regular events, such as apprenticeship and careers fairs, to expose students to the world of work and the different types of jobs. Having cv/application and interview workshops, learning about our rights and responsibilities, employability skills and why employers want to have their employees to have them.

To contribute to the ACHIEVE part of our ethos, in Careers we remind students that the grades they are given will determine their next step. Students can gain work experience in a career of their choice if the opportunity arises. A member of staff will accompany students to interviews if needed, offering both moral and professional support.

To meet the EXCEED part of our ethos. Students are informed about the ‘big picture’ for examples making sure students are aware that how they act on social media will have an impact on their choices for next step, exploring the national and local labour trends, exploring the relationship between career, the environment, community and society.